Her dark, smoldering eyes and cascading black curls are striking, but what is unusual is the juxtaposition of fiery surface and an inward-focused quality, seeming to draw power from some secret space.

[2] Young Anita grew up in difficult circumstances in the wake of the breakup of the Soviet Union, including some civil wars:[6] "no electricity, no water, no food, nothing.

[3][2] Anita Rachvelishvili passed the entrance audition[2] and entered the Tbilisi State Conservatoire where she trained as a singer under Manana Egadze.

[8] Her career breakthrough came when she was chosen by the then music director of La Scala, Daniel Barenboim, to sing the title role in a new production of Carmen at that theatre.

[7] This production of Carmen in 2009 with tenor Jonas Kaufmann as Don José was televised worldwide and brought Anita Rachvelishvili to international attention.

"[1] She performs frequent charity concerts on Georgian television, including some jazz or folk songs in her repertoire.

[4] Overall she retains strong bonds with her home country and is emotionally invested in Georgia becoming prosperous and successful.

[5] A New York Times review of the last of these was highly praiseful, calling her performance "stupendous", especially highlighting her singing across titular star Anna Netrebko: "[both] sang ferociously as they hurled accusatory phrases at each other.