I`m not sure how well-known she is, but has anyone else listened to Katherine Jenkins sing before? My roommate knows that I love Romantic-era Opera, esp. Puccini and Verdi, so she gave me a copy of her CD "La Diva" that she brought home from Universal. I`ve probably heard Va Pensiero done by a million different people, but her version really stood out, I thought it was amazing for someone her age. Also a really good piece from Carmen on the CD, too. The entire repertoire was well-chosen. I posted a link below if anyone wants to check her out -- she`s actually younger than me, laugh.
http://www.katherinejenkins.co.uk

I actually just posted this in the last thread, but I`m also a big fan of the mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves, as I am one myself, if anyone has heard of her before.

Jasmine