Renowned Bulgarian soprano, Krassimira Stoyanova, has joined this fall the stars of the Chicago Lyric Opera, which is the second largest theater in North America.

The Bulgarian Chicago-based media Eurochicago reports that Stoyanova's debut in the main female part – Amelia, in Giuseppe Verdi's Simon Boccanegra has been magnificent.

The premiere of Verdi's opera took place this week. There will be at least seven other performances, which are also expected to delight residents and visitors of Chicago, including the Bulgarian expat community, which is the largest in North America.

Stoyanova is one of the most prominent and popular opera starс worldwide. The New York Times describes her sound as "earthy, rich and poignant."

The Lyric Opera audience has reacted to her performance with thundering applause while colleagues and media gave her raving reviews.

Chicago Classical Review writes the following:

"Krassimira Stoyanova made an almost pitch-perfect debut as Amelia. The Bulgarian soprano showed her Verdian bona fides memorably as Desdemona in last year's concert performances of Otello with Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Stoyanova's flexible, gleaming instrument is eminently well suited to Verdi and the role of Amelia. She sang with glowing introspection in her opening aria, Come in quest'ora bruna and her penetrating top notes rang out with surprising strength in the ensembles. Dramatically, Stoyanova was serviceable if a bit generalized in her acting next to her male colleagues, relying too heavily on a few stock gestures."

After Lyric Opera, the Bulgarian soprano will travel to Moscow where, from the stage of Bolshoi Theater, she will open on November 18 the Days of Bulgarian Culture. In March 2013, she will once again perform in the US, on the stage of the New York Metropolitan Opera as Desdemona in Verdi's Othello, Eurochicago writes.

In addition to Krassimira Stoyanova, other starts in the Lyric Opera cast include Thomas Hampson, Ferruccio Furlanetto, and Frank Lopardo.