Soprano Linda Watson is recognized as one of the most important Wagnerian artists of our time. Her 1998 Bayreuth debut as Kundry was followed by prestigious engagements throughout the world. She has collaborated with conductors Giuseppe Sinopoli, James Levine, Zubin Mehta, Valery Gergiev, Christian Thielemann, Antonio Pappano and Kent Nagano. Like many great Wagner sopranos of the past, she began her career as a mezzo, performing roles such as Venus and Brangäne. Her first soprano role was Sieglinde in Essen, and she added the roles of Kundry, Isolde, Leonore, the Marschallin and Ariadne as an ensemble member of the Deutsche Oper am Rhein. She made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Kundry and performed Brünnhilde in the Ring in Vienna. At the 2005 Bayreuth Festival, she performed Ortrud in Lohengrin, returning as Brünnhilde in the new Ring in 2006, 2007 and 2008. She returned to the Met in December as Isolde. Previous LA Opera appearances include Isolde, Kundry and the Dyer's Wife in Die Frau ohne Schatten. After appearing in LA Opera's Die Walkure last April, she returned to the Met for the final performances of the Otto Schenk Ring under James Levine, before reprising the Ring at Bayreuth during the summer.