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Lyric soprano Saran Erdenebat, born in Ulan-Bator, Mongolia, said her parents wanted her to have a full life, like the full moon, so they named her Saran. "Saran" means full moon in Mongolian.

Saran was 25 when she started her singing training. "I was very shy when I was growing up, that's why I started too late," she said. She also thought she wanted to be a doctor. But art won. Talent runs in her family. Her late mother, Duudeikhuu, had a good singing voice.

Saran graduated with a Bachelor's Degree from the Mongolian University of Culture and Art in 1996. Two years later, she earned her Master's Degree in Art from the Mongolian University of Culture and Art in Ulan-Bator. She came to the U.S. in February 2004.

Saran has made up for lost time, and indeed, her life is full. She's fulfilled in her personal life and in her chosen career. "I have a beautiful daughter who will soon be studying at Johns Hopkins University," she beamed. "I have a wonderful boyfriend named Gerald."

She has won many awards. She has played leading roles at the Mongolian Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet in Ulan-Bator. She has performed in concerts in the U.S., and on tour in China, Korea and Russia, at the Bolshoi Theater. "I have also performed at local opera nights with Washington Opera Company tenor Michael Blaney and pianist Bob Boguslaw," she said, grateful to this country, the land of opportunity where one can reach for the moon.

Saran knows she couldn't have done it alone. She said, "I want to thank my voice teachers D. Dashama in Mongolia, and, here in the United States, Alina Kozinska of the Peabody Institute, and my accompanists Susan Ricci-Rogel and Munkhsur Birvaa." She is continuing her studies with Ms. Kozinska at the Peabody Institute.

Debut performance

Saran performed her first lead role in Mongolia on October 18, 1999. The Century News reported, "Saran Erdenebat debuted in the main role of Nansalmaa in the 2,270th performance of the opera 'Three Sad Hills.' She is the 21st singer to do the role and we're expecting that she will do splendidly."

"Before the performance, I doubted I could sing well, but in fact I sang very well," Saran recalled, amazed. "Once I started singing, I wasn't nervous." Describing her style, she replied in an email: "I sing my arias from my heart. I try to make my music clear, easy and natural. I try to sing in character and to make every word meaningful."

Most recently, arts critic B. Batjargal in the Dayar Mongol (literally, "Throughout Mongolia") was awed with her rehearsal for a May performance. "I heard the singer Saran Erdenebat rehearse nine famous arias from the world's great operas, as well as well-known Russian, American and� Mongolian songs, without taking any breaks. The timbre of her voice is clear and easy to listen to. Anyone who knows about singing knows how arduous her program is."

In November, Saran will return to the opera company of her hometown, Ulan-Bator, to sing Cio-Cio-San in "Madame Butterfly" and Khadaan in "Chingis Khan." To be sure, once again she will be showered with rave reviews. "I'm also planning a recital at Carnegie Hall in March next year," she said.

Featured roles

Saran's featured roles include: Bess in Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess," Frasquita in Bizet's "Carmen;" Anne in Nicolai's "The Merry Wives of Windsor;" Annina in Verdi's "La Traviata;" Kate Pinkerton in Puccini's "Madame Butterfly," Khadaan in Sharav's "Chingis Khan;" Nansalmaa in Damdinsuren's "Three Sad Hills," and Tserenlkham in Bilegjargal's "Tears of the Lama."

She has been busy with concerts. Her recent concert at the Maryland Hall for the Performing Arts, drew some 40 Mongolians and over 80 Americans. Her arias that got the most applause were "Casta Diva" by Bellini, "Tacea la notte placida" by Verdi and Marfa's mad scene from "The Tsar's Bride" by Rimsky-Korsakov.

Other concerts took place at the Radford University Pridemore Playhouse in Virginia; Cohen Davidson Hall at the Peabody Institute; the First Amendment Lounge of The National Press Club; the embassy of Mongolia in the nation's capital; Virginia's Rosslyn Spectrum; the Mongolian Studies Conference in Chicago; and the Mongolian Art and Culture Workers Forum in Washington, D.C.

Saran has won numerous singing competitions in her native Mongolia. She placed second place in the Purevdorj International Competition of Professional Singers in 1999. She won 3rd place in the Sharav International Competition of Professional Singers, Ulan-Bator that same year. In May 2000, she won second place in the Competition for the Best Role in National Opera, the role of Nansalmaa in "Three Sad Hills."

Q & A excerpts

What challenges did you overcome in your life? What have you learned from these challenges? My mother died when I was 16, leaving me with five younger brothers and sisters. The youngest was 3 years old. I'm the second-oldest in the family. At that time, I learned how to stand up for myself, and to keep trying and never give up. There's always another way. That helped me when I came to this country, without knowing English and without having close friends who could help me. Now I know how to live in America and I'm trying to help my siblings in Mongolia.

Who are your favorite singers and composers, and why? My favorite Mongolian composers are B. Sharav and N. Jantsannorov. My favorite foreign composers are Puccini, Verdi and Tchaikovsky. My favorite Mongolian singers are the well-known singer Urtnasan and Javzandulam. My favorite foreign singers are Montserrat Caballe and Renee Fleming, the most famous lyric sopranos.

What advice can you give aspiring singers? Keep practicing and try to warm up your voice every day. It will help keep your voice nice and clear, and will also help preserve your voice. Another thing: Swimming is excellent for improving breath control.