BBC Cardiff Singer of the World and Song Prize competitor

Dana Bramane began her studies at J Medins Music College, Riga in 1991. Principal teachers have included Margarita Gruzdjeva and Lilija Greidane, and she has taken part in master classes with Barbro Marklund-Petersone, Håkan Hagegård, Bozena Harazimovich, Paolo de Napoli, Margreet Honig and Roberta Alexander.

In 2008 she received her bachelor's degree from Jazepa Vitola Latvian Academy of Music and is now studying for her master's degree. Dana also took part in the Socrates/Erasmus Student Exchange programme in 2005, which enabled her to study at the Norwegian Academy of Music and to study jazz and classical interpretation at the Estonian Academy of Music.

In 2002 she won the Alina Vane International Vocal Competition, and has taken part in several other competitions, including the 2008 s'Hertogenbosch IVC. While still a student at the Jazepa Vitola Latvian Academy of Music, she performed Tatyana (Eugene Onegin).

In September 2008 Dana made her debut with Latvian National Opera as Micaëla (Carmen), and also performed Pamina (Die Zauberflöte). Future plans include Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni) at Latvian National Opera.

In her spare time, Dana enjoys active sport and spending time with her husband and son.

BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2009: concert one repertoire

• Donde lieta uscì (La bohème) - Puccini
• C'est des contrebandiers ... Je dis que rien ne m'epouvante (Carmen) - Bizet
• Signore, ascolta! (Turandot) - Puccini
• In quali eccessi - Mi tradì quell' alma ingrate (Don Giovanni) - Mozart

BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Song Prize 2009: recital four repertoire

• Rožu uguns - Jēkabs Mediņš
• Mana laime - Emīls Dārziņš
• Nāc! - Jānis Mediņš
• Nocturno - Jānis Mediņš
• Sapņu tālumā - Jāzeps Vītols
• Tā ietu - Jānis Mediņš
• Ak, jūs, atmiņas - Jānis Mediņš
• Ābele - Jānis Mediņš
• Kungs Dievs (Tēvijai) - Jurjānu Andreys