Ruxandra Donose is a Romanian operatic mezzo-soprano.
Donose studied singing with Georgeta Stoleriu at the Ciprian Porumbescu Conservatory, where she graduated in 1989.
In 1990 she was the runner up at the ARD International Music Competition. After this, she had her first engagement abroad, in Basel. In 1992 she became a member of the Vienna State Opera. From there, she developed a fast-paced international career, as an opera singer and also as an interpreter for Lied and oratorio.
Donose is considered a distinguished bel canto singer, but also one of the leading interpreters of the French and the Mozartian mezzo-soprano repertoire. Her voice is "marked by a dark, warm tone, extreme mobility and light, shining heights".
About her live recording with Rossini's La cenerentola, in the title role, at Glyndebourne festival 2005, Barry Brenesal notes:
"However, I will single out only Ruxandra Donose for praise. Hers is a dusky mezzo, even in coloration, volume, and support across the registers. The voice is able to handle exacting coloratura without any aspiration or evidence of strain.