Magdalena Kožená (born 1973 in Brno) is a Czech mezzo-soprano, the daughter of a mathematician father and a biologist mother. Her original goal was to be a pianist, but she broke her hand at age 6 and switched to singing, starting in the Brno Philharmonic children's choir. She studied at the Brno Conservatoire and at the College of Performing Arts in Bratislava, and graduated in 1995. In 1995, she was a prize winner at the International Mozart Competition. From 1996-97, she was a member of the Vienna Volksoper.
In 2003, Kožená was awarded the title of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government. She was formerly married to the French baritone Vincent le Texier. Her marriage ended after she began a relationship with the conductor Sir Simon Rattle. In March 2005, she gave birth to their son, Jonas.
