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The Herzegovinian soprano, Nikolina
Hrkać, graduated from the Public Gymnasium and the Music High School in
Široki Brijeg. She then studied at Academy of Music, University of Zagreb
with Professor Martina Zadro (December 2015-December 2023). Since March 2024,
she is part of the National Opera Studio Young Artists' Programme in London.
Nikolina Hrkać participated at Brixen Classics Festival 2022, where she was
chosen to perform the part of Ännchen in C.M. von Weber’s Der Freischütz
(concert June 17, 2022), alongside established artists: Michael Volle,
Christopher Ventris and Gabriela Scherer, conducted by maestro Daniel Geiss. In
March this year she graduated from Music Academy in Zagreb singing the part of
Angelo from George Frideric Handel's oratorio La resurrezione
in Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall in Zagreb, conducted by maestro Gábor Hollerung.
From March 2023 she is a recipient of a Young Artist Scholarship of Croatian
National Theater in Zagreb. Recently, she made her debut at Croatian National
Theater in Zagreb as La voce in G. Puccini's La rondine, Čobanče
in J. Gotovac's Ero the Jocker and Berta in G. Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia.
She has won two prizes at the International Singing Competition of the Chamber
Opera Rheinsberg Castle 2023. Also, her professional engagements until now
include performance of J.S. Bach's
Cantata Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen BWV 51
with Croatian Baroque Ensemble (Croatian
Music Institute) in March 2021; concert "Magna Mater Austriae" (in
January 2022 as a soloist with Croatian Baroque Ensemble
singing the pieces by Johann Joseph Fux;
concerts in Finland in July 2022 with Croatian Baroque Ensemble
performing the early music pieces by Ferrari, Melani and Antonio Caldara;
Korkyra Baroque Festival at Korčula in September 2022 with Croatian Baroque Ensemble
(J.S. Bach's Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen BWV 51).
She was awarded the Dean’s Award for her academic success in 2020-2021 and The
Rector’s Award for her academic success in 2021-2022. As a finalist of the
2017 Lions Grand Prix Competition in Rijeka, she won The Musical Youth Award.
She is the 1st Prize winner in the first category of the 2018
International Singing Competition Lav Mirski in Osijek.
Nikolina Hrkać participated in the Music Academy project Gustav Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn
(as a co-production of the University in Zagreb and the University in Bern)
directed by Mathias Behrends and also in the newly written operetta Priležnici
by Linda Uran performing the main part: Violetta Valéry at the Theater
Komedija in Zagreb; both projects were awarded with the Rector’s Award of the
University in Zagreb. In April last year she embodied the role of Bastienne in W.A. Mozart's
early opera Bastien und Bastienne at The Croatian National Theatre in
Varaždin, directed by Ozren Prohić, and in May 2021 she performed as
The Fairy in Jules Massenet’s opera Cendrillon at Music Academy in
Zagreb. Her recent concerts include Academic Cycle Virtuoso: The Pictures of
Romanticism and Impressionism, concert dedicated to composer Bruno Bjelinski,
concert "I. pl. Zajc: Alla staggion dei Fiori", and the project
“Hommage a Kurt Weill”. Also, she sang the part of Noemie in the annual
Academic opera project: J. Massent's Cendrillon in March 2020. In
September 2020 she sang at 50th Varaždin Baroque Evenings and in March 2021
at Croatian Music Institute J.S. Bach's
Cantata Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen BWV 51
with Croatian Baroque Ensemble. Also, in
March 2021, she participated as a soloist in the performance of J.S. Bach's Markus-Passion BWV 247,
at Music Academy in Zagreb, conducted by maestro Hansjörg Albrecht.
In November 2021, she sang the role of the pig Squealer in Croatian contemporary
opera Animal Farm written by Igor Kuljerić at Vatroslav Lisinski
Concert Hall. In January 2022, she participated at concert "Magna Mater
Austriae" as a soloist with Croatian Baroque Ensemble
singing the pieces by Johann Joseph Fux.
Nikolina Hrkać participated in the Masterclass Russian Seasons at Saint
Petersburg 2021 and in Exzellenz Labor 2022 at Weikersheim. Also, she worked
with renowned artists such as Hedwig Fassbender,
Rene Massis, Fausto Nardi, Enrico Maria Cacciari, Krešimir Stražanac,
Dunja Vejzović, Katia Borissova, Anton Saris, Herve Niquet, Rita Sussovsky,
Cornelius Witthoeft, Theresa Plut, Brigitte Stradiot, etc.
The latest engagements include Korkyra Baroque Festival at Korčula in
September 2022 with Croatian Baroque Ensemble
(J.S. Bach's Cantata Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen BWV 51),
Varaždin Baroque Evenings 2022 (Georg Philipp Telemann's Zürne
nur, du alte Schlange) and a concert with Zagreb Soloists in January 2023 (George Frideric Handel's Da tempeste). |
