Vlatka Oršanić

Vlatka Oršanić (born 1958) is a Croatian opera singer (soprano) and vocal pedagogue.

Life and career

Oršanić was born in Zabok, Croatia. She spent her childhood in Varaždin where she began her music education at the School of Music. She studied piano from the age of 7 and singing from the age of 14 under Ankica Opolski. At the age of 16 she entered the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, studying voice under Ondina Otta-Klasinc. She graduated in the spring of 1979 and made her debut as Sophie in Werther at Ljubljana Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet. She was subsequently engaged as a soloist there and also began making guest appearances in other opera houses in what was then Yugoslavia. In that time she was celebrated as an extraordinary Lucia and Gilda. From 1985 to 1990 she lived in Vienna, where she pursued further study in solo singing techniques with Olivera Miljaković. Oršanić is also the co-founder and director of the Zinka Milanov International Competition for young opera singers.

Awards 1976 – The Prešeren Student Award 1979 – 1st Prize at Mario Del Monaco International Vocal Competition for Opera Singers in Udine, Italy. 2007 – Milka Trnina Award (Croatia) for extraordinary artistic achievements. 2010 – Sergije Rainis Plaquette (Croatia) for extraordinary achievements in the field of vocal art and pedagogy. 2011 – Award of the Croatian Association of Music and Dance Pedagogues for extraordinary achievements in the field of music pedagogy. 2012 – The Samo Smerkolj Award (Slovenia) for the artistic achievements of the Slovene opera singers, especially in the field of chamber opera. 2012 – The Betetto Award (Slovenia) for the artistic achievements and overall contribution to the Slovenian music culture.

Discography

Alexander von Zemlinsky: Lyrische Symphonie / Alban Berg: Altenberg Lieder. SWF Symphony Orchestra, conductor Michael Gielen. Arte Nova Classics, 1995 Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 9. SWF Symphony Orchestra, conductor Michael Gielen. EMI Records, 1995 Bernd Alois Zimmermann: . SWF Symphony Orchestra, conductor Michael Gielen. Sony Classical, 1995 G. F. Handel: Nine German Arias. Drago Arko, violin; Ciril Škerjanc, cello; Vlasta Doležal-Rus, harpsichord; Založba kaset in plošč, Ljubljana 2000

Media The Portrait of Vlatka Oršanić. Croatian television production, 2000. Directed by Branko Ivanda Television broadcast of Vlatka Oršanić. Author: Darja Korez Korenčan. Production: Television Slovenia, 2004