Artistic Director prof. Alessandra Schettino

Born to Slovenian parents in Buenos Aires (Argentina), mezzo-soprano Bernarda Fink received her singing and music education at the Theatre Colón High School of the Arts in Buenos Aires, where she also performed regularly. Her repertoire is wide-ranging, from early music to works by contemporary composers. A singer known for her versatility, she regularly performs with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Vienna and Berlin Philharmonics, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, and with the finest Baroque orchestras under conductors such as Barenboim, Blomstedt, Bichkov, Chailly, Gardiner, Gergiev, Jacobs, Jansons, Muti, Norrington, Pinnock, Prêtre, Rattle, Saraste and Welser-Möst. As an opera singer she has impressed critics in Argentina and in the main European opera houses. Some of her most prominent roles include Cecilia in Mozart’s Lucio Silla (Theater an der Wien), Idamante in Idomeneo (Teatro Real, Madrid) and Irene in Handel’s Theodora (Salzburg Festival). In 2017 she made her debut at the Vienna State Opera in Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande. She regularly appears in recitals and concerts in Vienna, Schwarzenberg, Amsterdam, London, Berlin, New York and Buenos Aires. In recent seasons she has appeared in Mahler’s Second Symphony with Andris Nelsons at the Tanglewood Festival and with Mariss Jansons in Copenhagen, in Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater in Rome, with Jakub Hrůša in Bamberg, at the Beethoven Festival in Warsaw, and on a concert tour of America with the Camerata Salzburg. The artist’s extensive repertoire is reflected in a rich discography, which has won numerous awards (including Grammy and Diapason dʼor). Bernarda Fink is a recipient of the Austrian Badge of Honour for Science and Arts and the honorary title Kammersängerin. In 2013, together with Mark Fink, she received the Prešeren Fund Prize in Slovenia.

After making his debut at the Spoleto Festival in L’Italiana in Algeri and La sonnambula, Emanuele Giannino embarked on a rapid career that took him to the stages of some of the world’s greatest theatres, including Teatro alla Scala, Opéra National de Paris, Liceu in Barcelona, Opernhaus in Zurich, La Monnaie in Brussels, Semperoper in Dresden, Teatro dell’Opera in Rome, Teatro Comunale in Bologna and Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. After graduating from the “Arcangelo Corelli” Conservatory of music in Messina, he won important international competitions, including “Adriano Belli” in Spoleto (1987) and “Toti Dal Monte” (1992). During the course of his career he has taken part in important productions, including Die Zauberflöte (Monostatos) at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, The marriage of Figaro (Basilio) at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale di Firenze, the Opéra de Nantes and Angers, Gianni Schicchi (Gherardo) at the Teatro alla Scala di Milano, Otello (Roderigo) at the Opéra National de Paris, L’Africaine (Don Alvaro) at the Teatro La Fenice di Venezia; Enescu’s Oedipe (Laios) at the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, Macbeth (Malcolm) at the Zurich Opernhaus, L’elisir d’amore (Nemorino) on tour in Korea, L’italiana in Algeri (Lindoro) at the Liceu in Barcelona and at the Semperoper in Dresden, La sonnambula (Elvino) at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Don Pasquale (Ernesto) in Bilbao, Lucia di Lammermoor (Edgardo) at the Canadian Opera in Toronto, Chérubin at the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, Falstaff and I pagliacci at the Monnaie in Brussels, Il cappello di paglia di Firenze (Achille) at the Opéra de Nantes. His repertoire also includes such titles as Les contes d’Hoffmann, Il turco in Italia, Otello, L’amico Fritz, Il matrimonio segreto, I quattro rusteghi, Sigismondo, Le donne rivali, L’occasione fa il ladro and Turandot. He is also active in the concert field, his repertoire includes such titles as Stabat Mater, Petite messe solennelle at La Scala, Rossini’s Messa di Gloria, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony and the oratorio Christus am Ölberge. His discography includes, among other titles, Cimarosa’s Le donne rivali (1994), Hasse’s Piramo e Tisbe (1996), Rossini’s Messa di Gloria (2000) and Duni’s La clochette (2002). His recent engagements include Un ballo in maschera and La traviata at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice; Lucia di Lammermoor at the Opéra de Nancy; La fanciulla del West at the Teatro alla Scala and the Opéra National de Paris; Falstaff at the Lucerne Festival; Norma at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice; Macbeth (Malcolm) at the Teatro Verdi in Pisa. Emanuele Giannino is head of the Singing Department at the Conservatory of music  J. Tomadini in Udine.

Soprano Elvira Hasanagić holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from the University of Music and Theatre and the August Everding Theatre Academy in Munich. Her artistic career has taken her to Staatsoper unter den Linden in Berlin, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires, Nationaltheater Mannhein, Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz in Munich, SNG Opera and Ballet Ljubljana and Maribor, Staatstheater Saarbrücken, Kassel, Schwerin, under the batons of conductors: Zubin Mehta, Ulf Schirmer, James Conlon, Julian Salemkour, Uroš Lajovic and Christian Schumann. In collaboration with Bavarian Radio and their orchestra, she recorded the opera »La Lodoiska« by the composer Simon Mayr in the role of Resiska. With Deutschlandradio Kultur she recorded a CD of autobiographical songs by Wolf, Berg, Lajovic, Babić, Zajc, Prebande and Osterc. In cooperation with the RTVSLO Cassette and Record Publishing House, her CD of ElSoprano’s self-penned works – Hrepenenje / Longing was released. Her second solo album will soon follow, this time with Verdi arias in collaboration with the RTV SLO Orchestra under the baton of Simon Krečič. For her artistic achievements in 2017, the City of Dresden and the German Association for the Support of Opera Singers awarded her the title Young Artist of the Year 2017. She is regularly invited as a jury member at international opera and solo singing competitions and as a mentor at solo singing courses – Stignani Competition Imola, Italy, Solo Singing Competition Bitola, Macedonia, Musica Goritiensis, Gorizia, Italy, Glasbena mladina, Slovenia.

Bass-baritone Eugenio Leggiadri-Gallani studied singing with the soprano Cecilia Fusco and after with Elena Baggiore, Katia Ricciarelli, Raina Kabainvanska, Luciana Serra, Yoko Takeda. He made his debut in 1995 in Tarragona (Spain) in the role of Colline in La Boheme, participating also in the 3rd Festival D’art Lirique of Never in France. He played the role of Sigismondo in the operetta “Al cavallino bianco”, Dulcamara in “Elisir d’amore”, Alidoro in “Cenerentola”, Blansac in “Scala di seta” (Manchester and Hannover theaters). He was the protagonist in “Il maestro di Cappella” at the Tibor Varga Festival and in “Una partita” by Zandonai at the Politeama of Lecce. Between 2002 and 2003 he sang in “Carmen”, “Barber of Seville”, “Bell of the Apothecary”, at the Operetta Festival at the Verdi Theatre of Trieste and at the Theatre of Istanbul. He sang at the Odeon Theatre in Athens “Le Avventure di Pinocchio”, an opera commissioned to represent Italy in the Olympic year under the direction of Mº Donato Renzetti. He also performed in “Cenerentola” at the Theatre of St. Gallen (Switzerland) and at the Theatre of Trieste (at the invitation of Maestro Daniel Oren). For the inauguration of the theater of San Severo (Foggia) he sang in the “Barbiere di Siviglia” directed by M° Michele Mirabella and in the “Trovatore”.  With “Barbiere di Siviglia” he also performed at the Theatre of Spoleto for the 60th anniversary of the Foundation and at the Theatre Regio of Turin in the summer season 2007. Intense is also the concert activity in Naples, Taranto, Rome and Foggia and in acclaimed recitals in St. Petersburg, Malaga, Naples, Bari, Rome, Florence, Pisa, Turin, Milan, Treviso, Pesaro, etc.. He has recorded for Naxos and Rai – Italian Radio Television. His latest engagements include performances in Florence and Vicenza, in the Region of Umbria for the circuit and the Pan Opera Festival in Panicale, in opera productions in Germany (Dortmund, Heidenhaim, Cottbus, Lubeck, Nuremberg, Koblenz) and in a tour in China.

The soprano Vlatka Oršanić was born in Zabok (CRO). She spent her childhood in Varaždin where she, at the age of seven, started learning piano at the School of Music, as 14-year old she transferred to solo singing with Prof. Ankica Opolski. At the age of 16 she entered Ljubljana Academy of Music, studying voice under Prof. Ondina Otta-Klasinc. Already during her studies she received The Prešern Student Award for the role of Susana in of The Marriage Figaro. In September 1978 she made her debut in the role of Sophie in opera Werther at Ljubljana Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet, where she graduated in spring 1979 in the role of Gilda in Rigoletto. In 1979 she won the 1st award at Mario del Monaco Opera International Vocal Competition for Singers in Italy and in 1980 she won the 2nd award at international television competition in Belgium. In the period 1985-1990 she took additional studies in Vienna with Kms Olivera Miljaković. In the first period of her career, as a very young soloist, she achieved great success in the roles of Gilda, Lucia and Violetta, with which she made guest appearances at all opera houses in the former Yugoslavia. At that time she sang The Queen of the Night, Adina, Rosina, Pamina, Olympia and Elvira (Puritans). Later on her most significant roles were, among others, Jenufa, Katerina Ismailova, Lady Macbeth, Tosca, Tatyana, Rosalinda, Vitellia, Katja Kabanova, Abigaila, Leonora (Trubadur), Donna Anna, Electra (Idomeneo), Rusalka, Marzenka (The Bartered Bride, The Sold Bride), Mila (Destiny), Cho-Cho-San, Aida, Magdalena (Andrea Chénier), Ariadne (Ariadne on Naxos) and Margaretha (Faust). She appeared at various opera houses, such as Semperoper Dresden, Komische Oper Berlin, Staatstheter Dramstadt, Aaltotheater Essen, Oper Leipzig, Festspielhaus Salzburg, Teatro Communale Firenca and Oper Bonn, at music festivals such as Salsburg Summer Festival, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Edinburgh Festival, Autumn Festival in Paris, The Wiener Festwochen (Vienna Festival) as well as at some most important European concert halls such as Musikverein and Konzerthaus (Vienna), Konzerthaus Berlin, Alte Oper (Frankfurt), Philharmonie (Köln), Théâtre du Châtelet (Paris) and Auditorio Municipal (Madrid). The conductors she collaborated with were, among others, Michael Gielen, Lovro von Matačić, Semyon Bychkov, Vladimir Jurowski, Kirill Petrenko, Uroš Lajovic, Hans Graf, Pinchas Steinberg, Daniel Harding, Stefan Soltesz and Michael Schønwandt. The directors with whom she revived the leading roles in opera performances, among others were Joachim Herz, Harry Kupfer, Christine Mielitz, Liliana Cavani, Andreas Homoki, Uwe Eric Laufenberg and Pet Halmen, its partners were Elina Garanča, Anja Harteros, Piotr Beczała and Peter Schreier. As the concert soloist, with the repertoire that includes works from baroque to contemporary music, she appeared with the orchestras like The Vienna Symphony, ORF Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Symphony Orchestra, SWF and MDR as well as Zagreb Philharmonic, Slovenian Philharmonic and Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestar. In 2003 she became a professor of voice professor at the Academy of Music in Zagreb, where she was the head of Voice Department from 2007 to 2016. In the period from 2006 to 2010 she was a professor of voice professor the Academy of Music in Ljubljana. Her students are the soloists at the European opera houses among which is worth to mention Staatsoper (München), Deutsche Oper (Berlin), Semperoper (Dresden), Grand Bayerische Théâtre de Genève, Národní divadlo (Prague), Teatro Fenice (Venice), Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Gran Teatre del Liceu (Barcelona) as well as Slovenian and Croatian opera houses. She is the leader of the vocal-singing seminars for singers and vocal pedagogues, the member of the jury for home and international singing competitions as well as the cofounder and director of Zinka Milanov international competition for young opera singers in Rijeka.