Major roles:

Rosina (Il Barbiere di Sivilga)
Norina (Don Pasquale)
Adina (L'Elisir d'amore)
Adela (Die Fledermaus)

Education:

University of Ljubljana
Degree in:
Language studies & comparative literature

Ljubljana Academy of Music
Diploma in: Opera inging

Curriculum Vitæ

Soprano singer Mateja Stražar was born in Ljubljana (Slovenia). She graduated in Slovenian language and comparative literature in Ljubljana University before her professional singing career begun. While studying on University she finished Music Primary School with solo concert, organized by Music Youth of Ljubljana, where she also regularly participated in singing – literary projects in her years of study. She continued her singing studies with professor Irena Baar at Music and Ballet High School in Ljubljana, where she participated twice in summer school of solo singing “Music July” in Koper (on the Slovenian coast), intended for gifted talents.

While studying on Music Academy her repertoire took a turn into classic opera. Her professor was Alexander Brown, who still works with her. Her school debut was a role of Adina in Donizetti’s opera L Elisire d amore, she learned the role in Foerster’s Gorenjski Slavček, sung Handel’s arias, Mozart’s arias of Suzana, Barbarina, Cherubin, Zerlina, Despina and arias from Donizetti,s, Verdi’s and Puccini’s operas. She graduated with honours in the role of Rosina in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Sivilga in the year 2000.

While studying she worked with Slovenian TV Symphony Orchestra and Slovenian Police Orchestra.

In Opera House in Ljubljana she debuted as Norina in G. Donizetti’s Don Pasquale only a year after graduation. Her cooperation with Ljubljana Opera House is going on for third year now, as she sings as Norina and Eros in Kleopatra by D. Švara. That cooperation is a token of the highest appreciation of her work and singing voice.

Mateja Stražar twice participated in International Solo Singing School “Hugo Wolf” in Slovenj Gradec. The school is led by professor Breda Zakotnik, professor of singing at Salzburg s Mozarteum. Their close cooperation is still continuing today. She also attended a seminar given by Sara Walker in Ljubljana.

She was invited by famous Slovenian opera singers (Milena Morača, Božena Glavak, Ferdinand Radovan, Jure Kušar, Jurij Reja…) to perform in Foerster,s Gorenjski Slavček (role of Ninon) and Strausss Die Fledermaus (role of Adela). She performed those roles in Slovenia and Germany.

Her repertoire is quite large; beside previously mentioned Adina, Rosina, Norina, Ninon and Adela she also sings the roles of Oscar in Verdi,s Un Ballo in Maschera, Mussette in Puccini,s La Boheme, Donizetti’s Linda di Chamounix, Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and other songs from different authors and different epochs.

She currently works as opera singer, concert singer in Slovenia and abroad, as well as professor of solo singing in music school in Slovenia.