BIOGRAPHY

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Croatian mezzo-soprano Margareta Matišić has established herself as a prominent opera artist, recognized for her warm, dramatically expressive mezzo-soprano voice and strong stage presence. Her artistic journey includes significant roles in operas by Verdi, Massenet, Bizet, Puccini, Mozart and Tchaikovsky, performed on leading national and international stages.

 

She made her professional debut in 2018 at the Croatian National Theatre in Rijeka, performing the role of Mistress Quickly in Verdi's Falstaff. Soon after, she debuted at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, where she portrayed: Third Lady in Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Suzuki in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Marcellina in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Mercédès in Bizet’s Carmen, Mrs. Nolan in Menotti’s The Medium,  Flora Bervoix in Verdi’s La Traviata and Third Nymph in Dvořák's Rusalka. At the Split Summer Festival in the Croatian National Theatre in Split, she delivered an impressive debut as Doma in Gotovac’s opera Ero the Joker.

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Her international career began in 2023 at the Slovenian National Opera and Ballet Ljubljana with a performance of Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde, conducted by Kevin Rhodes. Soon afterward, she achieved great success with roles as Charlotte in Massenet’s Werther and Azucena in Verdi’s Il Trovatore. After that, she is regularly invited at the SNO in Ljubljana and the CNT in Zagreb. In summer 2024, she made a notable impact at the prestigious Savonlinna Opera Festival in Finland, where her portrayal of Fenena in Verdi’s Nabucco thrilled audiences and critics alike. She continues her success at the Ljubljana Opera, performing as Prince Orlofsky in Strauss’s Die Fledermaus, returning as Flora in La Traviata, and as Fenena in Nabucco. A particular highlight was her debut in the title role of Joan of Arc in Tchaikovsky’s The Maid of Orleans.

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As a student, she already demonstrated exceptional talent, performing in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas as the Witch, which was staged in Hungary and Croatia, and in Handel’s Agrippina as Ottone. She also had the opportunity to sing in the musical Trenk Cabaret, playing Marie Terezia, performed at the Komedija Theatre in Zagreb and during tours across Croatia.

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In addition to her opera repertoire, she actively performs in concert settings. As a soloist, she has performed with the Zagreb Philharmonic in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony under the baton of David Danzmayer, and with the Symphony Orchestra and Choir of the Music Academy in Zagreb in works such as Josip Štolcer Slavenski’s Chaos and Religiofonia at the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall, the Slovenian Philharmonic Hall in Ljubljana under Mladen Tarbuk’s baton, and at the 43rd May Music Memorial in Čakovec conducted by Matija Fortuna. She has also collaborated with renowned conductors such as Marco Boemi, Oleg Caetani, Nikša Bareza, Ville Matvejeff, Roberto Gianola, Marcello Mottadeli, Beatrice Venezi, Ayrton Desimpelaere, Srba Dinić, Pyotr Vandilovsky, Zsolt Hamar, Simon Krečič, Tomislav Fačini, Zoran Juranić, Aleksandar Kalajdžić, Hari Zlodre, among others.

 

She has performed with the Belarusian State Chamber Orchestra at Varaždin Baroque Evenings, Osijek Summer of Culture, Festival of Science, Osijek Youth Summer, and Vukovar Chamber Music Festival. She was a member of the Osijek Chamber Ensemble and has held solo and ensemble concerts across Croatia, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, Bosnia, Serbia, Italy, and Spain.

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She is a finalist in several international competitions, including the Zinka Milanov International Singing Competition in Rijeka (2018) and the Hans Gabor Belvedere Competition in South Africa in Cape Town (2016). 

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She graduated with highest honors from Prof. Berislav Jerković’s class in 2011, and earned her Master’s degree in Music in 2012. She received the Dean’s Award for outstanding artistic achievement and further refined her talents at the Music Academy in Zagreb under the mentorship of soprano Vlatka Oršanić. Throughout her career, she has participated in numerous international seminars and masterclasses, including seminar Ebe Stignani in Italy, Lied interpretation classes with Prof. Annemarie and Gerhard Zeller in Austria, and baroque music and dance seminars at Aestas Musica in London and Varaždin. She also has over ten years of experience as a vocal pedagogue, working as a singing, chamber music, and stage movement instructor at the Music School in Varaždin. She is regularly invited as a lecturer at various seminars, continuously contributing to the development of young opera talents.