BIOGRAPHY

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Croatian mezzo-soprano Jelena Kordić is enjoying a flourishing international career in leading roles of the lyrical repertoire. Her voice has been hailed by critics as "bright and voluminous", "at turns seductive and energetic", "balanced and refined across the whole vocal range", "as supple as it is enchanting".

After celebrating her professional debut as Carmen in her hometown of Zagreb, she joined the Young Ensemble of Semperoper Dresden in 2015. In this prestigious house, she sang many important roles, such as Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro), Dorabella (Così fan tutte), Orlofsky, Hänsel and Janáček's Fox.

In 2017, Jelena joined the ensemble of Staatstheater Braunschweig, where she made her debuts as Sesto (La clemenza di Tito) and Charlotte (Werther) and appeared in a new production of Carmen. Since 2018, she is a member of Nationaltheater Mannheim, singing parts like Charlotte, Adalgisa, Carmen, Octavian and, most recently, Preziosilla (La forza del destino).

In past seasons, Jelena has made guest appearances at Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf (Hänsel und Gretel), Concertgebouw Amsterdam (Elektra), Latvian National Opera Riga (Nabucco), Luxembourg Philharmonic (Beethoven 9) and performed a gala concert at Guadalajara/Mexico.

In 2018, Jelena was invited by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra to sing the role of Doma in Jakov Gotovac's Ero the Joker, Croatia's most celebrated opera. A complete recording of the concert was released to critical acclaim.

Highlights of the 2021/22 season included Octavian (Der Rosenkavalier) at Lithuanian National Theatre in Vilnius, in a premiere staged by Damiano Michieletto, and Empress Caesonia in Detlev Glanert's Caligula at Nationaltheater Weimar. She also recorded a set of Orchesterlieder by Croatian composer Dora Pejačević with the Zagreb Radio Symphony orchestra, where she is a regular guest, and performed Verdi's Requiem with the same orchestra under the direction of Plácido Domingo.

In Mannheim's 2022 performance of Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen, conducted by Alexander Soddy, Jelena debuted as Fricka in both Das Rheingold and Die Walküre, starting her journey into the German dramatic repertoire. She reprised both roles at the Daegu Opera Festival as part of the South Korean tour of Nationaltheater Mannheim in October 2022.

In the season 2023/2024, Jelena appeared as Wellgunde in Das Rheingold at Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, as part of a new Ring cycle staged by Romeo Castellucci and conducted by Alain Altinoglu. She also sang Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde with UNAM Philharmonic in Mexico City and perform Le Prince Charmant in Massenet's Cendrillon at the National Taichung Theater in Taiwan. Furthermore, she returned to Vilnius to make her debut as Nicklausse in a new production of Les contes d`Hoffmann. She revived her Carmen and yet another debut of the season Der Komponist (Ariadne auf Naxos) in Mannheim and performed a Verdi gala with Wüttembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen.

Beginning of this season marks Jelena´s first season as a freelance singer. The season started with a new debut as Mrs Quickly at the National Taichung Theater. Followed by this production, Jelena returns back to Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie to make a new debut as Wellgunde in Wagner´s Götterdämmerung. Later this season she will again perform Nicklausse in Vilnius.

Jelena aims to keep improving and developing her voice with different teachers. Among others, she has been working with Dolora Zajick, Deborah Polaski, Elena Pankratova, Sherman Lowe, Martina Zadro and Ruža Pospiš-Baldani.

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