Martina Masaryková

Biography

Born in Považská Bystrica, Slovakia. Graduated in 1997 from the Žilina Conservatoire, where she studied voice in the class of Irena Lukačová. She continued her voice studies at the University of Performing Arts in Bratislava under Prof. Dagmar Bezačinská, graduating in 2004. She attended interpretation master classes in Piešťany led by Magdaléna Hajóssyová. While still a Conservatoire student, in 1999 she participated in the 2nd edition of the Lucia Poppová International Voice Competition. The following year she won two prestigious awards in her category: 2nd prize at the Mikuláš Schneider-Trnavský International Voice Competition and 2nd prize at the Antonín Dvořák International Voice Competition in Karlovy Vary. In 2001 she received an award for the best performance of coloratura arias at the 9th edition of the Ada Sari International Voice Festival and Competition in Nowy Sacz, Poland. She made a highly successful debut at the Slovak National Theatre, appearing in the production of Master Class (inspired by the life and career of the diva Maria Callas), and excelled in her premiere performance as the Queen of the Night (Mozart: Die Zauberflöte), as well as in Smetana’s The Kiss and The Secret. At the same time, she has appeared as a guest at the State Operas in Banská Bystrica and Košice. She has performed with the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra (Carmina burana, A German Requiem). In 2003 she dazzled at the Gala Concert dedicated to Maria Callas within the Zvolen Castle Plays festival. She also sang at a Gala Concert of Peter Dvorský and Elena Obraztsova, and performed at many solo concerts both in Slovakia and abroad (Italy, the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Hungary, Japan, Spain). She has also sung for the Spanish and British royal families. Since May 2006 she has appeared as a guest at the Janáček Opera in Brno (the Queen of the Night), at the end of 2008 she debuted at the Slovak National Theatre in the extremely difficult coloratura part of Zerbinetta in Strauss’s opera Ariadne auf Naxos. In the same year, she toured Japan with Prague’s National Theatre Opera. At the Zvolen Castle Plays festival (2009) she performed in Slovak premiere the title role of Linda in Donizetti’s opera Linda di Chamounix in collaboration with the Banská Bystrica Opera (stage direction: B. Klimová, daughter of the diva Edita Gruberová). At the Slovak National Theatre Opera she is scheduled to sing the Queen of the Night under F. Heider. She has also sung at concerts with the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra and in 2009 appeared at the Bratislava Music Festival. She has made several recordings for Slovak Radio and Slovak Television. At the National Theatre in Prague she has performed as Olympia (Offenbach: Les Contes d´Hoffmann) and Blonde (Mozart: Die Entführung aus dem Serail). Update: May 2011