Mezzo-soprano Jelena Končar, the principal opera artist of the Serbian National Theatre Opera, was chosen for a study trip to Japan within the ‘Kizuna’ exchange programme implemented by the ‘Novi Sad – European Capital of Culture’ Foundation in cooperation with the ‘EU – Japan Fest’ organisation from Tokyo.

The artist will travel to Tokyo in October 2021, and the main goals of her trip will be connecting with Japanese artists and cultural institutions, exchanging experiences, promoting Serbian vocal music in Japan, and Novi Sad as the European Capital of Culture in 2022.

Jelena Končar has been a soloist of the Serbian National Theatre Opera since 2003 and has won numerous scholarships, including the Melania Bugarinović Fund for a promising young singer, Anita Mezetova for the most successful graduate student at the Department of Solo Singing, and scholarships from the Biserka Cvejić Fund for the highest average assessment during the study. Since 2005, she has also been a soloist at the Madlenianum Opera and Theatre in Zemun.

She began her international career in 2006 when she received a scholarship from the CEE Musiktheater in Vienna. She made her debut at the National Theatre in Maribor in the 2006/07 season, with the role of Rosina in the Barber of Seville. From 2009 to 2011 she attended specialist studies at the Graz Conservatory, Department of Opera in the class of prof. Joanne Borovska-User.

She has performed with the best ensembles in the country such as: Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, RTS Symphony Orchestra, Strings of St. George, Ars Opera and many other chamber ensembles. She has collaborated with local and foreign conductors: Mladen Jagušta, Uroš Lajovic, Imre Toplak, Željko Milanović, Aleksandar Kojić, Zoran Juranić (Croatia), Jon Jancu (Romania), David Crescenzi (Italy), Simon Robinson (Slovenia), Michael Sylvia Rosko (Romania), Gergely Kesselyák (Hungary).

In addition to opera singing, she strongly nurtures concert and oratorio singing. She has held concerts in the country and abroad, performing works by Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Vivaldi, Bruckner, Beethoven, Mahler and others.

The last cycle of the public call for financial support to local artists and cultural workers for the implementation of a study and research trip to Japan within the ‘Kizuna’ exchange programme, will be open until the end of August 2021.

The goal of the research trip to Japan is the development of cooperation projects that would be implemented in 2022 within the Novi Sad – European Capital of Culture project. In this regard, the proposals of project ideas must be in accordance with the programme arch and topics of the Novi Sad – European Capital of Culture project.

The call is conducted in two phases: pre-selection and selection. The pre-selection is performed by a commission formed by the ‘Novi Sad – European Capital of Culture’ Foundation, and the selection by the EU – Japan Fest organisation.

You can find more information about the call on the official website of the Novi Sad – European Capital of Culture project in the public calls section.

Photo: Emir Memedovski