Biography
Of Serbian origin, contralto Marijana Mijanović currently lives in Switzerland. After studying piano at the Belgrade Music Academy, she studied singing at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam. In 2000, after winning several international competitions, she made her international breakthrough at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in the role of Penelope in Monteverdi's Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria under the direction of William Christie. Since then, she has become a sought-after soloist for the world's leading opera houses and concert halls, as well as prestigious festivals, working with renowned conductors such as Marc Minkowski, René Jacobs, Philippe Herreweghe, Alan Curtis, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Emmanuelle Haïm, Fabio Biondi, and Ottavio Dantone.
She can be heard in leading roles on various opera recordings, including Handel's Orlando conducted by William Christie, Handel's Giulio Cesare conducted by Marc Minkowski, and Vivaldi's Motezuma under Alan Curtis. Her first solo album, Affetti barocchi, featuring Handel arias, was released in 2007. Marijana Mijanović is also deeply dedicated to teaching and has been regularly invited to give masterclasses at various prestigious institutions, such as the Zurich University of the Arts and the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.
Promoting young professional musicians and supporting them to bridge the gap between their studies and professional life has been at the heart of her activities since the creation of the Belgrade Baroque Academy and the New Belgrade Opera (2013). There, she has realized numerous professional projects and opera productions involving young talents while exploring new artistic approaches. Since 2020, she is the founder and artistic director of Prangins Baroque.
