Jelena Banković

Born in Belgrade, soprano Jelena Banković completed her studies in piano (class of Prof. Aleksandar Serdar) and singing (class of Prof. Aneta Ilic) at the University of Music in Belgrade. She pursued a Master's degree in the Art of Opera Singing and German Song / Oratorio / Concert Interpretation (LOK - Lied Oratorium Konzert) at the University of Arts in Berlin, which she successfully finished in the class of Prof. Peter Maus in 2015. In June 2017 she performed as a soloist with Leipziger Symphony Orchestra and conductor Keita Matsui in BERLINER PHILHARMONIE. She also performed both as Singer and Pianist with the Symphony Orchestra of the Serbian Broadcasting Corporation, the Serbian Military Symphony Orchestra and the University Choir and Orchestra of the Faculty of Music in Belgrade. As pianist, she was part of Quintecho, a Serbian Tango Quintet. Jelena Banković is a holder of several prestigious awards at the following competitions: International Competition for Opera Voices Giacomo Lauri-Volpi in Latina, Italy; International competition Bruna Spiler in Herceg Novi, Montenegro; the Nikola Cvejic Competition and the International Singing Competition Lazar Jovanović in Belgrade. In February 2017 she gave her Debut in the role of Louise from Korngolds Die stumme Serenade at Landestheater Coburg and in June 2016 she gave her Debüt at the STAATSOPER Berlin in the modern opera Die Luft hier: Scharfgeschliffen with Staatskapelle Berlin. In February 2016 she performed as Marchesa Violante Onesti aka Sandrina in Mozart's La finta giardiniera in Berlin, under the direction of Christoph Hagel. In 2012, she performed as Olivia in Schubert's opera Die Freunde von Salamanka at the Opera Festival of Oper Oder-Spree and interpreted the Princess Mond in a world premiere by Tatjana Milošević Who killed Princess Mond in "Beogradski Internacionalni Teatarski Festival" (BITEF) in Belgrade with the Royal Strings of St. George and conductor Premil Petrović. Furthermore, Jelena Banković performed the roles of Gretel from Hänsel und Gretel, Sophie from Massenet’s Werther, Tebaldo from Don Carlo, Servilia from La clemenza di Tito, Lidochka from Moskow, Cheryomushki at Staatstheater Braunschweig. Other roles include: Musetta in La Bohème, Micaela and Frasquita in Carmen and Indolende in Les Trois Souhaits by B. Martinu. Moreover, the young artist sang the role of Charlotte in the Salon opera pasticcio Wertheriade with the ensemble of the association I Virtuosi Ambulanti in 2014 at Classic Esterházy Festival in Haydn Hall of Esterházy Palace, Austria, and at the Auditorio Nacional de Música in Madrid. She participated in master classes of German mezzo-soprano Brigitte Fassbaender, of Italian bass-baritone Ruggero Raimondi and sang at the gala concert at the Place Stanislas in Nancy, France. She worked together with the American soprano Diana Soviero in master classes of the International Vocal Arts Institute (IVAI) by Joan Dornemann in New York, as well as with artists such as: soprano Ruth Falcon, Rosemarie Laundry and mezzo-soprano Mignon Dunn. She also participated in the master class of contra-alto Marijana Mijanović at BEMUS Festival of Baroque Music in Belgrade. Additionally, Jelena Banković worked with soprano Anais Lee in the international master classes in Narni, Italy and in the international master classes Bel Canto with Doreen DeFeis and James Hooper in Germany. With Snežana Nena Brzaković she has worked in the Opera Festival of Oper Oder-Spree and with whom she is working closely at the Institute for singing and breathing training in Berlin ever since. Throughout her promising career she has collaborated with numerous renowned conductors such as Srba Dinić, Max Renne, Ivan Lopez Reynoso, Keita Matsui, Paul Nadler, Rainer Armbrust, Lucy Arner, Errico Fresis, Gustavo Sanchez, Michael Balke, Joongbae Jee, Christoph Hagel and prestigious directors like Adriana Altaras, Brigitte Fassbaender, Jürgen Flimm, Isabel Ostermann, Andrea Moses, Benjamin Prins, Joshua Major, Christoph Hagel, Frank Hilbrich, Paolo Miccichè, Rebekka Stanzel and Nicolas Trees. Ms Banković realized two world premieres and recordings to Arias y Escenas with arias by Luigi Boccherini and Gaetano Brunetti for Soprano and Orchestra with the Camerata Antonio Soler and in collaboration with Asociación Luigi Boccherini at the music label Lindoro in Madrid and with the State Orchestra Braunschweig a CD with excerpts from Humperdinck's opera "Hansel and Gretel" where she sang as Gretel for the music label Coviello Classics. Ms Bankovic is a holder of Richard Wagner Scholarship for 2020/21. From August 2017 she became an Ensemble member at Staatstheater Braunschweig.