Results of the audition for the 4th cycle of the Opera Studio of the Slovak National Theatre: September 2025 - June 2027
On 11th May 2025, the 2nd round of auditions for the two-year cycle of the Opera School took place in the Opera and Ballet Hall in the new building of the Slovak National Theatre, attended by the successful candidates from the 1st round. The performance of the candidates was evaluated by the audition committee composed of: Rastislav Štúr (director of the SND Opera, conductor), Jolana Fogašová (head of the SND Opera Studio, opera singer, pedagogue), Jozef Červenka (dramaturg of the SND Opera, editor of STVR Radio Devín), Dagmar Podkamenská Bezačinská (pedagogue, head of the Department of Singing at the VŠMU), Daniel Jäger (music publicist, editor of Czech Radio Vltava), Dušan Štefánek (conductor, pedagogue) and Lukáš Kunst (conductor, choirmaster).
List of applicants accepted to the 4th cycle of the Opera Studio of the Slovak National Theatre (in order of ranking):
1. Alžbeta Reháková
2. Yaroslav Fedorenko
3. Vanesa Čierna
4. Carmen Štroffek Feriencová
5. Gabriel Sárossy
6. Lucia Byráková
7. Saskia Žihalová
8. Solomiya Ivanchuk
9. Ján Zreľak
10. Natálie Šmausová
11. Nina Krížová
Congratulations to the accepted candidates and thank you to all who auditioned for the 4th cycle of the Opera Studio of the Slovak National Theatre!
The SND Opera Studio has been a part of the SND Opera since 2019, it was established by the SND Opera director and conductor Rastislav Štúr. Thus, together with the director and dramaturge Marek Mokoš, they laid the foundations of an artistic-educational project, the intention of which is to work systematically with young opera singers, to prepare them for an artistic career and to introduce them in detail to the environment and the work of our emblematic professional theatre scene.
In the two-year cycle of the SND Opera Studio, vocalists will attend workshops focused on: vocal-technical skills, interpretive uniqueness of different stylistic periods, working with a conductor and director, acting and movement-scene creation of selected arias and opera characters, staging at least two opera characters according to adequate vocal disciplines, which will expand their interpretive skills and personal repertoire. Subsequently, they present the acquired skills in public performances. Members of the opera studio are cast in minor roles in performances from the repertoire of the SND Opera over the course of two seasons. They perform at concerts of the Slovak National Theatre Opera and at concerts of the SND Opera Studio.
Students in the two-year cycle of opera study receive detailed and systematic training with a vocal coach and accompanist as they learn new repertoire. After the completion of the whole cycle, the participants of the School will receive a certificate of completion of the SND Opera Studio.
The masterclasses of the SND Opera Studio are led by prominent personalities of cultural and operatic life. During the three-day intensive course, the lecturers focus in-depth on specific performance issues and pass on their valuable experience to young aspiring artists. Among the lecturers who have accepted our invitation to the SND Opera Studio are personalities such as Gabriela Beňačková, Pavol Breslik, Markéta Cukrová, Enrico Dovico, Marco Guidarini, Dalibor Jenis, Zdeněk Klauda, Mariusz Kwiecień, Peter Mikuláš, Andrea Miltnerová, Adam Plachetka, David Radok, Emília Vášáryová and others.
Vocal Coach Mgr. art. Jolana Fogašová, ArtD., Mgr. art. Adriana Galla Kohútková, ArtD.
Répetiteur: Mgr. art. Andrea Bálešová, PhD.
Members of the 3rd cycle of the Opera Studio of the Slovak National Theatre:
