Edita Garcevic Kozelj

Mezzo-soprano, concert and opera singer, adviser in the field of music education, singing teacher at the Ljubljana Conservatory of Music and Ballet, assistant at the singing department of the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, long-time president of the Society of Slovenian Singing Pedagogues (DSPP).

After completing his studies at the Faculty of Law of the University of Belgrade, he continues his music education at the University of Ljubljana, at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana in the class of prof. Eve Novšak Houška, where he graduated. Her artistic training took her to Vienna, where she attended the Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst, in the class of prof. Leopolda Spitzer (Gesang) and prof. Michael Temme (Opern Schule), graduates with another performing degree.

During his studies in Vienna he cooperates with various theaters and institutions in Vienna such as Wiener Taschen Oper (Georg Kugi), Oesterreichische Junges Opern Theater (Martin Braun), Langenlois Festival (Uwe Theimer), Theresianum, Schoenbrunn Theater, Volksoper Wien (Uwe Theimer). Staatsoper Wien (Zubin Mehta)… Making the first stage experiences outside of Slovenia in operas (Medium, Gianni Schichi, Orfeus, Figaro’s Hochzeit, Die Fledermaus, Hansel und Gretel, Wildschütz, Rienzi… Actively participates in seminars of eminent singing professors and opera singers (Biserka Cvejić , Helena Lazarska, Thomas Hampson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Marijana Lipovšek, Alfred Burgstaller, Richard Miller, Kurt Widmer, Margarete Sparber,…)

She presents herself to the public as a concert singer in numerous vocal-instrumental works, she has given concerts in almost all major music centers of the former Yugoslavia, as well as abroad (Germany, Italy, Austria, Spain, USA, Hungary). In Slovenia, she collaborated with the main national symphony orchestras (Slovenian Philharmonic, RTV Slovenia Symphony, as well as SNG Maribor and SNG Opera and Ballet Ljubljana orchestras). As a soloist, “SNG Opera and Ballet Ljubljana” performed under the conductorship of (Vladimir Kobler, Dieter Rosberg, Igor Švara, Fuat Mansurov, Uroš Lajovic, Marko Munih, Milivoj Šurbek, Marko Gašperšič, Stefano Pellegrino Amato, Mark Mast, Peter Stangel , Aleksander Spasić, Marko Hribernik, Patrik Greblo) and performed a series of operatic roles (Dorabella, Paulina, Dryade, Lisinga, Fidalma, Kascheyevna, Vanja, Tatjana, Marcellina, Fenena, Mercedes, Suzuki, Magdalena, Smeraldina, Linetta, Bertha).

For almost three decades, she has been teaching solo singing at the Conservatory of Music and Ballet in Ljubljana, an institution that awarded her pedagogical dedication and success in 2018 with the highest award for outstanding achievements in the field of music pedagogy – the Škerjančev diploma. The high quality of her long-term cooperation with the Academy in Ljubljana (where she has been teaching as an assistant in the field of singing and vocal technique since 2012) brings her the highest artistic title – the title awarded to her by the University of Ljubljana in 2014 – “Recognition of important works of art”.

The seriousness and dedication of her teaching work is evidenced by numerous concerts and high awards of her pupils and students at international competitions and festivals, as well as the fact that many of them are already professionally engaged in various operas in Slovenia and abroad.

She is active in the jury of many international competitions: Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, Latvia and singing festivals, she leads seminars and masterclasses in singing and vocal techniques for singers, choir singers and jazz singers (Bled International Festival, Glasbena Mladina Ljubljana, Glasbena Matica Ljubljana , Perpetuum Jazzile, APZ Tone Tomšič, AVE). During the leadership of DSPP – Society of Slovenian Singing Pedagogues, she organized singing seminars and professional lectures for singing teachers in close cooperation with the European Association of Vocal Pedagogues, EVTA.

She participated in the musical projects of the Chamber Choir of RTV Slovenia and the Slovenian Chamber Choir (SKZ) of the Slovenian Philharmonic, KZ AVE as a soloist and member of the choir, recorded for the RTVS archive, collaborated and sang at jazz concerts (Festival Lent, Strizzi), pop (Saša Lošić). and ethnic music (Ethno clarinet, Traja Brizani and Amala), in theater performances and musicals (The Ship, Red Apple), in special musical stage projects by Jani Kovačić – Carmina profana and Medieval love songs of galliards and troubadours accompanied by the Italian orchestra Dramsam (on old instruments from the Renaissance era)

In addition to pedagogic work, he is also engaged in the education and promotion of serious music, solo songs and opera literature among young people, directing and participating in various projects and interactive opera performances, collaborating with Cankarjev dom and Glasbena Mladina of Slovenia (Janko and Metka, Mala morska vila, Čarobna guitar, Message in a Bottle, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Madam Wolf and the Three Little Pigs, Quintet Cherubino) for the youngest audiences in Ljubljana and throughout Slovenia.