Biography

Tanja Ruždjak is born on August 29, 1988. She completed her Master's degree in September 2013 at Music Academy in Zagreb (Croatia) in the class of prof. Dunja Vejzović and her Bachelor in the class of prof. Martina Zadro (September 2012). She has performed successfully at home and abroad (Italy, Austria, Slovenia, United States, Ireland, Australia, Netherlands, United Kingdom and Spain). As a concert singer, she appeared in works by G. B. Pergolesi, W.A. Mozart, F. Schubert, J. Brahms, Tchaikovsky, N. Rimsky Korsakov, S. Rachmaninov, F. Poulenc, H. Duparc, H. Villa Lobos, D. Pejačević, J.Hatze and many others . She has a successful solo recital repertoire of songs together with pianist Danijel Gašparović. They performed with succes in Croatia and Europe. With a Portuguese guitarist Pedro Ribeiro Rodrigues, Tanja performs works by F. Sor, J. Rodrigo, B. Britten, I. Padovec, H. Villa Lobos and also colaborates with eminent musicians in the guitar trio "Elogio". 

She is a member of the "Project Lazarus" very unique ensemble, which promotes Croatian musical heritage of the undiscovered works by Croatian composers from the 16th and 18th century. She has collaborated with renowned orchestras (Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, Croatian Radiotelevision Symphony Orchestra,The Zagreb soloists, Croatian Chamber Orchestra, Croatian National Theater Orchestra Rijeka, Croatian National Theater Orchestra Osijek, Maribor opera orchestra, Croatian National theatre Zagreb opera orchestra and many others) and conductors such as Pavle Dešpalj, Nikša Bareza , Loris Voltolini, Leopold Hager, Hans Graf, Ricardo Estrada, Ivo Lipanović , Ivan Josip Skender, Nada Matošević, Filip Pavišić, Natalie Murray Beale, Darijan Ivezić and others. She has won several awards at international competitions (First prize in International voice competition IMMC Maribor 2018, Second prize at the International Bruno Spiller Competition in Montenegro 2012, Special prize at the International Music Competition in Vienna, Austria 2011, "Best Joung Musician in 2016" by Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra for Tanja's distinguished concert and opera activity in Croatia; "Laureate" award on the International festival Allegro vivo (Horn, Austria 2014). She regularly performs at prestigious festivals: The Varaždin Baroque Evenings, Hvar summer festival, Concerts in the summer residence "Bunić Kaboga" Dubrovnik, "Gostičevi dnevi" and Festival Seviqc Brežice in Slovenia, Alpenarte Festival and Allegro vivo festivals in Austria, International Organ Festival "Gaetano Calido" and "Nei suoni dei luogi" festivals in Italy and many others.

She is  a member of Croatian Freelance Artists Association and had worked with renowned domestic and foreign artists such as Simon Dešpalj, Nina Cosetto, Adela Golac Rilović, Gerhard Zeller, Silvano Zabeo, Paul Plummer, Eva Blahova, Mirella Freni, Jaume Aragall, Joelle Bouffa and others . She has accomplisshed a number of different roles in several opera houses and productions; Tatjana in "Eugene Onegin" (P. I. Tchaikovsky) at Cres Summer Festival and Giuseppe Kashman festival (Croatia), Lucia in Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor" in Barcelona Opera Studio "Atempo" in Barcelona (Spain), Mimi in Puccini's "La Boheme" at  Croatian National Theater in Osijek (C: Pavišić, D: Vujačić), Kleopatra in "Giulio Cezare" by G.F.Handel produced by art organization SKOP (C: Conti,D: Glavan). In Zagreb National Opera she performed; the first Page boy in Wagner's "Lohengrin" (C: Bareza, D: Schildknecht),  Annina in Verdi's "La Traviata" (C: Šego, D: Kica), Musetta and Mimi in "La Boheme" by G. Puccini (C: Skender, D. Bernard) Susanna in "Le Nozze di Figaro" by W. A. Mozart (C:Beale/Bareza,D: Garcia Lozano), Ninetta in "In Love for Three Oranges" by S. Prokofiev (C: Bareza, N:Dolenčić), Jelena in Croatian opera "Nikola Šubić Zrinjski" (C:Skender, D:Dolenčić), Melka in Croatian opera "Adel and Mara" written by P. Mascagni's student Josip Hatze (C: Bareza/ Skender/ Vukšić, D:Prohić) and others. Tanja is currently a postgraduate student in the class of prof. Claudie Visca at "Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst" in Vienna, Austria.