Biography

Marica Kolega is originally from Ugljan Island. She started studying singing in 1994 in Zadar, in the class of professor Mario Petani, and won her first awards at regional contests (Rijeka, Split, Bjelovar). She performed as a soloist with the Choir of the Faculty of Philosophy, Zadar, conducted by Ivo Nižić.

In 2000. she traveled to Portugal to continue her singing studies under Elena Obratzcova, and then to New York, where she studied in the class of Lorena Nubard and Dalton Baldvin and met young opera singers from the Metropoliten.

This experience was a stepping stone for enrollment to the Music Academy, Zagreb, to study singind under prof. Mira Zidarić-Orešković

2002. first solo concert at the "Zadar Snova" festival in the Church of St. Donat.

2003. founded "Trio" together with K. Marmilić - violin and Mario Čopor - piano.

Since 2000. she has been a member of the "Madrigal" Vocal Ensemble, debuting at the Church of St. Katherine in Zagreb with solo performance of "Bless the Lord, O my soul" by S. Rachmaninov, first in the series of performances of Rachmaninov's songs, alongside the songs by P. I. Tschaikovsky and A. Dvorak. Since 2000, she has been a member of the Zagreb Opera Studio and gave numerous concert performance of secular (including the Italian and Spanish canzona) and sacred music.

Her opera engagements includes C. W. Gluck, Orfeo ed Euridice, V. Fioravanti, Le cantratici villane (The Boorish Singers) and many other operas of forgotten cultural heritage of Croatia; A. Dobronić; Nocturno (Nocturne), Groteske (Grotesques), J. Stahuljak; Svadba pod suncem (Marriage under the Sun) Brkanović; Fedra (Phaedra), I. Lang; Kastavski Kapetan (The Kastav Captain).

Collaborated with "Cadenza" string quartet performing various classical music (oratorio, arias, songs for one voice, canzonas). In collaboration with Croatian Radiotelevision and the eponymous chamer ensemble she has recorded two songs by Livadič.

She has collaborated with Sarajevo Philharmonic in the Opera Gala Programs.

In 2004 she debuted at the stage of Croatian National Theater in Zagreb, in the role of the Shepherd in Ravel's opera The Child and the Spells and Countess Ceprano in Verdi's Rigoletto. She continued her studies in Bratislava in the class of Eva Blahova.

In 2005 she passed the audition in Košice Theatres, Slovakia, for the title role in the opera Carmen.

In 2005 she opened the first Sea Organ in Zadar with songs More (The Sea) by I. Kaplan and Mletačke elegije (Venetian Elegies) by I. P. Zajc.

On 16 June 2006 she graduated from the Music Academy, Zagreb.

In 2007 she perfected her craft in the class of Biserka Cvejić Katušić.

In 2008, she debuted at the Croatian National Theater in Split, in the role of Marta in Faust.

In the summer of 2010 played Maddalena in Verdi’s Rigoletto in Piacenza (Italy)

In 2010 she sang the role of Mrs. Nolan in Menotti's The Medium, which opened, along with the artist Matko Trebotić’s stage curtains, the opera stage of the Croatian National Theatre in Šibenik after 97 years

Member of the Croatian Association of Music Artists, the Croatian Musicians Union and is one of the founders of the Zagreb Vocal Ensemble.