Croatian soprano Dr. art. ANJA PAPA PERANOVIĆ is steadily building her career on a foundation of artistic excellence, professionalism, and deeply nuanced interpretation. Equally successful in opera and concert repertoire, she has appeared at renowned national and international festivals and collaborated with prominent conductors and orchestras.

​

Anja Papa Peranović (1994) graduated summa cum laude in Voice under the tutelage of Prof. Art. Dr. Berislav Jerković and also graduated in Piano from the Academy of Arts and Culture in Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, earning a Master’s degree in Music. She completed her doctoral studies at the Doctoral School of Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek and earned the academic degree of Doctor of Arts in Music, specializing in Music Performance. She is currently employed as an Assistant at the Department of Music at the Academy of Arts and Culture in Osijek.

​

She has successfully performed numerous solo roles in operas including Così fan tutte, L’elisir d’amore, The Marriage of Figaro, La Bohème, Gianni Schicchi, The Magic Flute, Don Giovanni, La serva padrona, and Rinaldo.

She has collaborated with renowned conductors and orchestras, including Sándor Gyüdi and the Szeged Symphony Orchestra, Balázs Kocsár and the Pécs Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Tamás Lakner, the New Trinity Baroque Orchestra, the Luka Sorkočević Chamber Orchestra, and Camerata Pannonica, among others.

​

She has participated in numerous national and international festivals, including Osijek Cultural Summer, Osijek Youth Summer, Hvar Summer Festival, Skopje Summer, Amadeus Fest, Štip Cultural Summer, BitFest, KotorArt, Sarajevo Winter, Festival Bled, Rossi Fest in Belgrade, and the Sfumato Cycle, among others.

​

On the concert stage, she has drawn particular attention through recitals devoted to the art song repertoire. Of particular significance was her recital of art songs by Croatian composers, presented at the Blagoje Bersa Concert Hall in Zagreband as part of the Jakov Gotovac Young Musicians Cycle, organized by the Croatian Home Split. Within this concert cycle, her recital was named the best concert, while she received the award for the best concert performance and was named the most successful young musician of the season. On that occasion, she was also invited to participate in the 2026/2027 concert season of the Croatian Home Split.

​

As a soprano soloist, she has appeared in a wide-ranging concert repertoire. Her notable performances include the world premiere of the cantata Cum Citharis Octochordis by Croatian composer Blaženko Juračić, as well as major works such as Handel’s Messiah with Camerata Pannonica, Bach’s St. John Passion, Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra, Bruno Vlahek’s Stabat Mater, and Bach cantatas with the Dubrovnik String Quartet.

​

She recorded the leading role of Ružica in The Forest Queen, the first Croatian opera for children, composed by Franjo Štefanović and conducted by Dr. Antoaneta Radočaj-Jerković. The recording featured soloists and choirs from the Institute for Choral Music Polifonija and pianist Davor Dedić and was released by Croatia Records.

She also appears as the soprano soloist on the album Horizon by Croatian composer Dalibor Bukvić, released by Navona Records.

​

She regularly participates in national and international singing competitions. She is the recipient of the Gustav Mahler Award, which secured her a concert appearance with an art song programme at the Gustav Mahler Festival in the Czech Republic.

​

She further developed her artistic skills at the Mozarteum University Salzburg with Prof. Michele Crider; with Prof. Claudia Visca at an international vocal masterclass in Samobor; with Jana Pastorková at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava; and with internationally acclaimed opera singers Chen Reiss and Anna Samuil.

In 2024, she participated in the Lied Academy in Žďár nad Sázavou, Czech Republic, attending masterclasses with Birgid Steinberger, Ralf Heiber, and Giuseppe Ravì. In the same year, she participated in the International Baroque Academy in Belgrade, where she further developed her interpretation of Baroque repertoire.

​

She continued her artistic training at the Internationale Hugo-Wolf-Akademie in Stuttgart, participating in the 47th Stuttgarter Meisterklasse für Lied through public masterclasses and a concert, working with Prof. Birgid Steinberger and Prof. Marcelo Amaral.

​

During her studies, she received the Dean’s Award and Rector’s Award for artistic achievements. She was also honoured by the Council of the Academy of Arts and Culture in Osijek for her outstanding contribution to the creative development of artistic projects.

​

She regularly appears in concerts and opera productions as an opera, choral, and concert soloist throughout Croatia, Serbia, Italy, North Macedonia, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Jordan, France, Montenegro, the Czech Republic, Spain, Slovenia, and Germany.