Edita Garčević Koželj - Mezzo-soprano, concert and opera singer, advisor in the field of music education, singing teacher at the Conservatory "Konzervatorij za glasbo in balet Ljubljana", professor at the Academy "Akademija za glasbo v Ljubljani", and long-time president of the Association of Slovenian Singing Pedagogues (DSPP).
After completing her studies at the Faculty of Law at the University of Belgrade, she continued her music education at the University of Ljubljana, at the Academy "Akademija za glasbo" in the class of Professor Eva Novšak Houška, where she graduated. She pursued further artistic training in Vienna, where she earned another performance diploma at the "Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst" in the class of Professor Leopold Spitzer (singing) and Professor Michael Temme (opera school). She actively participates in seminars led by renowned singing and opera professors such as Biserka Cvejić, Helena Lazarska, Thomas Hampson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Marijana Lipovšek, Alfred Burgstaller, Richard Miller, Kurt Widmer, Margarete Sparber, and many others.
During her studies in Vienna, Edita Garčević Koželj collaborated with various theaters and institutions in Vienna, such as the Wiener Taschen Oper (Georg Kugi), Oesterreichische Junges Opern Theater (Martin Braun), Langenlois Festival (Uwe Theimer), Theresianum, Schoenbrunn Theater, Volksoper Wien (Uwe Theimer), and Staatsoper Wien (Zubin Mehta) to gain her first stage experience outside of Slovenia in operas such as "Medium," "Gianni Schichi," "Orfeus," "Figaro’s Hochzeit," "Die Fledermaus," "Hansel und Gretel," "Wildschütz," and "Rienzi."
She has also performed as a concert singer in numerous vocal-instrumental works and 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 has collaborated with the main national symphony orchestras (Slovenske filharmonije, Simfoniki RTV Slovenija, as well as the orchestras SNG Maribor and SNG Opera in balet Ljubljana). As a soloist at the "SNG Opera in balet Ljubljana," she has performed under the direction of conductors such as 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, and Patrik Greblo.
She has played a variety of opera roles, such as Dorabella, Paulina, Dryade, Lisinga, Fidalma, Kascheyevna, Vanja, Tatjana, Marcellina, Fenena, Mercedes, Suzuki, Magdalena, Smeraldina, Linetta, and Berta. She has also performed as a guest at the Maribor Opera and the Croatian National Theater in Zagreb.
After three decades of teaching solo singing at the Conservatory of Music and Ballet in Ljubljana, an institution that recognized her pedagogical dedication and success in 2018 by awarding her the highest award for exceptional achievements in music pedagogy - the "Škerjančeva Diploma". The high quality of her long-term collaboration with the Academy in Ljubljana (where she has been teaching as an assistant for the area of singing and vocal technique since 2012) earned her the highest artistic title - a title awarded to her by the University of Ljubljana in 2014 - the "Recognition of Important Artistic Achievements".
The seriousness and dedication of her pedagogical work are reflected in the numerous concerts and high awards of her students at international competitions and festivals, as well as the fact that many of them are already in professional engagements in various operas in Slovenia and abroad.
She is active in the jury of many international competitions: Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, Latvia, and vocal festivals, leads seminars and singing and vocal technique classes for singers, choir singers, and jazz singers (International Festival Bled, Glasbena mladina Ljubljane, Glasbena matica Ljubljana, Perpetuum Jazzile, APZ Tone Tomšič, AVE). While leading the DSPP - Slovenian Society of Vocal Pedagogues, she organized singing seminars and professional lectures for singing teachers, closely collaborating with the European Association of Vocal Pedagogues, EVTA.
She participated in music projects of the RTV Slovenia Chamber Choir and the Slovenian Philharmonic Chamber Choir (SKZ), the KZ AVE as a soloist and choir member, recorded for the RTVS archive, collaborated and sang at jazz (Festival Lent, Strizzi), pop (Saša Lošić), and ethnic music concerts (Etno clarinetno, Traja Brizani and Amala), in theater performances and musicals (The Ship, Red Apple).
In addition to her pedagogical work, she is also engaged in educating and promoting serious music, solo singing, and operatic literature among young people, directing and participating in various projects and interactive opera performances, collaborating with Cankarjev Dom and Glasbena mladina Slovenije (Janko and Metka, Little Mermaid, Magic Guitar, Message in a Bottle, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Madam Wolf and the Three Pigs, Quintet Cherubino) for the youngest audience in Ljubljana and throughout Slovenia.
