Ania Hejnar
Remember her name and her face. The astonishing rise to success of opera singer Ania Hejnar is the pride of uOttawa’s School of Music. Ania is a charming young soprano and she has recently been acquiring a number of significant successes, which give us a good idea of the highly promising future she has ahead of her.
Ania’s achievements include several invitations to sing at New York’s Carnegie Hall, and has won a number of important competitions such as the Barry Alexander International Vocal Competition, the NYCO Mozart Vocal Competition and the Canadian Music Competition, where she finished first out of more than 600 participants in her age group and was asked to perform with Orchestre Métropolitain.
In addition to her exceptional career progression, Ania is just about to finish her Master of Music, in voice performance, a program she undertook after she finished her Bachelor of Music.
“I’ve been at the University of Ottawa for six years now. Last year Professor Sandra Graham directed Mozart’s opera ‘The Magic Flute’, in which I was honoured to interpret the role of the ‘Queen of the Night.’ It was really a unique chance for me,” Ania admitted. “This role helped me come as far as I have today.”
Ania wants to keep competing and performing once she obtains her Masters. She is currently coaching in New York City and Ottawa, as well as preparing roles and concert repertoire for upcoming performances that include engagements across North America.
“Carnegie Hall was my big ambition, and I never thought I would get there so fast,” she admits. “I would also love to sing at the Met, make movies and become a university professor. But I simply love being in front of an audience to see how they react when I start to sing. It really is so rewarding… Nothing else makes me feel this way.”
Despite her many achievements and dreams of fame, Ania is proud to say she keeps her feet firmly on the ground thanks to her partner and her family. “I am so lucky to have my family support, because I sometimes find it hard to control myself and get so excited at what is happening to me.”
If you want to know more about Ania, or if you are just interested to hear her wonderful voice, why not visit her website.
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