Slovenian soprano Nika Gorič studied at the Ballet and Music School in Maribor, University of Music and Performing Arts, Graz and the Royal Academy of Music, London where she completed her studies with Lillian Watson and Jonathan Papp, receiving the Regency Award in 2015 (whose industry and achievement were consistently of the highest calibre during their time at the Academy) and The Queen’s Commendation for Excellence in 2017 – for the best all-round student of the year. This year she was awarded Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (Awarded to former students who have made a significant contribution to the music profession).

In 2016 she joined Salzburg Festival’s Young Singers Project singing Titania in a new production of The Fairy Queen after themes by Purcell. Nominated by the Salzburg Festival to take part in the Stella Maris International Vocal Competition, she went on to win a recital at Vienna’s Musikverein.

Recent engagements include debut at the Berliner Philharmonie with Puzzles and Games by Unsuk Chin, conducted by Pablo Heras-Casado. Nika’s summer has been busy performing at various festivals such as the Festival Ljubljana SI, Festival de Bellerive CH, Amiata Piano Festival IT (with a piece Tra le carne e il cielo by Azio Corghi), Midsummer Music UK and most recently Festival Classic à Guéthary FR. She performed as Dido in Purcell’s Dido and Aneas, Aricie in Hippolyte et Aricie for Opera Rara Krakow, Gilda in Rigoletto (Unwrapped) with Scottish Opera, Italienische Sängerin in Garsington’s Capriccio. She appeared as soloist with the Australian Chamber and Slovene Philharmonic Orchestras, Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem with CBSO in Birmingham and at St. John’s Smith Square, performances at Philharmonic Hall Liverpool, Symphony Hall Birmingham and Usher Hall Edinburgh. Her recent Philharmonia Orchestra debut at the Royal Festival Hall London with Vito Žuraj’s Ubuquité, whose Book of Bodies she created with the Slovene Philharmonic String Chamber Orchestra, shows her interest for contemporary repertoire and regular collaboration with living composers.

Nika’s roles include Norina in Don Pasquale (with Slovene National Opera), Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, Fortuna and Pallade in L’incoronazione di Poppea, Polly Peachum in Die Dreigroschenoper, Eurydice in Orphée aux enfers, Elisetta from Il matrimonio segreto, Barbarina in Le nozze di Figaro and Sandmännchen in Hänsel und Gretel and Abra Juditha Triumphans (concert version). Whilst studying at the Royal Academy Opera, she approached the roles of Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier), Adina (L’Elisir d’amore), Adele (Die Fledermaus) and Despina (Così fan tutte).

On the recital platform, she was a member of the Academy Song Circle and a soloist in the Kohn Foundation Bach Cantata series. She gave recitals at the Wigmore Hall and Midsummer Music, Oxford Lieder, Leeds Lieder Festivals. She took part in a staged production of Handel’s Messiah with Opéra National de Bordeaux. Highlights include the Klavier Festival Ruhr with Graham Johnson, Kioi Hall in Tokyo, Festival Maribor with Richard Tognetti and Victoria Hall in Geneva. She performed Berg’s Sieben frühe Lieder at Kings Place and Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music with the CBSO.

Her upcoming project include singing Adele in Die Fledermaus for Slovene National Theatre,  soprano solo in Le silence des sirenes by Unsuk Chin with NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra and Carlos Prieto; she is looking forward to to performing Berg’s Sieben frühe Lieder and Mahler’s Symphony no.4 with Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra and Philipp von Steinaecker; Nika is returning to Glasgow for Brahms’ Deutsches Requiem with BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Ilan Volkov. She has recently started collaborating with SIGNUM Saxophone Quartet with whom she will perform at various concerts around Europe. She was also invited to record a CD with works by Schubert and Shumann in a trio with pianist Aurèle Marthan and clarinetist Franck Russo that will be released in April. 

Nika is grateful for the support from YCAT, Sir Charles Mackerras Opera Scholarship, Independent Opera Voice Scholarship, Josephine Baker Trust, Solti Accademia,Verbier Festival Academy and Slovenian Ministry of Culture during her studies.

*****

…Als Gegenwartsmusik werden „Puzzles and Games“ von Unsuk Chin mit viel Applaus bedacht, da sich in Nika Goric eine Meisterin aller Stile mit hellem Sopran für Glissando, Katzen-Miau und Rap einsetzt. Das sind Songs aus Chins Münchner Opernerfolg „Alice in Wonderland“.
Tagesspiegel, Sybill Mahlke / Berliner Philharmonie – Die Karajan-Akademie der Berliner Philharmoniker unter Pablo Heras-Casado – Unsuk Chin ‘Puzzles and Games’ / June 2019

…Solistin dieser Urauführung der Ensemblefassung im Auftrag des
Mozartfests war Nika Goric. Mit phänomenaler Wandlungsfähigkeit und schauspielerischer Gestik durchstreifte die Sopranistin lautmalerisch die musikalische Palette vom Katzengejaule über stotternde Wortfetzen, witzige Schnellsprecheinlagen bis zum „lautesten Wiegenlied aller Zeiten”, bei dem ein Müll-Schlagzeug lärmende Beigabe ist.
Main Post, Armin Rausche / Mozartfest Würzburg – Die Karajan-Akademie der Berliner Philharmoniker unter Pablo Heras-Casado – Unsuk Chin ‘Puzzles and Games’ / June 2019

…and the Italian Soprano, soaringly sung by promising newcomer Nika Gorič, caps the lines beautifully with her drunken observations.
The Arts Desk, David Nice / Garsington Opera – Capriccio / June 2018

“Nika Goric and Caspar Singh are the delightful Italian singers”
The Epoch Times, Robert Hughill / Garsington Opera – Capriccio / June 2018

Izstopala je gotovo tudi sopranistka Nika Gorič, ki ima tehnično izpopolnjen glas (slabše so zvenele nižine, kar je morda posledica akustike), s katerim lahko dosega nebeške višine in eterično pobarvane tone. V izvedbi Boccherinija in drugi večer tudi Johanna Christiana Bacha se je dokazala z vokalno čistostjo in tudi izrazitimi poizkusi vživljanja v ekspresivne momente glasbe,…”
Dnevnik Gregor Pompe / Belcanto, Lamento – Festival Ljubljana / August 2018

Žuraj’s twenty-minute expressionist tirade of eruptive singing and playing is a bit like Pierrot Lunaire on steroids and laughing gas. Nika Gorič negotiated its demands with a virtuosic savagery that showed off her florid coloratura and impressive range…
Classical Source / Ubuquity, Philharmonia, Royal Festival Hall / April 2018

Nika Gorič delivered Polly’s defiant ‘Barbara Song’ with bright-toned vigour.
Opera Magazine / The Threepenny Opera RAO / July 2017

Nika Gorič made a fresh-voiced, very pretty Polly and she achieved a better mix of sweetness and sardonic edge, especially in the ‘Barbara-Song’.
Bachtrack / The Threepenny Opera RAO / June 2017

Stimmkraft plus Eleganz
…. setzte die Slowenin Nika Goric fort, die ihren so klug den Text ausdeutenden wie betörend geführten Sopran der Ilia aus Mozarts Idomeneo lieh. Auch Mimik und Gestik sind so wohl dosiert wie passgenau eingesetzt, und es fallen einem gleich ein paar Rollen ein, in der man diese Sängerin gerne hören würde (Pamina!). Aufs schönste mischte sich ihre Stimme auch mit dem später hinzutretenden angenehmen Mezzo…
Die Presse / YSP Abschlusskonzert / August 2016Und zwischendurch wurde die Arienfolge mit Duetten aufgelockert, etwa dem aus „Idomeneo“ mit der stimmlich und als Erscheinung bezaubernden slowenischen Sopranistin Nika Gorič.
GOTTFRIED FRANZ KASPAREK / YSP Abschlusskonzert / August 2016

Aus dem Lamento »When I am laid in arth« wird die Liebesarie der Titania. Nika Goric singt sie hochexpressiv, reichert sie mit dunklen Farben an: Die slowenische Sopranistin sticht aus dem Ensemble heraus.”

OPERNWELT Georg Rudiger / YSP Abschlusskonzert / September 2016

…Easily the strongest and most finished showing came from Slovenian Nika Gorič, deliciously crisp, pert and on the note as Suzman’s spunky Susanna.
The Times / The Marriage of Figaro RAO / November 2015

Nika Gorič was a sassy Fortuna, her agile sound creating tons of meaning in each word she sang.
www.schmopera.com / L’Incoronazione di Poppea RAO / May 2016