As an alto in the choir

Student sings at the Wagner Festival

Singer Katerina Dankevich in front of the opera house in Bayreuth.

(Bild: JHP)

From the Joseph Haydn Private University, 26-year-old Katerina Denkevich goes to Bayreuth and St. Margarethen. Who contributes to her great success.

The Bayreuth Festival is like the Holy Grail for opera singers," the industry proclaims. Katerina Dankevich (26), a student at the Joseph Haydn Private University (JHP) in Eisenstadt, adds another facet to the myth. She sings as an alto in the special choir for Richard Wagner's "Tannhäuser".

Talent in the cradle
Katerina Dankevich from Ukraine was born with a love of classical music. When she was four years old, her family moved to Vienna - her father is a violinist with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, her mother a composer and pianist. Her daughter's performances at the State Opera began with Verdi's "Otello", followed by "La Bohème".

Pratscher as a lecturer
"Once a Valkyrie, always a Valkyrie" is now the motto for the self-confessed Wagnerian. Katerina Dankevich currently commutes between Bayreuth and Burgenland. In addition to "Tannhäuser", she sings in the chorus of Verdi's "Aida" at the opera festival in St. Margarethen. JHP singing teacher Elisabeth Pratscher, who recommended the student for Bayreuth, has contributed a great deal to her success.

"Special connection"
Burgenland has maintained a cultural partnership with the Wagner city since 1990. Governor Hans Peter Doskozil: "Every time we visit Bayreuth, the special connection is palpable. It is a great honor when a student from the Joseph Haydn Private University sings along."