EMA MITROVIC
Mezzo-Soprano/Contralto - Jazz Vocalist - Musician
ABOUT EMA
Award winning and critically acclaimed operatic mezzo/contralto, Ema Mitrović, is most recently described as: “Making a big impression in the secondary role of Frugola was Ema Mitrović, recently seen in MCO’s The Doctor and the Devils. Her range as a mezzo-soprano is extraordinary. Here, her Frugola, the ragpicker, riveted one’s attention with sympathetic warmth and humor, backed up with her luscious vocal portrayal.” (Marble City Opera, Il Tabarro (Frugola) Arts Knoxville 6/24/24) and "Mezzo-soprano Ema Mitrović laid down a plush carpet of notes, performing Ulrica’s Aria from “Un Ballo.” The tessitura’s low end dropped into the contralto range where she voiced both authority and menace" (Benefit Concert for Ukraine OperaWire 3/21/22). Ms. Mitrović performs as an ambassador of music across different genres, having performed 19 operatic roles thus far, a number of solo recitals, and has enjoyed being a strong cross-over jazz singer, performing along New York City’s finest musicians, including Tim Horner, Joe Locke, Ted Rosenthal, and Jim Ridl, to name a few. She's been on stage at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and New York City's renowned jazz venues Birdland, The Kitano, and Smalls. Often, she performs programs that include both classical and standard jazz repertoire to connect to her audience.
Upcoming, Ema is very excited to debut in company and role as a Smith Young Artist at Cedar Rapids Opera as Madame de la Haltière (Cendrillon in English), January 2025. In June of 2025, she will return to Central Jersey Choral Society to sing the alto solo in Mendelssohn's Elijah. Along with these performances, she's honored to join the roster of the American Spiritual Ensemble.
In the '23 - ’24 season, Ema made several role and company debuts including Giovanna & Page, while covering Maddalena (Rigoletto), with Druid City Opera, as Soloist in Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 2 with New England Repertory Orchestra, and a return to Marble City Opera as Annabella in the world premiere of The Doctors & The Devils by Jason Overall, along with a role debut as La Frugola (Il Tabarro). Ema was seen as Mamma Lucia (Cavalleria Rusticana) with MidAtlantic Artistic Productions/Seton Hall Classical Concert Series at South Orange Performing Arts Center, as Zita (Gianni Schicchi) with Bronx Opera Company, and as the Alto Soloist in Mendelssohn’s Lauda Sion with Central Jersey Choral Society.
In 2023, Ema added a number of roles and companies to her resume, including Madame de Croissy (Dialogues of the Carmélites) with Bronx Opera Company, Mrs. Ott (Susannah) with Marble City Opera, Prince Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus) with New Rochelle Opera, Schwertleite (Die Walküre), Erda *cover (Siegfried), Klytämnestra (Elektra) with TUNDI Productions “Wagner in Vermont Festival”, Mama Lucia (Cavalleria Rusticana) with Maestro Jason Tramm at MidAtlantic Artistic Productions/Seton Hall Classical Concert Series at South Orange Performing Arts Center. She also returned to Central Jersey Choral Society as the alto soloist in Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass and Mass in Time of War, and performed in a few recitals in the tri-state area.
In 2022, Ema made a return to Hudson Opera Theatre as the Alto Soloist in Handel’s Messiah, the Christmas portion. In her home state, Ema joined Light Opera of New Jersey to cover the role of The Old Lady in Bernstein’s Candide. She made a role and company debut with TUNDI Production’s Wagner in Vermont Festival in the role of Schwertleite (Die Walküre) and covered the role of Erda (Das Rheingold). She made a return to Central Jersey Choral Society as the Alto Soloist in Mozart's Requiem, a role debut as Flora in Verdi's La Traviata with The Lighthouse Opera Co., and had the distinct honor of covering the Alto Soloist, as well as singing in the alto section, in “The Ordering of Moses” with The Harlem Chamber Players and Chorale Le Chateau in celebration of Juneteenth and the Harlem Renaissance Centennial, under the baton of Maestro Damien L Sneed. The performance was vastly publicized, including on NBC and ABC news, and positively reviewed by The New York Times.
For a full biography and list of repertoire for Ema Mitrovic, please visit Résumé/Repertoire. If you would like to find out more, please Get in Touch!
Despite the strains of the ‘20/’21 pandemic on the artistic world, Ema was thrilled to debut in recital at the esteemed Soapbox Gallery, accompanied by Jason Wirth on piano, for a program celebrating love for Valentine's Day 2021, live streamed. Because of the success of the program, she performed a live encore performance at Maureen’s Jazz Cellar in Nyack, NY in late May ‘21 accompanied by David Budway on piano. Ema has continued building a diverse program of crossover works, singing classical, jazz, and Broadway favorites with Mr. Budway. Her goal has been to present these diverse programs in recital regularly to introduce audiences to more music in an intimate and informal setting, and to break down the stigmas associated with them, such as the myth of opera being only for the elite. The Soapbox Gallery invited Ema back when she curated an arias and duets concert with soprano Savannah Greene and Craig Ketter at the piano, works for and about nature and gardens “In the Garden”. Thrilled to have done so, Ema recorded a commissioned piece, “La Frontera” by Raul Abbad with the New Jersey Youth Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Ensemble, under the baton of Maestra Helen Cha-Pyo. She also made a return to The Lighthouse Opera Company as Annina (La Traviata), both to limited live audience and livestreamed and will also sing Dritte Dame (Die Zauberflöte) in 2022. There is already an abridged digital performance of Die Zauberflöte available on YouTube, recorded in the style of a “Zoom Concert”, where performers record audio/video of their individual parts from home and all performers are compiled together in post-production for a final performance.
In Spring of 2020, Ms. Mitrović was scheduled to debut in The Bronx Opera Company’s production of Smetana’s The Bartered Bride as Háta, but due to the pandemic, it is being rescheduled in the foreseeable future, hopefully this Fall of 2021. Parts of this production were also made into a Zoom Concert preview and shown live via Culture Pass, a program of the New York Public Library. Ema did debut with The Oratorio Society of New Jersey and performed her second Handel's Messiah as the alto soloist in December 2020.
During quarantine, she has been incredibly fortunate to keep a full studio of roughly 30+ voice and piano students, at both the non-profit The Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts and privately owned Elefante Music, among her own. As avid a performer, Ema also has a passion for teaching, having done so for 7 years thus far, and aspires to hold both an active performance and teaching career.
Ms. Mitrović is a proud first generation American, whose parents immigrated to the states from former Yugoslavia, now Croatia. She was born and raised in New Jersey, and currently resides in Essex County’s East Orange with her partner, jazz drummer, Timothy Horner.