Helena Mamić, soprano
Helena Mamić was born in Canberra, Australia. At her early age she moved to Croatia where she initiated her musical education. She refined her craft at the Split Music Conservatory “Josip Hatze” under the instruction of Prof. Sanja Madunić. Helena successfully completed her undergraduate and master’s degrees in vocal performance at the School of Music – Australian National University, focusing on the repertoire of contemporary classical music under Dr. Paul McMahon. Concurrently, she obtained her medical degree from the Faculty of Medicine in Split, qualifying as a licensed doctor after passing the state examination, continuing her path specialising in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy. During her music studies, Helena engaged in performances across Australia, Europe, and Canada. As a recipient of scholarships from the Christel Larko Foundation, Kornfeld Postgraduate Scholarship, and Friends of Opera, she underscored her commitment to her art. She has received several accolades at both national and international competitions in Australia, including the chamber music prize from the “Magaret Smiles Competition,” the national award for the best interpretation of contemporary classical composers at the “Australian Eisteddfod,” and the award for best interpretation of opera arias at the “Townsville International Vocal and Concerto Competition.”
She attended the masterclasses led by esteemed vocal pedagogues and artists such as Angelika Luz (HMDK Stuttgart), Gerhard Staebler, Annika Rutkovsky, Sara Maria Sun (Basel Academy of Music), Pille Lill (Estonia Opera House), David Aronson (Vienna Staatsoper), David Ciavarella, Steven Delaney (MDW Vienna), Ghillian Sullivan (University of Sydney), Anthony Legge (Opera Australia), Paul McMahon (ANU School of Music), Angela Gibblin (ANU School of Music), Darryl Edwards (Toronto School of Music), Marvin Keenze, and Claudia Visca (MDW Vienna, Richard Wagner Konservatorium).
She has performed opera roles from baroque, romantic, and contemporary repertoire, such as Innana (I Desire), Bird (CILS), Liu (Turandot), La Suor Zelatrice (Suor Angelica), Mimi (La Bohème), Cio-Cio San (Madama Butterfly), Ciesca (Gianni Schicchi), Mrs. Gobineau (The Medium), Michaela (Carmen), Contessa (Le Nozze di Figaro), Second Lady (The Magic Flute), Proserpina/Messagiera (L’Orfeo), Perdita (Like an Old Tale), Sorceress (Dido & Aeneas), and Flora/Annina (La Traviata).
Ms. Mamić was honored in 2014 with the prestigious Christel Larko Scholarship, recognizing her as an exceptional young musician, along with the Traveling Scholarship bestowed by the Friends of the School of Music. In 2015, she further distinguished herself by receiving the Kornfeld Postgraduate Scholarship for Opera Singers and the Fankhauser Traveling Scholarship.
In the year 2017, she received the Transition Award – Endowment of Excellence from the Australian National University, recognizing her significant academic and performance accomplishments. In 2019, she was honored as the most successful musician in the Croatian diaspora with the Večernjakova Domovnica award in Bad Homburg, Germany. She is committed to her role as a performer of contemporary classical and experimental music with the SKAM Kollektiv and actively promotes the works of Croatian composers. In conjunction with her medical career, she continues to enhance her knowledge in the field of mental health, effectively integrating music with medicine in her practice. She organises various music and health workshops aimed at youth and early-career professionals in the performing arts, concentrating on mental health education, the cultivation of creative potential, and the refinement of interpretive skills.
Helena Mamić - soprano 