biography
Soprano Elbenita Kajtazi is one of the most exciting rising stars of our generation. A native of Mitrovica, Republic of Kosovo, Kajtazi has captivated audiences in her remarkable performances in leading operatic roles on the major European stages.
Already a regular at the Hamburgische Staatsoper, Opernhaus Zürich and Semperoper Dresden, Kajtazi has impressed with her artistry at the Staatsoper Berlin, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Bayerische Staatsoper, Salzburg Festival, Opéra Comique and Opéra National de Bordeaux, among others. Kajtazi’s repertoire includes Massenet’s Manon, Violetta in La traviata, Mimi in La boheme, Micaela in Carmen, Contessa in Le nozze di Figaro, Liu in Turandot, and Tatyana in Eugene Onegin.
In the 2024-25 season Kajtazi makes her Wiener Staatsoper as Mimi in La boheme and her US Opera debut at the Chicago Lyric Opera as Marzelline in Fidelio as well as returning in major roles to Hamburgische Staatsoper, Opernhaus Zürich and Dresden Semperoper. Further ahead Kajtazi makes several important house and role debuts.
Kajtazi studied at the University of Prishtina, Faculty of Arts in Kosovo. From there she moved to Germany and within four years went from being one of the youngest members of the Young Artist Program at Deutsche Oper Berlin, to becoming a member of Aalto-Musiktheater in Essen, and then joining the ensemble of Hamburgische Staatsoper in the 2018/19 season, where she has since debuted several leading roles including Violetta, Mimi, Manon and Tatyana in Eugene Onegin. Kajtazi is grateful for ongoing collaboration with her singing teacher Caroline Isabel Merz.
Recent operatic highlights include the role of Tosca in English National Opera’s 7 Deaths of Maria Callas to critical acclaim; Liu in Dresden; Violetta at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, her sensational role debut as Tatyana in Eugene Onegin in Hamburg; as well as performances as Mimi in Dresden; and Manon in Hamburg.
In Summer 2016, Kajtazi made her Salzburg Festival debut as a member of the Young Singers Project, performing with the Münchner Rundfunkorchester as Crobyle in Massenet’s Thaïs. While in Salzburg, Kajtazi took part in masterclasses with great artists including Christa Ludwig, Thomas Hampson, Ermonela Jaho and Malcolm Martineau, and has since returned to perform in concert with Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg.
In 2022 the President of Kosovo awarded Kajtazi as honorary ambassador of the republic of Kosovo. In 2018 she won the Audience Prize and Third Prize at the first ever Glyndebourne Opera Cup. Other awards include First Prize of the Riccardo Zandonai Competition, First Prize in the Spiros Argiris Sarzana Festival Competition in Italy 2014, and Dr. Wilhelm Oberdörffer Prize from Hamburgische Staatsoper in the 2019/2020 season. In April 2024 Kajtazi launched the first ever worldwide "Bajar Berisha" scholarship supporting Albanian artists studying in Germany. This important initiative was devised by Kajtazi with support of ODA Hamburg organisation for art and culture, and launched with a sensational benefit concert.