Croatian mezzo-soprano Renata Pokupic is known internationally through her acclaimed performances of baroque, classical and other coloratura-mezzo repertoire as well as solo songs.
In 2003, she made her successful debut at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, where she sang Anna in Berlioz Les Troyens with Sir John Eliot Gardiner conducting (DVD by BBC Opus Arte). Her London debut followed in 2004 during the London Handel Festival, when she sang Dejanira in Handel's Hercules with Laurence Cummings and the London Handel Orchestra. Renata sang the solo part in Bach's Mass in B minor during the BBC Proms in August 2004 with Sir John Eliot Gardiner, and joined him and his ensembles, the Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists, on their European and Far East tour in December 2004 singing Dido in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas .
She performs regularly with Paul McCreesh and the Gabrieli Consort (Bach's St. John's Passion, Mass in B minor and Christmas Oratorio, Mozart's Mass in C-minor). She has sung across France with Emmanuelle Haïm and Le Concert d'Astree (Irene Tamerlano, Messagera Orfeo) and in Halle with Alessandro de Marchi.
Renata has appeared in concerts during the De Doelen Festival, Rotterdam, where she performed with Federico Sardelli and Modo Antiquo in the world premiere of Vivaldi's Montezuma. During the baroque festival in Beaune, she sang with Antonio Florio and Capella della Pietá de' Turchini, (Arsace / Partenope), Jeremy Rhorer and Le Cercle de l'Harmonie (Idamante / Idomeneo) and with Ottavio Dantone and Accademia Bizantina (Medoro / Orlando), and sang Cherubino Le Nozze di Figaro in Beaune and Paris. She also performed during the Prague Spring and Wroclaw Festivals.
Renata Pokupic holds numerous awards among which are the Le Cercle International des Amis et Mecenes du Chatelet award (International Circle of Friends and Patrons of Théâtre du Châtelet, CIAM) and the Orlando for the best performance at the Dubrovnik Summer Festival 2004 with the Purcell Quartet. She graduated and obtained her MM from the Music Academy of Zagreb, where she studied with Zdenka Žabcic-Hesky. Renata holds two first prizes from The 36th Antonin Dvorak International Voice Competition in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, as well as two special prizes from the same competition. She reached finals of the 8th International Mozart Competition in Salzburg and the Competizione dell 'Opera in Dresden.
Recent engagements include Il Trionfo del Tempo with the Akademie fur Alte Musik, Berlin, Irene Tamerlano, Teatro Real, Madrid under Paul McCreesh, Teodata, Flavio, Academy of Ancient Music.
Future engagements include Statira in Vivaldi's L'Incoronazione di Dario, Garsington Opera, Mozart Requiem at the Mostly Mozart Festival under Carlo Rizzi, Annio La Clemenza di Tito at the Opera de Lyon and Sesto La Clemenza di Tito at the Chicago Opera Theater.
Renata Pokupic is represented by Intermusica.
May 2008 / 452 words. Not to be altered without permission. Please destroy all previous biographical material.