Soprano Katrina Galka. Photo by BRIAN PARILLO
Bio
The Oregonian praises soprano Katrina Galka for her recent performances of Adina in L’elisir d’amore, exclaiming that she “looked like a young Glenn Close, projecting power over Nemorino as she thrilled with fine coloratura filigree and pure high notes.” In the 2025-26 season, she makes company debuts at the Semperoper Dresden as Adele in Die Fledermaus and the Teatro Carlo Felice as La ragazza del villaggio and Statua della Vergine in Filidei’s Il nome della rosa after she created the pair of roles last season at the Teatro alla Scala. She sings Adina in L’elisir d’amore in a return to Utah Opera and Musetta in La bohème with Portland Opera. She also sings her first performances of Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Oregon Symphony. Last season she made returns to Teatro alla Scala as La ragazza del villaggio and Statua della Vergine in the world premiere of Filidei’s Il nome della rosa, Opernhaus Zürich as Olympia in Les contes d’Hoffmann, and Staatsoper Hamburg as Musetta in La bohème. She debuted with San Francisco Opera as Janine-Ofwarren in Rouders’ The Handmaid’s Tale and Opera Colorado as Marie in La fille du régiment.
Ms. Galka made her role and company debut as Olympia in Les contes d’Hoffmann at the Opernhaus Zürich and her Wiener Staatsoper debut as Fritzi in the world premiere of Staud’s Die Weiden and was immediately reengaged for the revival in the following season. She has sung Blondchen in Die Entführung aus dem Serail in her debut with the Bayerische Staatsoper and in returns to the Opernhaus Zürich and Staatsoper Hamburg as well as with Atlanta Opera, New Orleans Opera, and Opera San Jose. She sang her first performances of the title role of Lucia di Lammermoor with New Orleans Opera, Konigin der Nacht in Die Zauberflöte with Arizona Opera, Adele in Die Fledermaus with the Staatsoper Hamburg, the First Niece in Peter Grimes at the Teatro alla Scala and returned to the roles Cunegonde in Candide with Glimmerglass Opera, Frasquita in Carmen with Staatsoper Hamburg, and Gilda in Rigoletto with Intermountain Opera. She added the role of Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos for performances with Arizona Opera that were cancelled by the COVID-19 pandemic.
She made further role and company debuts as the Controller in Dove’s Flight with Minnesota Opera, Atalanta in Xerxes at the Glimmerglass Festival, the Charmeuse in Thais with Utah Opera, and Serpetta in La finta giardiniera with On Site Opera at the Caramoor International Music Festival, Aithra in Die ägyptische Helena with Odyssey Opera, and Julie Jordan in Carousel with Pensacola Opera.
She sang her first performances of Gilda in Rigoletto in a return to Portland Opera, where she was previously a resident artist and host of role debuts that include Adina in L’elisir d’amore, Johanna in Sweeney Todd, Elvira in L’italiana in Algeri, Papagena in Die Zauberflöte, and Frasquita in Carmen. With Arizona Opera Opera, she sang Cunegonde in Candide, Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Woglinde in Das Rheingold, and a quartet of roles in Morganelli’s Hercules vs Vampires, the First Wood Nymph in Rusalka and Clorinda in La cenerentola while a resident artist. She joined the Seiji Ozawa Music Academy as a guest artist for Frasquita in Carmen and sang prior performances of Papagena in Die Zauberflöte with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis at which she has been both a Festival Artist and a Gerdine Young Artist. She joined the CoOperative Program as Marie in La fille du régiment.
On the concert stage, she has twice joined the Las Vegas Philharmonic for Handel’s Messiah, the Florida Orchestra for Mozart’s Requiem and an evening of Bernstein favorites, and the Rhode Island Civic Chorale for Messiah and the Angel in Respighi’s Laude to the Nativity. She sang Elvira in excerpts of L’italiana in Algeri with the Oregon Symphony and Violetta in excerpts of La traviata with the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. With various Dallas-based chamber ensembles and orchestras, she has sung Fauré’s Requiem, Mozart’s Exsultate Jubilate, and Bach’s St. John Passion. In 2011, Katrina performed in the East Coast premiere of Jake Heggie’s Pieces of 9/11 as the Girl Soprano, with Mr. Heggie at the piano.
Ms. Galka is a three-time regional award winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She is the first-place winner of the Mario Lanza Scholarship and has received further awards from the National Opera Association Vocal Competition, Marcello Giordani International Vocal Competition, and the Heida Hermanns International Vocal Competition. She holds a Master of Music from Boston University, at which she sang Servilia in La clemenza di Tito and Carolina in Il matrimonio segreto, and her Bachelor of Music from Southern Methodist University, from which she graduated summa cum laude.
“As Gilda, Katrina Galka sang a focused 'Caro nome,' with a fine trill, and at the other extreme, she held her own in the dramatic storm trio. But it was the pathos in the voice she brought to 'Tutte le feste' and the remainder of the opera that was most distinctive and outstanding.”
— Opera News
