“Stagione, the magazine of the MusikTheater an der Wien, describes Sonja Runje in its issue 4/23 as one of the most beautiful baroque voices of our days.”
Exciting engagements await Sonja Runje in the 2024/25 season, Sonja will stand out in the role of Erenice in the concert of Il Venceslao in Warsaw together with Max Emanuel Cencic and {oh!} Orkiestra conducted by Martyna Pastuzska. Furthermore, Sonja will interpret the role of Farnace in Mozart’s Mitridate, re di Ponto in Lausanne, the title role in Griselda at the MusikTheatre an der Wien together with Max Emanuel Cencic and Wrocław Baroque Orchestra conducted by Banjamin Bayl, the title role of Cesare in Händel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto at the Oper Köln with Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne conducted by Rubén Dubrovsky. Moreover, Sonja will sing Händel’s oratorio The Triumph of Time and Truth at the Musiktheatre an der Wien, J. S. Bach St John Passion and Elias in Zagreb, a concert of Hrvatska Misa at the Prinzregententheater Munich.
Most recent engagements include the role of Egeo in Teseo at the Handel Festival Halle, and the role of Bradamante in Vivaldi’s Orlando Furioso at Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival. As Erenice in Caldara’s Il Venceslao Sonja performed at the Tage der Alten Musik Herne and at the Eufomia Festival Warsaw, as Angelo di Giustizia in Galuppi’s Adamo at the MusikTheater an der Wien and at the Musiikkitalo Helsinki.
The versatile contralto frequently collaborates with esteemed conductors, including George Petrou, Christian Curnyn, Ruben Dubrovsky, Benjamin Bayl, Martyna Pastuszka, Francesco Corti and Aapo Häkkinen.
Sonja Runje graduated with honors from the Academy of Music at the University of Zagreb, earning a master’s degree in opera singing under Martina Gojčeta Silić. She continues to refine her artistry through regular collaboration with Professor Eva Blahová in Bratislava.
Her contralto opera repertoire includes the title roles in G. F. Händel’s Amadigi, Giulio Cesare in Egitto and G. Bononcini’s Griselda, furthermore Orfeo in Ch. W. Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, Disinganno in G. F. Handel’s Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno, Cornelia and Tolomeo in G. F. Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto, Calipso in N. Porpora’s Polifemo, Bradamante and Alcina in A. Vivaldi’s Orlando Furioso under the baton of Francesco Corti and Il Pomo d’Oro, Aacheloo in A. Steffani’s La lotta d’Ercole con Acheloo, Sorceress in H. Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Erenice in A. Caldara’s Il Venceslao, Isabella L’Italiana in Algeri by G. Rossini, Sesto in W. A. Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito, Orlofsky in J. Straus’s Die Fledermaus, Smeraldina in S. Prokofiev’s The Love for Three Oranges, Frugola, Badessa and Zita in G. Puccini’s Il Trittico, Olga in P. I. Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, Mércèdes in G. Bizet’s Carmen, Maddalena in G. Verdi’s Rigoletto,
Runje is a sought-after oratorio and concert singer. Previous performances include J. S. Bach’s oratorios B minor Mass (BWV 232), Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248), St. Matthew Passion (BWV 244) and cantatas Wiederstehe doch der Sünde (BWV 54), Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen (BWV 11), Süßer Trost, mein Jesu kömmt (BWV 151), G. F. Handel’s Messiah, Dixit Dominus and Il dolce tempo, A. Vivaldi’s Gloria and Stabat Mater, G. B. Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, J. C. Bach’s Ach, dass ich Wassers gnug hätte, J. Haydn’s Nelson Mass, W. A. Mozart’s Requiem and Missa Brevis in B, F. Mendelssohn-Bartoldy’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Elijah, J. Brahms’ Alto Rhapsody, M. Duruflé’s Requiem, G. Rossini’s Le Petite messe solenelle, C. Saint-Saëns Oratorio de Noël, G. Mahler’s Symphony No.2, L. van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, B. Papandopulos Croatian Mass, F. Schubert’s Winterreise, L. Brouwer’s Canciones Amatorias, M. de Falla’s Sietes canciones populares espanolas.
(2024/25. Please use this resume exclusively.)
