BlueberryMusica/ In conversation with Tamara Radjenović: the international soprano redefining classical crossover
21-Oct-26
Photo: BlueberryMusica
An interview on opera, crossover and artistic freedom ahead of her Mexican debut
BlueberryMusica: “Conversando con Tamara Radjenović: La soprano internacional que redefine el classical crossover”
21 October 2026 | BlueberryMusica
A year after their first conversation in London, the Spanish-language music magazine BlueberryMusica spoke again with soprano Tamara Radjenović, this time on the eve of her Latin American debut with the Camerata de Coahuila under conductor Ethan Eager at the Teatro Isauro Martínez in Torreón.
Tamara spoke about her roots: piano from the age of six, opera from fifteen, and Carmen as her first encounter with the operatic world. At sixteen she performed in a youth production of Carmen with the Vienna Philharmonic at the Salzburg Festival. A graduate of the Royal College of Music in London and one of the last students of Montserrat Caballé, she recalled bringing Spanish and South American repertoire to her lessons, describing herself as something of a rebel.
For Tamara, opera and classical crossover are two complementary sides of the same artistic identity. Crossover allows her to bring together orchestra, choir and the music she loves, from Verdi, Puccini and Bellini to film music and contemporary songs. She shapes each programme to its venue and audience: her Tokyo concert with the New Japan Philharmonic was largely classical, while her New Year gala in Belgrade leans towards crossover, with more than 150 performers on stage.
Among her favourite pieces she named Verdi’s “Mercè, dilette amiche” and Kálmán’s “Heia, heia, in den Bergen”, and admitted she will never tire of Carmen’s “Habanera”. Her advice to young singers: listen to your own heart, invest in technique and sing for yourself, not to please a teacher.
Looking ahead, she described her Mexican debut, opening with Bellini’s “Casta Diva”, as hopefully the first of many concerts in Latin America, where much of her audience already follows her. Next comes her return to Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage on 27 November with “From Opera to Hollywood”, new international engagements in 2027 and her first studio album. Asked to describe her art in three words, she chose love, passion and freedom.
Original article: BlueberryMusica