“…her powerful, wide, confidently moving vocal range was itself convincing about the perfect cast…” prae.hu
“…Monika Kertész sang the title role perfectly suited for the original title of the opera, Angioline (angelic)…she possesses a gorgeous warm voice…and she thoroughly enchanted the audience …” theatre.hu
The Hungarian-Bulgarian mezzo-soprano and vocal performer Monika Kertész combines traditional performing art forms with a versatile, forward-thinking approach in her work. Known for her velvety warm voice and strong stage presence possessing deep emotionality and musicality – in addition to her work in opera and concerts – she is also the creator and collaborator of innovative, interdisciplinary projects connecting classical music, electronic music, acting, movement theatre, contemporary dance, as well as other performance and media arts. Her projects have been recognized at numerous festivals.
As a mezzo-soprano, she regularly performs on stages across Europe, he most recent appearance include singing the alto solo in Anton Reicha’s Te Deum and Zelenka’s Missa dei Filii at the legendary Frauenkirche in Dresden. Monika frequently appears at the National Theater of Szeged, the Royal Palace Baroque Theater, the National Theater of Pécs, the Palace of Arts in Budapest, the Béla Bartók Concert Hall, the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, the Erkel Opera Theater, the Budapest Music Center, the Bulgaria Hall in Sofia, as well as at the Jewish Cultural Festival, the Budapest Spring Festival, and the Budapest Summer Festival.
She has been a guest soloist with prestigious orchestras such as the Hungarian National Radio Orchestra, the National Philharmonic Orchestra, the Savaria Symphony Orchestra, the Savaria Baroque Orchestra, the Orfeo Orchestra, the North Czech Capella, the Portuguese Symphony Orchestra, and the Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra.
Monika’s opera repertoire includes roles such as Angelina and Tisbe in La Cenerentola, Flora in La Traviata, Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, Dorabella in Così fan tutte, Dido in Dido and Aeneas, Örzse in János Háry, Lisetta in Il Mondo della Luna, Junon in Platée, and Lisetta in Il caffè di campagna.
Recently, she performed as a vocal artist at the Palucca Dance Week Hiddensee, was a guest singer with Auditivvokal Dresden, performed as a soloist with the Sorbian National Ensemble, and presented her co-creation piece Bridging Dimensions at the Bauhaus Festival and Nextus Festival, blending classical and electronic music, improvisation, and dance.
As a co-founder of the interdisciplinary performing arts collective In-Pact, which aims to explore innovative ways of connecting and expanding various artistic genres, she was awarded the “Ambition” prize. It debuted at the Bethlen Theater with the piece Desdemonium, which was added to the theatre’s repertoire and received an invitation to the International Shakespeare Festival Gyula.
She refined her vocal technique with Bernadett Wiedemann in Budapest, Marilyn Rees in London, and Enza Ferrari of the Accademia della Scala in Italy. She participated in the training program of the Rossini Academy in Pesaro under Alberto Zedda, and in the Opera Studio Budapest, and drew inspiration from masterclasses with Julia Hamari, Montserrat Caballé, Walter Moore, and Katalin Schultz. Monika is a prizewinner and finalist of various international opera competitions in Italy, Portugal, France, and Hungary. She received the Talent Award of the Hungarian Rotary Foundation, and her song recitals have been supported by the Kogart Artistic Foundation. She also holds Master’s degrees in Linguistics and Education, and has studied Social Sciences. As an edupreneur, she is passionate about inspiring diverse generations to explore and develop their vocal, performing and musical abilities and talents.