Katarzyna Dondalska, coloratura soprano and competitor in the 2001 competition, shares her experience of being an opera singer.
It's very nice to be able to share my life with you and I hope I'll be able to shed some light on aspects of the life of an opera singer that have probably never crossed your mind!
I wouldn't have come to Cardiff if it wasn't for Cardiff Singer. After taking part in the 2001 competition, I was invited by Welsh National Opera to sing Zerbinetta (Ariadne auf Naxos) in the autumn of 2004 and Queen of the Night (Magic Flute) in the spring of 2005, which went on to tour.
I was also asked to appear in Lesley Garrett's ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Two series, singing the famous Queen of the Night aria, and that led to my being taken on by Lesley Garrett's management.
I am still getting correspondence from people who have come across me for the first time via the Cardiff Singer website!
What appears in these pages isn't a diary as such, but a glimpse into certain aspects of what life is really like for a singer. These include the preparation process, rehearsals, performance and daily life. I hope you enjoy it.
Part one: the preparation process.
