We were lucky to catch up with Eva Zalenga recently and have shared our conversation below.

Eva, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I am an opera singer. I decided this when I was seven—and somehow, it stuck.
I sing in theaters and at festivals across Europe. My dream came true. But as a musician, there is always more—more opportunities to prove yourself. For us musicians, that often means challenging each other in competitions.
Since my time as a student, I have known about the Deutscher Musikwettbewerb, the biggest competition for musicians in Germany. In 2023, I decided to take my chances and participate. One of the prizes includes the opportunity to record a CD—an incredible chance to express yourself in a unique way.
I trained hard, turned down other job opportunities, and focused entirely on winning the competition. It paid off—I actually won. I developed a concept for the album based on diversity: diversity that reflects both my vocal abilities and personality, diversity in styles, languages, orchestrations, and music from different centuries. I also felt a strong desire to include the works of female composers. I am particularly proud to feature their music on this album and to have established a personal connection with the renowned French composer Isabelle Aboulker.
Another reason this project is so special to me is that I have never worked this closely and intensively with other musicians before. I am truly grateful for this rewarding collaboration.
For more than a year, I have been working on my most personal album ‘varia • bel’, which was released just a few weeks ago. Now, I am more than happy to share it with the world.

Eva, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

“German soprano Eva Zalenga is a double prizewinner of the 2023 Deutscher Musikwettbewerb and SWR Junge Opernstars, receiving both the Emmerich Smola Förderpreis and the Orchestra Prize of the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie. She also won the 2023 Vienna International Music Competition, performing at the Musikverein Vienna.
Born in Biberach (Germany), Zalenga began voice lessons at the age of seven and soon gained solo concert experience and won prizes.
Celebrated debuts include Sophie (Werther) at the Royal Danish Opera and Adele (Die Fledermaus) at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Engagements took her to the renowned Schubertíada in Spain and to Nuremberg for Bach’s St. John Passion. A passionate art song singer, she collaborates closely with pianist Doriana Tchakarova. Their debut album ‘In Relations’ (2024) was highly praised: “Eva Zalenga’s enchanting voice is characterized by a versatile and passionate soprano”. She released a second album ‘varia • bel’ in 2025 presenting chamber music of great diversity.
Zalenga studied in Dresden and Leipzig, was a member of Theater St. Gallen, and performed at Staatstheater Hannover, Oper Leipzig, and other major houses. A winner of multiple international competitions, she will receive the Zonta Culture Award in 2025.”

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

During my studies, I was taught in almost every class that if something wasn’t perfect, it wasn’t good. In competitions, judges would sometimes point out small flaws, even though overall, my performance was solid—just not perfect. For a long time, I chased perfection, believing that only if I achieved it, my work and I would truly be good enough. It took a lot of effort to move away from that mindset, and even today, I struggle with it on some days. But in the end, it’s the imperfections that make something truly perfect and most interesting to me.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is feeling truly connected with the audience through music. When I can convey emotions through my voice and energy, touching something deep within the listeners, it is incredibly fulfilling. In those moments, when boundaries dissolve, and only human connection remains, we are all completely present in the here and now – and that is the best feeling

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.evazalenga.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evazalenga/
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/eva.zalenga/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@evazalenga6649

Image Credits

Laura Zalenga