University College Opera The brainchild of the conductor Anthony Addison, (UCL's then Director of Music), University College Opera gave its first performance in 1951 with an all-student production of Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas", followed by Mozart's "Bastien und Bastienne". Even in its earliest years, the company's annual repertoire concentrated on rarely performed operas including: Nicolai's "The Merry Wives of Windsor" (1952), Bizet's "Don Procopio" (1955) and Lortzing's "Der Wildschütz" (1958). In 1961, the company staged its first UK premiere, Moniuszko's "Halka". During its first 17 years, UCOpera's performances took place in the old gymnasium at University College. With the opening of the college's
Vlatka Oršanić engaged as a soloist there and also began making guest appearances in other opera houses in what was then Yugoslavia. In that time she was celebrated as an extraordinary Lucia and Gilda. From 1985 to 1990 she lived in Vienna, where she pursued further study in solo singing techniques with Olivera Miljaković. The 1990s saw the beginning of Oršanić's international career. She sang at the Salzburg State Theatre where she appeared as Despina in "Così fan tutte", Bastienne in "Bastien und Bastienne", Euridice in "Orfeo ed Euridice" and Tamiri in "Il re pastore". She went on to sing as a