Biography

Praised by the San Francisco Chronicle as a "virtuso of technical prowess and expressive transparency. Deploying her bright-edged and vibrant tone with utmost mastery ", Jasmina Halimic's most recent appearances include the role of Hanna Glawari in Lehar's The Merry Widow with Minnesota's Northern Lights Music Festival, a critically acclaimed portrayal of Marguerite in Faust with Opera San José and a debut with Charleston Symphony and Salisbury Symphony as the soprano soloist in Verdi's Requiem.

An active proponent of Slavic art songs, she recently joined forces with the prestigious Russian Chamber Art Society of Washington DC in performance of some rarely heard works by contemporary Russian composers. 

Ms. Halimic premiered the title role of Anna Karenina, a modern opera by David Carlson, in the West Coast to great acclaim. Ms. Halimic was the second person ever to perform Anna Karenina and her portrayal was hailed in the San Francisco Chronicle as “first rate - visual and vocal delight.” 

Her other recent performances include Elettra in Idomeneo with the Packard Humanities Institute, praised by the Opera Magazine (UK) as "arrestingly sung and vividly acted.", followed by Nedda in I pagliacci, Mimì in La bohème with Opera San José, a debut with the Missoula Symphony performing highlights from Suor Angelica and the "Inneggiamo" scene from Cavalleria Rusticana, Magda in La rondine with Opera San José, Countess in Le nozze di Figaro with the Intermezzo Foundation (Belgium), Mimì in La bohème with the Amore Opera, Hanna Glawari in The Merry Widow with the Brevard Festival and Tatyana in Eugene Onegin with the Indiana University Opera Theater.  Additional partial roles performed in concert include Desdemona in Otello, Tosca, Fiora in L'amore dei tre re.

Active recitalist, Ms. Halimic, has recently performed a US premiere of Dejan Despic's cycle The Song Book of Dubrovnik with pianist Djordje Nesic at the Bohemian National Hall in New York City. In 2014 they reprised Despic's song cycle in the Slavic Songbook concert at Opera America in New York City. Her Slavic Songbook recital opened the Tuesday Musical Club's 2014-2015 season in Pittsburgh with great success. 

Ms. Halimic was a finalist and an award winner in such competitions as the Liederkranz Competition, Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Palm Beach Opera Competition, Belvedere Competition, Irene Dalis Competition, Queens Opera Competition, Bel Canto Competition, Indiana University Travel Grant Competition, among others.   

Ms. Halimic completed her graduate studies at Indiana University where she participated in master classes with Nico Castel, Carol Vaness, Regina Resnik and Sherrill Milnes. She received her bachelor's degree in music and Italian language from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. 

Born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ms. Halimic moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her family as a teenager. She begun formal music education in her native city of Banja Luka at age 13. Her studies were soon interrupted by the political tensions and war that followed in early 90's. She resumed her training in her adopted city of Pittsburgh, PA few years later at Civic Light Opera Academy and Duquesne University.

In addition to her performing and teaching careers, Jasmina Halimic is a founder and creator of the Jasmina Beauty , a favorite eco-friendly skincare line that shares its proceeds with several environmental projects that focus on ocean cleanup, habitat and eco-system preservation.
Ms. Halimic holds a diploma in Financial Management from Cornell University.