Kateřina Blížkovská

Feeling particularly at ease with the flexibility and liveliness it offers, Kateřina Blížkovská is a young singer who specialises in early music. Her interpretations are defined by her rich, recognisable timbre, and a spontaneous, captivating, text-focused interpretation of music. As a choral director, she has a particular love for the repertoire of the 20th century, inspiring choirs to offer transparent and spirited interpretations.

Kateřina was born into a family that surrounded her with music. After spending some formative years in different domains, she decided to dedicate her professional life to music, both as a singer and a choral director (see below). Shortly after starting on this path, her career is taking on an exciting turn.

The young mezzo-soprano is regularly invited to sing both as a soloist and an ensemble singer in noteworthy ensembles such as Lionel Meunier’s Vox Luminis, Collegium Vocale Gent, Ad Mosam, the Belgian polyphony group Currende and the European Hanseatic Ensemble (CD recording to be released in 2025). In 2025, highlights include her collaboration with Peter van Heygen, and Margret Köll and her ensemble Between the Strings, alongside Dorothee Mields and Barbara Zanichelli.

As a soloist, she has sung in halls such as AMUZ (Antwerp), Muziekgebouw Amsterdam, Flagey (Brussels), l’Arsenal in Metz, and the Brugge Concertgebouw. Festivals and organisations that have welcomed her on stage include Crete Senesi (Collegium Vocale Gent), Chapelle Musicale Reine Elisabeth (Reinoud van Mechelen) and the International Bach Festival (Bernard Foccroulle), presenting music by J. S. Bach and G. F. Händel, but also lesser known jewels such as French Air de Cours and Italian songs from the 17th century. Although she specialises in oratorio and concert repertoire, she enjoys singing in staged productions, such as Madrigali (Khroma Company) and Voix en Gestes (Sigrid T’Hooft). As a child, she was a member of the Choeurs d’enfants de la Monnaie, singing in several productions of the internationally renowned opera house, including some staged by Castellucci.

In addition to working with a whole selection of established ensembles of the music scene, Kateřina reserves time to invest in new projects, both her own and as a guest singer (CAIRN, Fluctus Ensemble, The Orpheus Consort, Archipel Consort). In the contexts of these projects she can also put into practice her playing of the baroque guitar (Four Beers and a Glass of Wine) and knowledge of baroque gestics. She particularly enjoys taking time to develop repertoires and let the music to settle, allowing for the bonds between the musicians to grow slowly over time.

As a choral director, Kateřina Blížkovská co-founded the successful Ensemble Ruah, gaining acclaim in the Belgian musical scene in just a few years of existence. Over the years, she has led several choirs, including Camerata Vocale (Brussels) and Der Kleiner Hammerchor (Berlin). She has directed for the Grandes Heures de la Cambre and for the festival Chœurs au cœur de l’Abbaye, hosting as a musical director for the Ensemble Aziliz and Arcanum.

She has been invited to be the chorusmaster for the Mahler Student Festival Orchestra, and has participated in masterclasses with Helene Stureburg and Gary Graden, giving a concert with the prestigious St. Jacobs Chamber Choir and Stockholm Cathedral Chamber Choir.

Although she has been led to direct instrumental ensembles, her big love lies in a cappella repertoire, on which she works with great enthusiasm and precision. The Ensemble d’Occassion was brought to life on the occasion of her final concert as a master student in the Conservatory of Antwerp (Luc Anthonis), proposing to its public a program of modern
a capella music. As of now, she is taking classes with Maria van Nieukerken.

Kateřina is known amongst her friends as being an avid enthusiast of many things (mostly music and languages). She particularly enjoys learning new instruments: she plays the flute and traverso, guitar and baroque guitar, and learned piano, lute, cello, double bass, and drums for a few years each to keep broadening her horizons and understanding music from different sides.

Under the guidance of Julia Hülsmann and Tanja Pannier, she dove into the world of both songwriting and jazz improvisation, making her musicmaking richer and more diversified. Her song Empty Words is successfully featured on various streaming platforms.