Višnja Tijardović was born in Split in 1970, and was educated in Split and Zagreb, where she completed her musical education as a graduated solo singer and professor of solo singing at the Split regional department of the Academy of Music in Zagreb. She performed in many operas, first in the opera choir, and later as a solo singer at the National Theatre in Split.
She has been in Canada since 1995 and continues to sing in Ontario and Michigan, USA. In 2001, she won the “Featured Guest and Winner of the USA National Alliance Festival Award” for the TV show “Time Out for Opera” produced by the Michigan Opera Theater. Višnja also works as a singing teacher at the private music school St. Cecile Academy, where her solo singing students often win high honors in vocal competitions. She continues further education and professional training at the University of Windsor, where she completes her studies in education and is employed as a music teacher in elementary schools, where she leads school choirs and orchestras. Višnja lives in the city of Windsor with her husband Zoran, son Dominik and daughter Gabriela.
Since her arrival in Windsor, she has been active in the Croatian parish of St. Franjo Asiški, where she leads the choir and plays the organ. In 2013, together with her husband and a few friends, she founded the Dalmatian klapa at the parish – named “Klapa Kartolina”, along with the girl’s klapa “Fritule” and the boy’s klapa “Berekin” were later founded.
Višnja is also engaged in writing and composing original Dalmatian songs, of which the music and arrangement for the song “Poljička” stand out. The author of the lyrics is Ante Mekinić. A prominent place in her work is the cover of the song “Hallelujah” by L. Cohen, where, in addition to arranging the music for the klapa, she also wrote the final stanza in Croatian.
Višnja, Zoran and Gabriela