Anna Betka is a dynamic pianist, vocal and opera coach, and one of two Czech diction specialists in North America who is a native speaker of the language. In North America, Dr. Betka has performed in venues such as Toronto’s Roy Thompson Hall, Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater in New York, and the National Sawdust in Brooklyn. Dr. Betka has also performed in Germany, France, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and the UK. Festival appearances include Banff, Icicle Creek, Aspen, and Toronto.

Dr. Betka’s work as a Czech diction specialist has taken her to Prague, Pardubice, and Brno in the Czech Republic, where she worked at Prague Castle and studied at the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts. At the International Smetana Piano Competition, she was awarded an Honorary Mention for her exceptional interpretation of Bedřich Smetana’s Czech Dances. As an extension of her expertise in this area, she is researching and compiling an anthology of Czech music for both voice and piano by women composers; this initiative has been graciously and generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.

As a chamber musician, Dr. Betka has premiered and recorded many contemporary works at venues in New York, Indiana, Colorado, and Alberta, and her performances have been broadcast on the nationally syndicated WFMT Radio Network and on WKCR in New York. Her playing is featured on composer Mark Applebaum’s album Speed Dating (Innova Recordings). At the Banff Centre for the Arts, she gave the Canadian premiere of American composer Elliot Carter’s last work, Epigrams. A founding member of Trio Mondial, she was a quarterfinalist with the ensemble at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. Over the years, Dr. Betka has had the privilege of collaborating with many living composers, such as Anthony Korf and Kamala Sankaram. In a diverse range of capacities, Ms. Betka has also worked with renowned conductors such as Helmuth Rilling, Joseph Colaneri and John DeMain.

As an educator, Dr. Betka served as Adjunct Professor at Adelphi University and Faculty Member at the Suzuki Schools of Westport & Orange, Suzuki on the Island, and Stony Brook University’s Pre-College Division. She held the position of Music Director at St. James Episcopal Church in St. James, NY.

Dr. Betka also has a background in singing and holds an Associate of the Royal Conservatory Toronto Diploma in Singing (ARCT). She currently serves on Music Staff at the Glimmerglass Festival, at the Canadian Opera Company as Ensemble Studio Trainer and Repetiteur, and at the Palm Beach Opera as Associate Principal Coach. Dr. Betka has coached singers appearing in Czech opera at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Canadian Opera Company, and the Staatsoper Stuttgart. Last season she was the Czech coach for the Canadian Opera Company’s production of Janáček’s Příhody lišky Bystroušky.