On Oct. 1, 2023, Patricia Burda Janečková died of breast cancer. She was 25.

An official statement on Facebook said, “The opera and musical singer lost her courageous fight with an aggressive disease. She passed away on October 1, 2023, surrounded by the tender care of her husband, Vlastimil Burda, and her loved ones. She left a lasting legacy through her audio and visual recordings, ensuring she will stay with us forever.”

The soprano first announced her diagnosis on social Feb. 9, 2022, when she took to social media and said, “Dear friends, this year was supposed to be full of beautiful concerts and theater performances. Everything has changed. A few days ago my doctors told me I have a big fight ahead of me. Cancer has been, is and will be among us, although I have always thought that youth equals health. Biopsy results showed breast cancer. With a heavy heart, I have to leave the stage for a while and cancel all the concerts so that I can fully fight and heal. But that doesn’t mean I stop singing! As soon as I have my strength back, I will sing and record for you. Takes more to beat me! I will be grateful for any support, even through the For Artists Endowment Fund, which was established to support artists, their development, projects and help in difficult life situations.”

Born on June 18, 1998, in Münchberg, Germany to Slovak parents, Janečková started singing at the age of four and went to the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts following primary school.

Her first public performance was at the Antonín Dvořák Theatre, where she performed for the first time with the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra. Janečková went on to win the Talentmania TV show.

In 2014, she won the international singing competition at the Concorso Internazionale di Musica Sacra in Rome. She went on to be a frequent guest at the Moravian-Silesian National Theatre, the Rudolfinum in Prague, the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the Janáček Music Festival.

Janečková released her first album in 2011 and also recorded a Christmas CD alongside Vilem Veverka.

The soprano is survived by her husband, actor Vlastimil Burda, who she married in July 2023.