ARTISTIC BIOGRAPHY

KATARZYNA HOLYSZ

She graduated from the University of Economics and ALSO the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznan, where she studied in Professor Krystyna Pakulska's singing class.

She regularly cooperates with many philharmonies and orchestras in Poland and abroad, including the National Philharmonic Orchestra in Warsaw.

She has a privilage to be invited to attend the music festivals in Poland and other countries, such as: Bad Kissingen Sommer Festival , The Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival, The Dubrovnik Summer Festival, K.Jamroz Festival in Busko-Zdrój, Viva il Canto in Cieszyn, Festival Sacrum and Profanum in Szczecin, Itnernational Silesian Festival under the honour patronate of dr Kurth Masur, Music in The Old Cracow Festival, Mozart Festival in Poznan, Solidarity of Arts in Gdansk.

In July 2009 she was the member of the international production of “Rheingold” by R.Wagner , conducted by Jan Latham Koenig, marking the 100-Years Anniversary of Opera Lesna in Sopot celebrations.

She had an honour to work with many distinguished conductors as:

Antoni Wit, Rolf Reuter, Niksa Bareza, Massimiliano Caldi, Ian Latham Koenig, Tadeusz Kozłowski, Andriy Yurkevich, Lukasz Borowicz, Jose Maria Florencio Junior, Tadeusz Wojciechowski, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Wojciech Rajski, Grzegorz Nowak, Eraldo Salmieri, Jurek Dybal, Charles Olivieri-Munroe, Marc Tardue, Andrzej Straszynski, Tadeusz Strugała, etc.

A very special event was the artist's performance as Madame in Francis Poulenc's opera "The voice of man" ('La voix humaine'), with her own, original translation into Polish language, staged in composer's version with piano in Poznan, for the first and so far the only time in Poland.

In November and December 2010 the artist played the title role in 'Fidelio' by Ludwig van Beethoven, in the pioneering impresario production of Elzbieta Penderecka, Ludwig van Beethoven Association, the Beethoven Academy Orchestra and International Voice of Justice Organisation from Norway.

She had the honour to performance in the concert together with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra players celebrating the 154^th Gustav Mahler's Birth Anniversary.

The recent great success of the artist , highly acclaimed by the critics and audience, was the premiere of Krzysztof Penderecki's oper “ Czarna Maska” in the Baltic Oper in Gdansk and National Oper in Warsaw, where she created the main female role – Benigna.

In September 2016 she was invited by the President of Poland to the President Palace – Belweder, to make the special recital with polish songs.

She cooperates with opera theaters in Poland and Germany ( where she lived many years ), performing on their stages mostly leading parts from the global repertoire: Leonora – 'Fidelio' - L.van Beethoven, Agathe - 'Der Freischuetz' – C. M von Weber, Princess - 'Rusalka' – A. Dvorak, Ariadne - 'Ariadne auf Naxos' - R.Strauss, Halka - 'Halka' – St. Moniuszko, Countess - 'The marriage of Figaro' - W. A. Mozart, Lady Macbeth - 'Macbeth'- G.Verdi, Salome - 'Salome'- R. Strauss, Kundry – 'Parsifal'-R.Wagner, Venus - 'Tannhaeuser' -R. Wagner , Octavian - 'Der Rosenkavalier' - R.Strauss, Neala – 'Paria' - St.Moniuszko, Adalgisa - 'Norma' – V. Bellini, Idamantes - 'Idomeneo' - W. A. Mozart, G. Puccini – 'Tosca', Benigna – 'Czarna Maska'- Krzysztof Penderecki, Desdemona – 'Otello' – Verdi and many others.

Besides of her opera career, Katarzyna Holysz belongs to the recognized Polish concert singers. She has been invited to perform in the concert-halls in Poland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic and Lithuania, first of all in German and French repertoire.

She has lived and worked many years in Germany ( Bayreuth), cooperating with Richard Wagner Associacion ( Richard Wagner Verband) and Richard Wagner Festival ( Bayreuther Festspiele ).

She use to be often invited to take part of the music recordings (her artistic output includes 10 CDs) of opera songs as well as of early music and sacred music.

She received a scholarship of:

- Minister of Culture and National Heritage

- Bayreuther Festspiele

For her vocal performances she was awarded:

•  the Young Art Medal for her stage debut and creative vocal (the role of Adalgisa in V. Bellini's opera 'Norma' at the Grand Theatre in Poznań)

•  the Golden Masque for the best vocal creation of the season  (the role of Agatha in C.M.von Weber's opera “Der Freischuetz” at the Grand Theatre in Łódź)

• a nomination for the prize Splendor Gedanensis for 'Outstanding Performance in the opera 'Ariadne auf Naxos' by R.Strauss' in the Baltic Opera in Gdańsk.

• the prize of the Tricity critics and music lovers the Storm of the Year  for the role of Halka and Lady Macbeth performed at the Baltic Opera.

• Jan Kiepura Music Theatre Award for the best singer of the season