Participants
Aldona Bartnik
In 2016 she completed her MA studies at the Faculty of Old Music at the Royal Conservatoire in the Hague, under the guidance of Dams, P. Kooij, M. Chance, J. Feldman and P. Bertin. Also in the same year of 2016 Aldona completed her concert tour in the USA and Holland. During the tour she appeared in Lincoln Center New York and at Boston Early Music Festival, where, she performed a solo piece in Bach's h-moll Mass conducted by T. Koopman. One of her concerts was recorded on a CD and broadcast twice in Public Dutch television - NPO cultura. Her artistic output comprises six solo albums dedicated to old Polish music. Three of them, recorded with Wrocław Baroque Ensemble conducted by A. Kosendiak were nominated in 2013, 2015 and 2017 to the prestigious award called Fryderyk. Aldona has among others performed in Lincoln Center New York, Wigmore Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, and at Boston Early Music Festival, Utrecht Early Music Festival, MAFestival in Bruges, International Festival Wratislavia Cantans, International Young Artist’s Presentation as well as Festival de Saintes, cooperating with such artists as G. Antonini, Ph. Herreweghe, A. Parrott, F. Bonizzoni, Jos van Veldhoven, P. McCreesh, P. van Heyghen. In her 2017/2018 artistic season, she has been granted a scholarship for a soprano singer under the program called Artysta Rezydent [Resident Artist] by the Polish Institute of Music and Dance.Anna Budzyńska
Completed her vocal and acting studies at Poznan Academy of Music in the class of prof. Antonina Kowtunow (2010). She was a solo singer in Adam Mickiewicz University Academic Choir conducted by Jacek Sykulski. She gave almost 400 concerts with the choir, signing at numerous concert tours among others in China, Japan, Taiwan, the USA, Canada, Germany, Holland, Belgium and Ukraine. During her vocal studies her début performance was at the stage of the Musical Theatre in Poznan where she played Adela in the Revenge of the Bat by Johann Strauss. From that moment on she has been a solo singer in that very theatre. She frequently performs at a variety of festivals e.g. the Festival of Polish Music in Cracow, Poznan Musical Spring, Europa Cantat in Szczecin, Opera Know How in Poznan, Stabat Mater Dolorosa in Mosina. She cooperates with Poznan Baroque Orchestra on regular basis. Together with Toccante ensemble (which she herself has set up), she gives concerts in Poland and abroad. Together with a famous piano player, Laura Kluwak, Anna stages recitals of songs. She continuously improves her singing techniques and interpretations by active participation in courses taught by such masters as Cecilia Bartoli, Silvana Bazzoni, Teresa Żylis – Gara, Elizabeth Vidal, Jadwiga Rappé, Helena Łazarska and Eva Blahova for instance.Anna Jasińska
Born in Lublin. Completed the violin class at Karol Lipiński Grammar School of Music of 1st and 2nd degree in Lublin and the solo signing class at Frederick Chopin Complex of Schools of Music in Warsaw. A graduate of the Institute of Musicology at the University of Warsaw. At present she studies at the Faculty of Vocal and Acting Studies at Frederick Chopin University of Music (singing class taught by prof. Izabela Kłosińska). In March 2017 she participated in the first in Poland opera performance of "Il Giasone" by Francesco Cavalli. Since 2012 she has been a member of the National Philharmonic Choir - winner of this year's Grammy award in the Best Choral Performance category.
Helena Bregar
Is a student of Małgorzata Grela, PhD., at the Faculty of Vocal and Acting Studies at F. Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz and a student of prof. Isabelle Poulenard and prof. Elsa Maurus at the conservatory in Paris. On daily basis she works with Stéphan Fuget, Lisandro Nesis, Antoni Toruńczyk. Helena has also participated in the courses taught by such masters as Claire Lefilliâtre, Marek Rzepka, Olga Pasiecznik, Jadwiga Rappé, Helena Łazarska, Paul Agnew, Anne Constantin. Her stage performances include: role of Hyacinthus and Melia in W. A. Mozart's opera Apollo et Hyacinthus, Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz (directed by D Borowicz); Susanna in the Marriage of Figaro by W. A. Mozart; Céphise and Vénus in l'Europe Galante A. Campry, CRR de Paris (directed by S. Marq); Endymion in the opera by Cavalli Calisto, CRR de Paris (directed by S. Fuget). This year she has played Domiziano in Tito A. Cesti' opera directed by S. Fuget. In May 2015 she was awarded with the 1st award and with a special award for outstanding, charismatic performance at the 1st International Singing Competition in Talsi in Latvia. Magdalena Pikuła
Is a graduate of the Academy of Music in Cracow (BA studies, solo singing class of M. Swarowska- Walawska, A. Biegun and Olga Popowicz). At present she continues her 2nd degree vocal studies, with the major in old music, at Frederick Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, where she attends the solo singing class taught by prof. Jadwiga Rappe, PhD. In August 2014 she was selected for a member of Bach Academy, as such she sang under the conduction of Andrew Parrot at the International Bach Festival in Świdnica. This year she has also been invited to participate in this festival. Since 2014 she has been singing with such choirs as: Polish Radio Choir, Choir of National Forum of Music, Polish National Youth Choir, Vocal Ensemble Singet, Cracow Philharmonics Choir. Together with them she gives concerts in the most prestigious concert halls in Poland (NOSPR, National Forum of Music, National Philharmonics, W. Lutosławski Polish Radio Concert Studio) and abroad (e.g. Gewandhaus- Leipzig, Zurich, Saarbrucken), thus, she is honoured to sing in choirs conducted by such big names as Krzysztof Penderecki, Rolf Beck, Jacek Kasprzyk, Tadeusz Wojciechowski, Szymon Wyrzykowski, Agnieszka Franków- Żelazny. Paulina Horajska
In 2017 she completed with hounours her vocal and acting studies at the Academy of Music in Katowice in the solo singing class of prof. Agata Kobierska, PhD.She is the winner of Rudolf Petrak International Singing Competition in Żilina in Slovakia (1st award), 8th Polish Singing Competition Impressio Art in Sopot (Special Impressio Art Award for the best performance of Feliks Nowowiejski songs), 5th Polish Chamber Music Competition in Katowice (recognition), Interacademic Chamber Music Competition in Wrocław (3rd award for the performance with Urszula Banaś, a pianist), winner of the 2nd International Competition of Sacral Music Ars et Gloria in Katowice and I J. Kiepura Polish Singing Competition in Sosnowiec. She was granted numerous scholarships by the President of the Academy of Music in Katowice; such scholarships are only granted to the best students. As a solo singer she gave numerous concerts with the Chamber Music Orchestra of H.M Górecki Silesian Philharmonics, Mozart Orchestral Academy in the National Forum of Music in Wrocław, Prince Jerzy II Piast Orchestra, M. Karłowicz 1st and 2nd degree Orchestra in Katowice and ZSM Orchestra in Sosnowiec.
Rafał Tomkiewicz
A student at the University of Music in Warsaw at the Faculty of Vocal and Acting Studies in the singing class of Artur Stefanowicz PhD. Still as a young kid, he attended Anna and Adam Munzberg private school of music of 1st and 2nd degree where he developed his passion for violin playing. He has so far appeared on stage in Warsaw Chamber Opera (in the performance of the Seven Deadly Sins opera by K. Weil - where he was a solo singer), Cracow Opera (in the performance of Mefistofele opera by A. Boito), Cracow Philharmonics (in the performance of „Il mondo della luna” opera by F.J. Hayden) and others. His most recent success is the main role in „Il Giasone” opera by F. Cavalli staged in the Collegium Nobilium Theatre in Warsaw.Baiba Urka
Soprano Born in Preiļi, Latvia. After finishing her choral conducting studies in Rezeknes Secondary School of Music, she graduated from the Latvian Academy of Music as a choral conductor in 2012. In 2014 she obtained Masters diploma of Early Music Singing in Latvian Academy of Music. In 2013/14 Baiba studied for one year in Portugal at the Escola Superior de Música, Artes e Espectáculo do InstitutoPolitécnico do Porto as an Erasmus exchange student. She studied singing with Inga Šļubovska and Magna Ferreira. Since 2016 she studies a Masters degree in Early Music singing at the MusikhochschuleTrossingen (Germany) with Gundula Anders and Jan Van Elsaker. She has specialised in baroque, renaissance and contemporary music singing. She has worked as a choir conductor in several choirs and sung in “Putni” contemporary vocal ensemble and in many early music ensembles in Latvia, Germany, Portugal and Spain, both as solo and ensemble singer.Bernadette Beckermann
Young mezzo-soprano Bernadette Beckermann's expressivity, ease, and liveliness, together with her well-founded theoretical knowledge and authentic interpretation, enthralls audiences across Germany. As a versatile soloist with a particular enthusiasm for historically informed performance practice, she was named finalist in the International Telemann Competition 2017 and has performed not only well-known baroque masterpieces like the Passions from J.S. Bach but lesser-known gems of composers like Zelenka, Stolzel or Biber. She works with ensembles such as the LeipzigerBarockorchester, SolamenteNaturali, Dresdner Barockorchester or Ensemble Wunderkammer.Her work in small ensembles has led her to collaborate with Collegium Vocale 1704 conducted by Vaclav Luks; Vokalakademie Berlin founded by Rene Jacobs and led by Frank Markowitsch; Tiburtina, an ensemble specialized in western gregorian chant and medieval polyphonic music; and Dresdner Kammerchor, under the baton of Hans-Christoph Rademann. In the framework of these engagements she has taken part in numerous CD and radio broadcasting productions. As a member of the ensemble Auditiv Vokal Dresden she also dedicates to contemporary vocal music. One highlight of this participation was the international sensation causing concert project ,,Aghet“ together with the Dresdner Sinfoniker.Bernadette Beckermann received a diploma at the Dresden Hochschule fur Musik and went on to continue her studies in Leipzig, where she now lives and works as a freelance singer.
Edwin Kaye
Edwin Kaye is a Bass-Baritone from Birmingham, England. Having studied at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester with David Lowe he hopes to launch into a career in opera and early music. In opera he has worked in multiple roles and productions with RNCM Opera, two seasons with British Youth Opera and one with Buxton International Festival of Opera as well workshops and offstage chorus work with Opera North. He has attended master classes with performers such as Rodderick Williams, Sir John Tomlinson, Paula Chateauneuf, PavloBeznosiuk and Craig Ogden. In early music he has studied with Roger Hamilton and Harvey Davies. His extensive performance of baroque, renaissance and medieval music includes: singing chorally with choirs all over the UK; performing French and English lute songs with both guitarists and lutenists from the RNCM, as a soloist in larger orchestral, choral and operatic concerts and in running a high-baroque ensemble called The Almira Consort. Supervised by Roger Hamilton and Fabrice Fitch he has also worked on making editions of cantatas by Christoph Graupner as part of a research project at the RNCM. Outside of these Edwin has premiered Song Cycles by Samuel Lewis and Anna Appleby as well as Opera works by Mark Turner and Johanna Marx.
Francesco Giusti
He studied in the Organ class at Ferrara Conservatoire, with Maestro Francesco Tasiniandin 2002 he began his studies of Musicology at the Bologna University. In 2000 he started singing as a counter-tenor and performed during many concerts in Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Slovenia and Japan. He collaborates with Ensemble Concerto led by Roberto Gini and "Il Canto di Orfeo" led by Gianluca Capuano. In 2007 he has got his bachelor degree in singing at Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Then, he began studying historical singing at the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Hochschule fur Musik und Theater, Leipzig, Germany, with Gundula Anders. In 2016 he has received his Master’s Degree in Early Music Singing at Conservatorium van Amsterdam. He was a member of the vocal group "Ensemble DSC” conducted by Michele Vannelli. With this ensemble he took part in many concerts and recordings in Italy and France and together with Ensemble Concerto he performed several of Monteverdi's masterpieces such as "Orfeo" in Mantua and recorded "Vesprodella Beata Vergine" and "Missa in Illo Tempore". He is also amongst the four soloists of a forthcoming CD containing the motets of the "Opera Seconda" by Giovanni Paolo Colonna, recorded by Ensemble DSC.
Marcin Gadaliński
He grew up in Poznań, rising his vocal skills as a soprano soloist in Poznań Boys Choir. He studied at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw with Jadwiga Rappe and Artur Stefanowicz, where he received his Master’s degree in vocal performance. He took part in many workshops and master classes with Irena Sylya, Kai Wessel and Marek Rzepka. Since Autumn 2017 M. Gadaliński is going to continue his studies at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel. M. Gadaliński has participated in several competitions. Finalist and special prize winner of Pustina International Vocal Competition 2016; Finalist of 15th International Opera Competition "OttavioZiino" in Rome 2016; Semifinalist of 67th Giovanni Battista Viotti International Music Competition 2016. During the studies he has performed at the Collegium Nobilium Theater of Academy Theater in Warsaw in J. A. Hasse - I pelegrini al sepolcro Nostro Signore as Albino and as Ottone in Monteverdi’s L’incorinazione di Poppea. In 2016 he was performing in W. A. Mozart’s Apollo et Hyacinthus as Zephyrus in 26. Mozart Festival in cooperation with Warsaw Chamber Opera. He cooperates with early music ensemble La Tempesta, Cappella Viridimontana and many others.
Rodrigo Sosa Dal Pozzo
Born in Mérida – Venezuela, since 2016 he is a master student at Operahögskolan in Stockholm - Sweden under the tutelage of Erik Årman. He also received his master degree in early music singing at the Royal College of Music in the same city, under the tutelage of Susanne Rydén.Rodrigo had his debut in oratorio at the age of 16, singing the countertenor solo part of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana conducted by Isabel Palacios and at the age of 19, he had his debut in opera, performing the Sorceress in H. Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas, conducted by Pablo Larraz together with the Baroque Orchestra of Catalonia. At the age of 20 he became a member of the Swedish Radio Choir, conducted by Peter Dijkstra and the Capella Reïal de Catalunya, conducted by Jordi Savall. He was one of the finalists of the International Vocal Competition in the Netherlands and a finalist of the International Baroque Opera Competition “Pietro Antonio Cesti” in Innsbruck, Austria, as well as he is among the semifinalist of the “Solistpriset” awarded by the “Musikaliska Akademien” in Sweden.
Tung Lee
Tung Lee studied voice privately under Lim Shieh Yih while she studied at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore. She graduated with Masters in Voice under KS Joanna Borowska-Isserat the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, Austria and is currently pursuing Masters in Concert Singing – Lied Interpretation under Christine Whittlesey and Oratorio Studies under Robert Heimann. In 2014, she took part in the summer course AIMS under full scholarship. Her solo appearances include Mozart’s “Vesperaesolennes de confessore” with Boston University Concert Choir and Michael Haydn’s “Missa in honorem Sancti Dominici” with AIMS Festival Orchestra. She was first heard on the Austrian radio ORF Steiermark in 2015 with Kaminski’s “Drei Geistliche Lieder” and has sung in the premiere performances of Americ Goh’s “… de l’âme” and “Kassation in m”. She appeared as Sandmännchen in Humperdinck’s “Hänsel und Gretel”, 1. Boy in Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte”. Tung’s performances with early music ensemble include J. S. Bach’s Cantata BWV 84, “Ich bin vergnügt” and excerpts from Telemann’s “Harmonischer Gottesdienst”. Tung is a founding member of The Art Song Consortium – a group based in Singapore, which is dedicated to promoting the art song and its refined performance.