Born in 1994, Joanna Kędzior graduated with distinction from the Ignacy Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań, Poland, earning a BA in solo singing under Professor Wojciech Maciejowski. Currently, she is studying for her MA at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. Since 2016 she has been a member of the Opera Academy, the young talent development programme of the Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera in Warsaw (Professor Izabela Kłosińska’s class). In 2014 she received the Wojciech Drabowicz scholarship for the best first-year student of the Poznań academy.
Ms Kędzior has won a range of prizes at Polish and international competitions, including the 5th J.E.J. Reszke Vocal Competition in Częstochowa (Third Prize and special award), 23rd Riccardo Zandonai International Competition for Young Opera Singers in Trento, Italy (special award), Rudolf Petrák Singing Competition in Žilina, Slovakia (First Prize, special award), 1st Ars et Gloria International Individual Vocal Competition of Sacred Music in Katowice, Poland (Second Prize), 7th International Halina Halska-Fijałkowska Vocal Competition in Wrocław, Poland (finals), 1st Polish National Vocal Competition in Drezdenko, Poland (Third Prize), 6th Polish National Maria Stankowa Vocal Festival in Olsztyn, Poland (Second Prize), 21st John Paul II Festival of Religious Songs – Cantate Domino in Koszalin, Poland (First Prize).
The artist made her stage debut already in the first year of her studies, performing in Pieśń o nocy (Song of the Night), a production of the Poznań-based Opera Know-How Festival, with which she then collaborated until 2015. In 2015 she was Cléophas in an opera adaptation of Petit Nicolas et les Copains at the Poznań Opera House. In Poznań she also sang Karolka in Janáček’s Jenůfa, Angelika in Langer’s Figaro Gets a Divorce, Scorceress in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, and First Lady in The Magic Flute.
Ms Kędzior has worked with the following conductors: Tadeusz Kozłowski, Gabriel Chmura, Wojciech Michniewski, Katarzyna Tomala, Paul Esswood. She has participated in master classes led by Eva Blahova, Wojciech Maciejowski, Izabela Kłosińska, Matthias Rextroth, Eytan Pessen, Matjaz Robavs, and Mietta Sighele.
