Ewa Podleś, a prima donna assoluta and one of the greatest contraltos of all time, died on 19 January 2024.
She was an extraordinary artist who amazed with a characteristic dark timbre, the ease of her coloratura, and the depth of her acting.
She belonged to the select group of opera singers regularly performing at the world's top opera and concert venues. Our audiences most frequently admired her in Rossini operas, she was also unforgettable in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera, and achieved great success in Wagnerian works. Mahler's pieces, which she often sang live and recorded, were also an important part of the repertoire.
The world recognised her greatness: she was celebrated in almost every continent, while the New York-based American Iris Society named a new cultivar 'Ewa Podleś' in her honour in 2002.
Her death follows that of her life and stage partner, Jerzy Marchwiński, who passed on 7 November 2023.
We extend our sincerest condolences to the family.
(photo: Andrzej Świetlik)
