Canadian Mezzo-soprano Katarzyna (Kasia) Sadej

OPERA (ROLES PERFORMED)

Maddalena – Rigoletto, Saskatoon Opera, summer 2008

Ariodante – Ariodante, University of Toronto, 2008

L’Elisir d’Amore – Giannetta, University of Toronto, 2007

Le Nozze di Figaro – Cherubino, Center for Opera in Sulmona, Italy, 2007

The Rape of Lucretia – Bianca, University of Toronto, 2007

Hansel and Gretel - Hansel, Opera Lyra Ottawa, National Art’s Center, 2005

Don Giovanni - Donna Elvira, University of Ottawa, 2006

Le Nozze di Figaro - Cherubino, University of Ottawa, 2005

Die Zauberflote - Second Lady, University of Ottawa, 2004

Contemporary Operas (University of Toronto New Music Festival 2007, 2008):

Premiered role of Laura in Lan-chee Lam’s The Lady Doth Protest Too Much

Premiered role of Mother in Glenn James’ Underground Love

BIOGRAPHY

Canadian Mezzo-soprano Katarzyna (Kasia) Sadej was born in Wroclaw, Poland. Katarzyna’s singing calendar has most recently found her in Taipei for Stravinsky's Les Noces; Sulmona, Italy for Cherubino in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro; and Jerusalem, for the world premiere of A Call For Peace, composed by Sharbel Dalal. Kasia made her debut with Saskatoon Opera as Maddalena in Verdi’s Rigoletto in July 2008 and recently became a member of Les Amis Ensemble of Toronto, for whom she premiered Michael Pepa’s Isomorphe in the Glenn Gould Studio in June 2008. She reprised this piece and performed several others on tour with Les Amis and the Penderecki String Quartet in April 2009 in Croatia, Serbia and Romania.

Recent oratorio debuts include Mendelssohn’s Die Erste Walpurgisnacht, Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem and Bach’s Weihnachtsoratorium. She made her Carnegie Hall debut in May 2009 through the The Weill Music Institute, for which she will sing the world premiere of Oceanic Verses by composer Paola Prestini.

Kasia is currently attending the Graduate Program of Vocal Arts at Bard College to study with Lorraine Nubar, Kayo Iwama and Dawn Upshaw in Upstate New York. Kasia graduated summa cum laude from the University of Ottawa, earning her Bachelor of Music degree in May 2006. She completed her Master’s Degree in Opera at the University of Toronto, where she studied voice with Darryl Edwards. Last summer took her to Villecroze, France, where she studied exclusively with Dalton Baldwin and Lorraine Nubar.

Kasia has been an apprenticeship artist with Opera Lyra Ottawa, with whom she had her professional operatic debut in December 2005 as Hansel in Humperdinck’s Hansel und Gretel. Other opera roles she has performed include the Mozart roles of Donna Elvira, Cherubino and Second Lady, Bianca in Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia, Giannetta in Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore and the title role in Handel’s Ariodante. Notable awards and distinctions include the Vivian Asfar Memorial Award for Vocal Excellence, the William and Phyllis Waters Graduating Award from the University of Toronto, New England Regional Finalist for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and numerous scholarships from the University of Ottawa, University of Toronto, Bard College and the Canadian Opera Volunteer Committee.

EDUCATION:

Masters in Opera: University of Toronto Opera School, April ‘08

Bachelor of Music: University of Ottawa, Summa Cum Laude April ‘06

Opera Apprenticeship: Opera Lyra Ottawa Young Artist ‘05-‘06

Voice Teachers: Lorraine Nubar, Darryl Edwards, Ingemar Korjus, Joanne Kolomyjec.

Master Classes / Coaching: Dalton Baldwin, Lorraine Nubar, Stuart Hamilton, Christa Ludwig, Martin Isepp, Adrianne Pieczonka, Gaetan Laperriere, Lorne Richstone, Luisa Mauro-Partridge, Brian McIntosh, Paul Dorgan, Carol Isaac, Jean Desmarais, Michael McMahon, Liz Upchurch, Tom Diamond, Michael Schade, Carol Vaness, Helmuth Rilling.

Directors and conductors: Pinchas Zukerman, Lorna Haywood, Judith Yan, Jennifer Tarver, Michael Albano, Tyrone Patterson, Stephen Ralls, Sandra Horst, Sandra Graham, Lawrence Ewashko.

Festivals and Workshops:

NAC Summer Music Institute, Ottawa, Benita Valente and Pinchas Zukerman, summer ‘08

Académie Musicale de Villecroze, Dalton Baldwin and Lorraine Nubar, summer ‘08

Centre for Opera Sulmona, (COSI, Italy) ‘07

Academy of Nice, France ‘06

Foliage Art Song Festivals, Vermont ‘03 – ‘06

NATS festival, Kiwanis Music Festivals, Ottawa

LANGUAGE SKILLS:

Fluent English, French & Polish; intermediate Italian, Spanish and German; knowledge of Russian Cyrillic alphabet.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS:

University of Toronto William & Phyllis Waters Graduating Scholarship ‘08, Peter & Helene Hunt Opera Scholarship ‘08, Canadian Opera Volunteer Committee Scholarships, Richard Bradshaw Graduate Fellow ‘07-‘08, Helen Simmie Godden Memorial Opera Schol. ‘06, Vivian Asfar Memorial Award For Vocal Excellence (2006), 1rst Place NATS and “Most Promising Singer Award” 2005, University of Ottawa Scholarships.

DISCOGRAPHY:

Sound Factor, CBC, full narration for Taibele and her Demon composed by Lorie Wolf, nationally premiered and broadcast on CBC Radio Two on Sep.25 and 26, 2008.

Koch Records, Mezzo solo in Stravinsky’s Les Noces, Conducted by Agnes Grossmann, recorded Oct. 2007, Taipei, with National Experimental Chorus, forthcoming release.

Melotrope Limited, a featured soloist on Mrs. Widder’s Soirée Toronto, 1844: An Historic Private Concert, produced by Kristina Guiget, recorded Ottawa 2005: re-creation of a 19th century musical soirée.

RECITALS AND CONCERT ENGAGEMENTS:

Bard Summerscape Music Festival Debut, Wagner’s Wesendonk Lieder, Wethersfield Estate, NY, June 26 2009

Handel’s Chandos Anthems 9 and 11, and Purcell’s Rejoice in the Lord Alway, Berkshire Bach Society, Barrington, MA, USA, June 6, 2009, James Bagwell conducting

Carnegie Hall Debut, Osvaldo Golijov and Dawn Upshaw Young Artists Concert, Zankel Hall, World Premiere of Paola Prestini’s Oceanic Verses, Saturday, May 9, 2009, New York City

Benefit Concert with Dawn Upshaw, “Dawn Upshaw and Friends” Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, April 29, 2009.

Les Amis Ensemble European Tour: Repighi’s Il Tramonto with Penderecki Quartet, Michael Pepa’s String Quartet No.4 and Isomorphe, Marko Ruzdjak’s Twoj I Moj Libanon, Viktorija Cop’s Display (world premiere), April 21-27, 2009.

Mendellssohn: Alto soloist in Die Erste Walpurgisnacht, Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, April 5 2009, Leon Botstein conducting

Bach: Mezzo soloist in Weihnachtsoratorium, Berkshire Bach Society, Barrington, MA, USA, December 13, 2008, James Bagwell conducting

R. Murray Schafer: Soloist for Music for the Morning of the World, Nuit Blanche Festival, Toronto October 4, 2008

Michael Pepa, Toronto SoundAxis Festival, Glenn Gould Studio June 1 2008, Mezzo solo in World Premiere of Isomorphe (upcoming tour in Croatia, April 2009, to premiere this work)

Member of Concert Opera Group, various opera excerpts concerts in Toronto Region, directed by Darryl Edwards, ‘06 – ’08.

Sharbel Dalal: Dec. 27 ‘07: Mezzo soprano solo in World Premiere of “Call for Peace” by new composer Sharbel Dalal, Jerusalem, Israel, with Olive Branches choir.

Bach: Solo Participant in International Bach Festival, Toronto, Oct. 2007, St. John’s Passion with Helmuth Rilling.

Various composers: Aldeburgh Connection Solo Recital, directed by Stephen Ralls, Toronto, Jan. 29 ’08.

Various composers. Soloist in Prism: Lives of Others Recital, Richard Bradshaw Ampitheatre, Toronto’s Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Mar. ’08, Cameron Stowe dir.

R. Murray Schafer: Soloist for Music for the Morning of the World, Richard Bradshaw Ampitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Jan. ’08.

Handel: Messiah with East York Choir and Orchestra, Toronto, Dec.’07.

Mozart: Mezzo solo, Requiem, Northumberland Choir & Orch., April ‘07, Port Hope.

Stravinsky: Mezzo solo in Les Noces, Macmillan Singers and LEXUS, Nov. ’06.

Featured soloist for opening ceremonies at Rendez-Vous Canada Judo Championships 2005 and Pan-American Judo Games 2007.

Canadian National Anthem solo, 2005 Governor General Awards, National Art’s Centre, Southam Hall, Nov. ’05 - accompanied by the NAC orchestra.

Various composers: Imperial Theatre, Windsor Nova Scotia, June 2005 – Voice / guitar duo recital program, unique arrangements of songs and arias.

Watson Henderson: Christ Church Cathedral, Ottawa, University of Ottawa Choir, Dec. ‘05- Mezzo-soprano soloist in "From Darkness to Light".

CONCERT SCHEDULE

Upcoming - Cartagena International Music Festival:

Gala concert in Bogota, Columbia - September 2009

Mozart Requiem - Cartagena International Music Festival - January 2010

National Arts Center Summer Music Festival

Corigliano's Irish Folksong Settings for Voice and Flute with flutist Garret Hudson

Tabaret Hall, at University of Ottawa, 550 Cumberland St., Ottawa, ON, 7pm, June 27, 2009

Debut at Bard Summerscape Festival

Wagner's Wesendonk Lieder with Frank Corliss, piano

Wethersfield Estate, Amenia, NY, 6:30 PM, June 26, 2009

Handel's Chandos Anthems No. 9 and No.11

Purcell's Rejoice in the Lord Alway with the Berkshire Bach Society and James Bagwell, cond.,

First Congregational Church, Great Barrington (Berkshires), MA

8pm, Saturday, June 6, 2009

CARNEGIE HALL DEBUT!!

Osvaldo Golijov and Dawn Upshaw Young Artists Concert

PAOLA PRESTINI :Oceanic Verses (World Premiere; commissioned by Carnegie Hall)

Zankel Hall, Saturday, May 9, 2009 at 7:30 PM

Carnegie Hall, 57th Street & 7th Avenue, New York, New York

LES AMIS ENSEMBLE EUROPEAN TOUR:

CANADA DAY at 25th Music Biennale Zagreb, Croatian International Festival of Contemporary Music

Thursday, April 23, 2009 10:00 pm - Concert Hall

Vatroslav Lisinski, Zagreb, Croatia - Viktorija Cop: (Croatia) Display (2009) arko Ruzdjak: (Croatia) Libanon, mine and yours (1985) for mezzo-soprano, reciter and two percussionists - Michael Pepa: (Canada) ISOMORPHE (2008) for voice, violin, accordion and CANTUS ENSEMBLE - Sada Britvic, Conductor

Friday, April 24th – Belgrade, Serbia GUARNERIUS Concert Hall

Respighi: Il tramonto with The Penderecki Quartet

Sunday, April 26th – Timisoara, Romania

At "Capitol" concert hall - 7:00 p.m. Presented by Banatul Philharmonic Timisoara

Ottorino Respighi: Il tramonto with The Penderecki Quartet

Michael Pepa: String Quartet No.4 with timpani & chimes (1994) with The Penderecki Quartet

Respighi's Il Tramonto with String Quartet, Bard Conservatory

Bard College, Olin Auditorium, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, April 19, 3pm

Mendelssohn's Die Erste Walpurgisnacht (contralto soloist)

Conductor: Leon Botstein, 5 Apr 2009, 3:00 PM

Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College: Sosnoff Theater

Annandale-on-Hudson, New York