Freszel, Joanna

A graduate (with honours) of the vocal class of Jadwiga Rappé at the Fryderyk Chopin Music University in Warsaw, she has held scholarships from the Polish Ministry of Culture, Pro Polonia and Młoda Polska programmes, and ISA2012. She was shortlisted for the Passport Award of the Polityka weekly, and Fryderyk Awards in 2016 for her album real life song.

Her accolades include the 2nd Prize at the Halina Halska Competition in Wrocław (2009), 3rd Prize and Special Prize at the Karol Szymanowski Competition in Łódź (2009), 1st Prize and three special prizes at the Reszke Competition in Częstochowa (2011) Special Prize at the Hans Gabor Belvedere Competition in Vienna (2011) and the Giuseppe Sinopoli Award and special prize of the Frankfurt Opera at the J:opera Voice Competition ISA 12. She was also a finalist of the Viotti Competition in Vercelli (2012).

She has recorded music for Polish films such as Copernicus’s Star, Joanna, John Paul II, and Battle of Warsaw 1920. She has appeared at numerous festivals including Warsaw Autumn, Aix-en-Provence, Contrechamps, Silesian Quartet & Guests, Saaremaa Opera Days, Opera in the Town Hall Festival, and Musica Polonica Nova. She has also sung at the UNESCO seat in Paris and the Megaron in Thessaloniki. Her roles include Musetta in Puccini’s La Bohème, Vénus and Phrygienne in Rameau’s Dardanus, Fiordiligi in Mozart’s Cosí fan tutte, and Marguerite in Gounod’s Faust.

She has cooperated with many philharmonics in Poland and Ukraine as well as ensembles such as Sinfonia Iuventus, Capella Bydgostiensis, Österreichisches Ensemble für Neue Musik, Camerata Viva, and AUKSO. She regularly collaborates with the Estonian National Opera.

She specialises in the performance of modern music but is equally successful in other periods’ works. She is currently a PhD student at the Music University in Warsaw.