Jadwiga Rappé

Polish contralto Jadwiga Rappé was born in Toruń on 24 February 1952 and studied voice with Zofia Brégy and then with Jerzy Artysz at the K Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław.

Her professional debut was in 1983 at the Grand Theatre in Warsaw, where she remained a regular artist. She also appeared internationally, including at Deutsche Oper Berlin and at Covent Garden in London. Her repertoire included cantatas, lieder, opera and oratorios.

She took part in first performances of music by contemporary composers, collaborated with conductors including Ricardo Chailly, Colin Davis, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Kent Nagano, Marek Janowski, Krzysztof Penderecki and Antoni Wit, and appeared at festivals including Brucknerfest Linz, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Musiksommer Leipzig, Salzburger Festspiele, Warsaw Music Meetings, Wien Modern, Wratislavia Cantans and Warsaw Autumn.

She lectured at the Vocal Department at the Fryderyk Chopin State Complex of Music Schools in Warsaw. From 2000 she taught a solo singing class at the Vocal and Acting Department of the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. She was also president of the board of the Witold Lutosławski Society (2006–2009).

Jadwiga Rappé died on 16 May 2025, aged seventy-three.

 

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