Biography – Classical Music & Beyond
Polish-Canadian-American mezzo-soprano Katarzyna Sadej was born in Wrocław, Poland. Her international, eclectic singing career spans concert, opera, film, chamber music, oratorio, recital and voice-over performance. Her voice has also captivated the attention of living composers and she has performed many world premieres. As a soloist, she has performed with numerous prestigious venues and organizations, including the National Arts Center Ottawa, L.A. Opera, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Carnegie Hall, Jacaranda Music in L.A., the National Theater in Taipei, the Nuits Blanches Festival in Toronto, San Diego Opera, the Cartagena International Music Festival, the Chicago Philharmonic, the Music and Beyond Festival, the Ravinia Festival as a Steans Fellow, Dream Orchestra Los Angeles, the 2012 London Olympics, the Ojai International Music Festival, the Paderewski Music Society (L.A.), Le Salon de Musiques Concert Series in Los Angeles, the Montenegrin National Theater, the Lviv (Ukraine) and Banatul (Romania) Philharmonics, the Music Biennale Zagreb, the Bard Summerscape Music Festival, the Sembrich Opera Museum at Lake George, the Palm Springs Opera Guild, the Berkshire Bach Society, the Los Angeles Modjeska Club, Opera Lyra Ottawa, Loyola Marymount University, and Harvard University, among others.
As a passionate, seasoned vocal coach, she offers vocal courses and masterclasses for individuals and groups, while still maintaining a performance career.
Katarzyna has sung many world premieres and has had over a dozen new works composed for her. To read more about Katarzyna’s new music career highlights, click here.
As a recitalist, Katarzyna regularly collaborates with concert pianists, performing internationally. Song cycles she has performed are listed on the repertoire page. Her favourite classical art songs are Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder, Berlioz’ Les Nuits d’été and Moniuszko’s Spiewnik Domowy. She has performed hundreds of songs over the years sung in over a dozen languages. She has also notably used the recital stage to perform and showcase Polish classical vocal music, which is often overlooked in the classical music world. Her pianist collaborators have included Steven Vanhauwaert, Wojciech Kocyan, Daniel Vnukowski, Marianna Humetska, Barbara Bochenek, Nadia Boucher, Nada Kolundzija, Mark McNeill, Amanda Johnson, Sungha Lee, and others.
Katarzyna’s operatic roles include the title role of Bizet’s Carmen and La Tragédie de Carmen; Prince Charming and Charlotte in Massenet’s operas Cendrillon and Werther; the title roles in Handel’s Ariodante and Humperdinck’s Hansel und Gretel; the Mozart roles of Donna Elvira, Dorabella, Cherubino and Second Lady; the Page of Herodias in Strauss’ Salome; Maddalena in Verdi’s Rigoletto; Giannetta in Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore; Suzuki and Kate Pinkerton in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly; Maman and Libellule in Ravel’s L’Enfant et les Sortilèges; Bianca in Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia. She has also created several roles in newly-composed operas, including the Virgin in the world premiere of Paola Prestini’s Oceanic Verses (premiered at Carnegie Hall); the leading role of Isabelle Eberhart in the world premiere of Missy Mazzoli’s Song from the Uproar; and, River Voice in the world premiere of The Industry’s (L.A.) HOPSCOTCH.
Katarzyna’s concert / oratorio credits include the alto/mezzo-soprano solos in Wojciech Kilar’s Missa Pro Pace, Duruflé’s Requiem, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Veronika Krausas’ Le Théâtre du Soleil, Haydn’s Paukenmesse, C.P.E. Bach’s Magnificat, J.S. Bach’s Magnificat, Mendelssohn’s Die Erste Walpurgisnacht, Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem, Bach’s Weihnachtsoratorium, Handel’s Chandos Anthems 9 and 11, Purcell’s Rejoice in the Lord Always, and Stravinsky’s Les Noces. She has also performed both the alto and second soprano solos in J.S. Bach’s Mass in B Minor.
Katarzyna has also garnered credits in modeling, acting, composing and voice-over work. In 2018, she began a collaboration as a model for fashion designer Ewelina Barlak, and has showcased many of the designer’s gowns on the concert stage. Her many projects, creative activities, and collaborations can be explored via the Various Projects Page.
Katarzyna graduated summa cum laude from the University of Ottawa, earning her Bachelor of Music degree. She holds two Master degrees, the first in Opera Performance from the University of Toronto; and, the second from Dawn Upshaw’s Vocal Arts Program at Bard College. After completing her degree at the University of Toronto, she was awarded the prestigious William & Phyllis Waters Graduating Award. During her training years, Katarzyna participated in the Opera Lyra Ottawa young artist program; the Steans Music Institute at the Ravinia Festival; the National Arts Centre Summer Music Festival workshop with Benita Valente; the International Vocal Arts Institute at Virginia Tech University; the Marc and Eva Stern Fellowship at Songfest; the Academy of Villecroze with Dalton Baldwin and Lorraine Nubar; the Academy of Nice; and, the Foliage Art Song Festival in Vermont.
Notable awards and distinctions include the 2016 first prize from the Susan and Virginia Hawk Vocal Competition, the 2015 first prize from the Marcella Kochańska Sembrich Vocal Competition, 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 generous scholarships from the Friends of the National Arts Center, the International Vocal Arts Institute, the Marc and Eva Stern Foundation, the University of Ottawa, the University of Toronto, Bard College and the Canadian Opera Volunteer Committee.