Agata Schmidt
Agata Schmidt graduated with honours from the Music Academy in Bydgoszcz in the class of Professor Hanna Michalak (2010). She is the laureate of the 2nd prize in the Grand Prix de l’Opera International Competition in Bucharest (2015) and of the Stanisław Moniuszko Competition in Warsaw Warszawie for the best performance of a Polish song (2016). From 2011 to 2018 she worked in the National Opera in Paris.
She took part in numerous courses of the Opera Academy of the National Opera in Warsaw (2011-2013) and in master classes led by renowned teachers, including: Eytan Pessen, Anita Garanča, Izabela Kłosińska, Thomas Quasthoff & June Anderson and Roger Vignoles (ENOA).
As a participant in the Paris L’Atelier Lyrique she made her debut in the role of Orpheus in the Pina Bausch’s legendary production of Gluck’s “Orpheo ed Euridice” on the stage of Palais Garnier, receiving two prestigious awards for the performance: Prix l’AROP and Prix Cercle Carpeaux for best young singer in 2014. She returned to Palais Garnier to sing this part again in 2018. She also made her debut in France in Strauss’ “Ariadne auf Naxos” (Dryad), Dvořák’s “Rusalka” (Third wood sprite) in the Opéra Bastille; “Gluck’s Orpheus und Euridike” (Orpheus) in Bordeaux, Britten’s “The Rape of Lucretia” (Lucretia), Haydn’s “L’isola disabitata” (Costanza) and in a performance of Dvořák’s “Stabat Mater” in the Opera Montpellier (2017).
Agata Schmidt has given concert performances of mainly chamber and sacred music repertoire in such venues as the Palais Garnier, Auditorium Maison de la Radio, Amphithéâtre l’Opéra Bastille, Notre Dame de Paris, St.Martin-in-the-Fields and in European music festivals in Aix-en-Provence, Verbier and Aldeburgh.
While still a student of the Music Academy in Bydgoszcz, she began working together with pianist Bartłomiej Wezner. The duet has garnered praise in many music competitions, including the 7th International Karol Szymanowski Competition in Łódź (2nd prize), the 14th International Ada Sari Competition in Nowy Sącz (3rd prize & prize for best performance of a song cycle), 17th International Kiejstut Bacewicz Chamber Music Competition in Łódź (3rd prize) and the 50th International Vocal Competition in s’-Hertogenbosch.
Upcoming projects include Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” (Suzuki) and Mozart’s “Magic Flute” (Third Lady) in the National Opera in Warsaw, Boito’s “Mefistofele” (Martha, Pantalis), Verdi’s “Rigoletto” (Maddalena), “the Marriage of Figaro” (Marcelina) in l’Opera de Lyon and Debussy’s “Le Martyre de St. Sebastien” in the Elbphilharmonie and the National Philharmonic in Warsaw.
