Iwona Hossa
Iwona Hossa is the winner of Grand Prix and Gold Medal at Maria Callas International Singing Competition in Athens in 1999. She is one of the most prominent sopranos of her generation in Poland. She was born on 23rd February 1973 in Poznań. She is a graduate of the Vocal and Acting Department of the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań in the vocal class of Prof. Ewa Wdowicka (graduated with honours). Iwona Hossa has won many prizes including the Third Prize and Special Mozart Prize at the 6th Ada Sari International Singing Competition in Nowy Sącz in 1995. She is a semi-finalist of 34th Francisco Vinas International Vocal Competition in Barcelona (1997) and 7th International Mozart Competition in Salzburg. In 1995 she received a scholarship from the Ministry of Culture and Art and a scholarship for young artists from the Poznań artistic community in 1998, awarded by the Poznań Art Award Commission. She too part in master classes with: Prof. Helena Łazarska, Prof. Leopold Spitzer, Prof. Jerzy Marchwiński, Ewa Podleś, Sylwia Geszty and Ryszard Karczykowski. The role of Violetta in La Traviata in the production of the Opera House in Poznań is considered as an official debut of the artist in 1996, when Iwona Hossa was still studying. She was a soloist of Teatr Wielki in Poznań from 1995 till 2011. She also cooperates with Opera in Szczecin. She has taken part in several opera festivals, including Opera Festival in Bydgoszcz (in Traviata in 1997 and in the Abduction from the Seraglio in 1998), opera festival in Carcassonne in France (1999), the Wexford Opera Festival in Ireland (2000). She is also a laureate of Orfeo 2000 International Vocal Competition in Hannover. In 2000 she also took part in Rossini Festival in Pesaro in Italy. She has appeared in various recitals, philharmonic, cantata-oratorio and chamber concerts. In 2004 she also received the Andrzej Hiolski Prize for the role of Hanna in Moniuszko's the Haunted Manor performed in National Opera in Warsaw.
