Ewa Podleś

With her three-octaves-plus range and dark yet agile voice, contralto Ewa Podleś became famous for difficult bel canto roles and other major 19th century Italian parts. She easily made the transition to the increased frequency of Baroque opera performances, for she could perform the meaty castrato roles of Handel and other Baroque composers. Podleś made her debut at the Grand Theatre in Warsaw in 1975 as Dorabella in Mozart's Così fan tutte. In 1994, she made her recording debut in Gluck's Orphée et Eurydice. By the turn of the century, she was a major international star, noted for a uniquely dark, smoky vocal timbre that did not foreclose great virtuosity. Her recording catalog was large, and by the time she issued the live album World Opera Stars: Ewa Podleś in 2015, it contained more than 50 items. She died in Warsaw on January 19, 2024.