Aleksandra Szafir-Makowska
Aleksandra Szafir-Makowska has graduated with honours in 2003 from the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice in the solo singing class of Professor Jan Ballarin.
In 2000 she placed first in the 3rd Intra-School Polish Vocal Music Competition in Katowice, where she also received the special prize honouring the most beautiful soprano voice. In March 2003 she received honourable mention at the 2nd H. Halska National Singing Competition in Wrocław. She was also a finalist of the 1st A. Didur International Opera Singing Competition in Bytom (2004), at which she also won the audience prize and the special prize of the director of the Silesian Opera. In May 2005 Szafir-Makowska received honourable mention at the 11th Ada Sari Singing Competition in Nowy Sącz. In November 2006 she won 2nd prize in the 2nd Iwona Borowicka National Operetta and Musical Singing Competition in Cracow.
She took part in master classes with Professor Jadwiga Rappé and Professor Ewa Czermak, held as part of the “Wratislavia Cantans” Festival. In 2004-2007 she was a singing participant in singing courses and master classes with Professor Teresa Żylis-Gara.
Aleksandra Szafir-Makowska has worked together with Polish and foreign conductors, including Jerzy Salwarowski, Jacek M. Błaszczyk, Tadeusz Wojciechowski, Sławomir Chrzanowski, Ewa Michnik, Tomasz Szreder, Jacek Kaspszyk, Fahrettin Kerimov, Peter Tiboris, Massimiliano Caldi, Vladimir Kiradjiev, Francesco Bottigliero, Tadeusz Zathey and Bassem Akiki.
In June 2006 she sang her debut as Micaëla in G. Bizet’s “Carmen” directed by Wiesław Ochman on the stage of the Silesian Opera in Bytom. Piotr Nędzyński’s review of the performance described her role as the best in the whole production. In December 2006 she took part in the Music Festival in Bretagne (France), performing works from the oratorio and opera repertoire. In December 2007 she made her debut on the stage of Teatr Wielki – the National Opera in Warsaw, singing the part of Krysta in L. Różycki’s opera “Bolesław Śmiały”. In 2007-2013 Aleksandra Szafir-Makowska was a soloist in the Wrocław Opera, singing, among others: Fiordiligi (“Cosi fan tutte”, W. A. Mozart), Barberina (“The Marriage of Figaro”, W. A. Mozart), Mimi (“La Bohème”, G. Puccini), Micaëla (“Carmen”, G. Bizet), Zofia (“Halka”, S. Moniuszko), Countess of Ceprano (“Rigoletto”, G. Verdi), Ida (“Die Fledermaus”, J. Strauss), Chava (“Fiddler on the Roof” J. Stein, J. Bock, S. Harnick), Pamina (“The Magic Flute”, W. A. Mozart), Little Red Riding Hood (“Little Red Riding Hood”, J. Pauer), Alice (“Alice in Wonderland”, R. Chauls), Desdemona (“Othello”, G. Verdi), Anna (“Nabucco”, G. Verdi), Santuzza (“Cavalleria Rusticana”, P. Mascagni), Stella (“Chopin”, G. Orefice).
She has worked together with the Gliwice-based “Promenada” orchestra. She works regularly with the Camerata Silesia Singers’ Ensemble in Katowice in concerts performed with the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice.
In September 2016 she has once again joined the cast of the Silesian Opera, singing Micaëla in G. Bizet’s “Carmen” and Mimi in G. Puccini’s “La Bohème”.
