Bożena Betley - spinto soprano

Bożena Betley graduated with honours at the National Academy of Music in Warsaw at the Department of Instrumental in the flute class of doc. Henryk Bartnikowski and in the solo singing class of doc. Maria Bojar-Przemieniecka at the Vocal Department. For 8 years she has been the first flutist in Warsaw Operetta Orchestra and then for five years a soloist of Opera and Operetta in Bydgoszcz. Then she was a soloist in the Grand Theatre in Warsaw. She has won vocal competitions. In 1969 she received the second prize at the International Moniuszko Competition in Warsaw (the first prize was not given). In 1970 she won the second prize at the International Competition of Toulouse and the Special Award “Silver Cup of Paris”. In 1979 she received a special award for her creative contribution in the recording of Stanislaw Moniuszko’s compositions f.e. for the opera “Straszny Dwor” (Hanna) for Radio and Television conducted by Jan Krenz. She made her debut in the role of Aida of G.Verdi. In the years 1974-1978 she sang at the Glyndebourne Opera Festival as Ilia in “Idomeneo” the Countess in “The Marriage of Figaro” and Fiordiligi in “Cosi fan tutte” of W.A. Mozart. She played the role of La Traviata at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo many times. She sang the role of Hanna from “Straszny Dwor” in Theater der Stadt Bonn. In 1981 she sang Roxana in "King Roger" by Karol Szymanowski at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires conducted by Stephan Wislocki. She sang at the Auditorium di Napoli in Montpelier, Staadtsphilharmonie Kaiserlautern, Valencia and many others. The most common roles (besides those) were: Elizabeth in “Don Carlos”, Amelia in “Masquerade Ball” by Verdi, Donna Anna in “Don Giovanni”, Pamina in “Magic Flute” by Mozart, Countess in opera “The Countess” by Moniuszko, Micaela in “Carmen” by Bizet. In her artistic achievements there are also recordings, television and radio premieres, CD with Polish songs (including the BBC), Opera Arias CD, CD with “Ave Maria” by different composers, recording of oratorios and opera “King Roger” by K. Szymanowski and two music videos recorded with the London Philharmonic Orchestra for the BBC: “Idomeneo” (Ilia) under the direction of John Pritchard and “Cosi fan tutte” (Fiordiligi) of W.A. Mozart conducted by Bernard Haitink. In 1989 she began her pedagogical activity in the Music School of Frederic Chopin in Warsaw. Since 1995 he has been an academic at the University of Music of Fryderyk Chopin in Warsaw. In 2003 she was awarded the title of professor of musical arts. In 2003 she has been appointed Associate Professor. Since 2008 she has been a professor at the University of Music of Fryderyk Chopin in Warsaw, where she was a director of the Vocal Chair. Students of prof. Bożena Betley have won national and international vocal competitions and her graduates sing in opera houses around the world.