
Joanna Słowińska

Joanna Słowińska is a versatile and charismatic vocalist, renowned among ethno and world music enthusiasts for her repertoire inspired by Polish and Slavic traditional music. Literary song aficionados recognize her for her powerful interpretations of compositions by Zygmunt Konieczny (‘Wyspiański Koniecznego,’ ‘Litania polska’) and Stanisław Słowiński (‘Drzewo, dom i stół,’ ‘Zielnik polski,’ ‘Bursztynowe drzewo,’ ‘The Best of Polish Tango & Jazz’).
She has graced stages across most European countries, including a performance at the prestigious WOMAD UK festival, organized by Peter Gabriel. Her international presence extends to the USA (NY Broadway Symphony Space, Chicago Cultural Center), Asia (Georgia, South Korea, Russia, India), and South America (WOMAD Chile). As a soloist in cantata performances, she has collaborated with esteemed conductors such as Marek Moś, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Alexander Liebreich, Łukasz Borowicz, Diego Navarro, and Michał Dworzyński
Awards & Recognition
Joanna Słowińska is a laureate of prestigious folk and ethno music festivals, including Polish Radio’s Nowa Tradycja (1999, 2004, 2005) and literary song festivals, such as the Actors’ Song Festival in Wrocław (2004, 2005) and the Polish Song Festival in Opole (Superjedynki TVP 2009).
Her solo albums Live in Alchemia and Możesz być received recognition in the Polish Radio’s Folk Phonogram of the Year competition, with Możesz być winning the title. She was honored with the Gloria Artis Medal for Merit to Culture by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage (2013) and received the Honoris Gratia award and the Kraków City Award (2022) for her outstanding contribution to Kraków’s cultural life and international promotion.
Educational Activities
Joanna Słowińska seamlessly blends her artistic work with educational initiatives, conducting individual vocal workshops and leading the Open Singing Group in Kraków’s Strefa Nowa. With a strong academic foundation and extensive artistic experience, she collaborates with festivals and cultural institutions worldwide.
She has worked with the Gardzienice Centre for Theatre Practices (as a lecturer at the 10th Theatre Academy) and has led workshops for the MA in Acting – Postgraduate Acting Studies at Manchester University in collaboration with Teatr Pieśń Kozła (Song of the Goat Theatre) in Wrocław. Additionally, she has conducted Polish and Slavic folk singing workshops in cooperation with the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki.
Press Reviews
🗞 “Joanna Słowińska has that special gift—she is a medium through which the pure essence of the text flows. She does not merely sing; sound and energy from another world pass through her. Just as Ewa Demarczyk was called the Black Angel, Joanna Słowińska is the Radiant Angel. Thank you, Joanna—it was an Orphic song, transforming us all. Immense gratitude!”
— Robert Piaskowski, Film Music Festival
🗞 “A personality on par with Cesária Évora, Omara Portuondo, and Lila Downs (who sang in Frida). Polish saudade, Polish morna and fado, just as moving as their original counterparts—equally unique and beautiful.”
— Wojciech Ossowski, Polskie Radio “Trójka”
🗞 “Joanna Słowińska—the First Lady of Polish folk. One of the most fascinating and expressive vocalists on the Polish music scene.”
— Tomasz Janas, Polskie Radio “Dwójka”
🗞 “Joanna Słowińska captivated me. I thought: I want to work with her; I want to write for her. Completely different from Ewa Demarczyk, yet possessing the same mesmerizing expressiveness that moves people. She is a versatile artist, performing everything with impeccable style. I always admire her.”
— Zygmunt Konieczny
🗞 “She has no musical boundaries. In The Prayer by Stanisław Wyspiański, Słowińska proved that her talent is in no way inferior to Demarczyk’s. I never thought I would hear something like that live!”
— Zofia Noworól, Małopolski Institute of Culture
🗞 “[…] Joanna Słowińska is just as versatile as a vocalist as Zygmunt Konieczny is as a composer. The range of styles she moves through—from literary song to stunning theatrical and film music—is impressive. She has a hunger for different repertoires, from folk and classical music to poetic songs, making her a truly complete artist.”
— Jacek Hawryluk & Bartek Chaciński, Polskie Radio
🗞 “Warsaw has its Kapela ze Wsi Warszawa. Kraków continues to prove that it has always been a city of great music.”
— Wojciech Ossowski, Polskie Radio “Trójka”
🗞 “Słowińska constantly explores new musical territories, always achieving fascinating results while resisting categorization. Her collaboration with Zygmunt Konieczny, interpreting his compositions inspired by Wyspiański, is a perfect match. Her charisma, precise poetic phrasing, powerful white voice technique, and emotional intensity make each performance uniquely authentic and deeply moving.”
— Wacław Krupiński, Dziennik Polski