ensemble Peregrina

Singer, harp-player, musicologist.

REMA-EEMN nominee "Ambassador of the Year" 2022. Nominated for the Public Media Award 2021 for "promotion of Polish culture around the world, extraordinary skills and passion with which she brings the forgotten treasures of Polish early music to listeners". Nominated twice for the prestigious Paszport Polityki Award (2012 & 2013), a. o., “for promoting Polish early music at the highest performance level" (A. Suprynowicz, Polskie Radio) and “for consistence in discovering medieval music, diligence in getting to its artistic essence, insightful recognition of its historical and cultural contexts, and the joy of sharing its beauty” (D. Cichy, Radio Kraków); named “one of the best ambassadors of our country” (W. Paprocki, Ruch Muzyczny).

Starting with a piano diploma, she decided to study musicology at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (Ph.D. in 2010). Her love for medieval times began with her early passion for Old Norse, Anglo-Saxon and Middle Latin literature and culture. Being already a trained musician and musicologist, she got inspired by Sequentia’s performances and deeply influenced by their serious and creative approach to medieval song. This meeting made her to study medieval and Renaissance music and voice at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Switzerland where she currently lives and works. She trained voice with E. Kirkby, A. Boothroyd (London), B. Thornton, B. Bagby (Cologne), R. Levitt, D. Vellard, E. Tubb and S. Haselhoff (Basle).

After finishing her vocal education at the Schola Cantorum in 2001, she took postgraduate studies in Musicology at the Musicological Institute of Basel University, working on early medieval notation, style and performance practice with Prof. W. Arlt. Apart from her musicological studies, she was able to continue her early interest in Germanic languages by attending the Norse Philology faculty, taking courses in Old Norse language and literature as well as modern Norwegian and Icelandic. From 2001-2004 she was employed as an Assistant at the Microfilm Archive of the Musicological Institute of Basel University, using its rich working facilities for her practical work as a medieval music performer.

She’s the founder and artistic director of the international ensemble Peregrina specializing in early medieval music. The group has so far released twelve albums that gained the international critical acclaim: Filia praeclara was awarded the prestigious ECHO-KLASSIK 2009 for the best a capella recording of the year, Mare Balticum vol. 1 has won 5 Diapason and the International Classical Music Awards 2019

Agnieszka is a member of many well-known early music groups (a. o. ensemble Perlaro, ensemble Dragma), performing both medieval music as well as repertoires of the 17th and 18th centuries at the most important early music festivals across Europe and Asia. She works also as a guest conductor by the Polish Radio Choir, preparing a monumental 10 CD recording of the complete psalms by Mikołaj Gomółka (so far four double-volumes of this series were nominated for the main Polish music award Fryderyk). She has also been leading projects of Capella Cracoviensis, Cracow Singers and the schola of Flores Rosarum. She records regularly for Raumklang, Glossa, Ramée, Divox, WDR, L’Empreinte Digitale, Claves, Pan Classic and collaborates with the major radio and TV stations. Her artistic portrait has been filmed and presented on TVP Kultura 2018.

Agnieszka made her stage debut at the Theater Basel in the production of Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea (Amor/Valletto) directed by

K. Junghänel in the 2003/2004 season. Her performances include also first performances of contemporary music and opera with works like A. Pflüger’s Mord im St. Johann (2009), G. Bennett’s Columba Nitens pour soprano et bande magnétique (2010) or D. Glaus’ Miserere mihi. Proprium missae für zwei Soprane (1992).    

In 2002-2003 Agnieszka has lectured on the liturgical music of the 12th century at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis and in 2011-2014 she belonged to the research faculty of this institution. 2013-2015 she taught Gregorian chant and early music history at the Musikhochschule Trossingen in Germany and 2016-2017 - music history at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. Her pedagogical and academic work also includes guest lectures on medieval music and master classes in early singing f. e. Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, Universität Zürich, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Fachhochschule Kalaidos, Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Leipzig, Letnie Metodyczne Kursy Muzyki Dawnej Warszawa, Würzburg Universität, University of Madison WI (USA), Universitätsbibliothek Leipzig, F. Chopin Music University Warsaw, Akademia Muzyczna w Bydgoszczy, University of Tartu. Currently she lectures at the University of Freiburg i. B. (D). 

Agnieszka has been constantly praised for her passionate performances (including three solo recitals with medieval Lamentationes, Lamentationes feminae and the Ultima Thule program with Icelandic music of the Middle Ages) and the careful way of preparing Peregrina’s programs which has secured her the respectable place among the musicologists and early music performers alike.

2019 Agnieszka has been awarded Decoration of Honor Meritorious for Polish Culture (Medal “Zasłużony dla Kultury Polskiej”) as well as with the Silver Cross of Lesser Poland (Srebrny Krzyż Małopolski - Odznaka Honorowa Województwa Małopolskiego).