Polina Pasztircsák


Polina Pasztircsák is a Hungarian operatic and concert singer.

Biography

Education and early career

Polina Pastirchák was born in Budapest as the second daughter of a Hungarian father and a Russian mother. Her parents are designers, as well as her sister, Larisza Pasztircsák is founder of the fashion label Mrs Herskin. Pastirchak began studying voice at the age of 19 with her first teacher, Julia Bikfalvy, in Budapest. In 2004, she won the Simandy National Singing Competition. She continued her musical studies in Italy as a pupil of Mirella Freni. In 2010, she completed her degree in Conservatorio Girolamo Frescobaldi in Ferrara. In addition to her musical studies, she attained a degree in Cultural Management at the West Hungarian University. Her current teachers are Carol Richardson-Smith and Jeffrey Smith in Hannover. In 2007, she made her operatic debut in Modena in a contemporary opera by Lorenzo Ferrero, Le piccole storie. Here at Teatro Comunale Modena, in the next season, she sang with great success the role of Micaëla. Her international breakthrough came in 2009 when she won the first prize and all special prizes at the Geneva International Music Competition. In 2011, she sang Partenope at the Handel festival in Karlsruhe, in 2013 Woglinde in the new ring production of Grand Théâtre de Genève.

Artistic development

Since 2011, Polina Pastirchák is regularly guesting at the Hungarian State Operahouse with roles like Desdemona, Amelia, Nedda, Violetta, Melisande, Mimì, Micaëla, Donna Anna, Contessa. In 2014, she made an important debut as Strauss's Daphne conducted by Zoltán Kocsis. She returns every year at Ádám Fischer's Budapest Wagner Festival as Gutrune. In 2016, she sang Vespina in Cavalli's Veremonda at the Schwetzingen Festival, Mimì in St. Gallen. Later she sang Traviata at the Capitole de Toulouse and Humperdinck's Königskinder in Oper Graz. Since 2019 is regularly working with Rene Jacobs and the Freiburger Barockorchester with whom she sang Donna Anna.
Pastirchak is also in demand as a concert soloist, for example with Beethoven's IX. and Mahler's IV., which she sang with Ádám Fischer, Christian Arming, Henrik Nanasi and Clemens Schuldt. In 2019, she recorded Beethoven's Missa Solemnis with Harmonia Mundi, Rene Jacobs and the Freiburger Barockorchester. In the same year Sony recorded Shostakovich's XIV. Symphonie with Michael Sanderling and the Dresdner Philharmonie. In 2011, she sang Mozart Arien with Sabine Meyer, Andreas Spering and the Basel Kammerorchester at the Gstaad Menuhin Festival, which was also recorded by Sony. In Mahler's VIII. Symphonie she sang Una Poenitentium conducted by Adam Fischer in Düsseldorf. At the occasion of Arvo Pärt's 80 birthday she sang Como Cierva Sedienta conducted by Gabor Takács-Nagy in Manchester in the presence of the composer. As soprano soloist she sang furthermore Mendelssohn's Lobgesang, Elias, Berlioz's Les Nuits d’Ete and Verdi's Requiem, Strauss Vier letzte Lieder, Ravel Sheherazade, Händel's Brockes Passion, Bach Cantatas, Beethoven's Egmont.
In gala concerts she sang as a partner of Plácido Domingo, Jose Carreras, Erwin Schrott and Jose Cura. She enjoys singing operetta in festive concerts such as in the Concertgebouw Amsterdam with Marc Albrecht, Palermo and Vicenza with Gabor Takács-Nagy, in Köln with Helmut Froschauer and in Kazan with Aleksander Sladkovsky. A significant part of her singing activity are chamber concerts and song recitals with her pianist, Jan Philip Schulze, such as in the Züricher Tonhalle, Marburger Konzertverein, Radio France, Budapest Spring Festival, Mahler Festival in Toblach, Sommets Musicaux Gstaad, Capitole Toulouse, Jewish Summer Festival, kamara.hu Festival, etc.

Opera roles and engagements (selection)

Concert repertoire and performances (selection)

Awards and recognitions