Urszula Dudziak
Cadogan Hall
Saturday 12 September 2026
20:00
Born on 22 October 1943, the vocalist is regarded as one of the most significant figures in Polish jazz vocalism and has remained active on the international scene for over six decades. Her discography includes more than 50 albums and collaborations with leading figures of world jazz, including Krzysztof Komeda, Adam Makowicz, Michał Urbaniak, Bobby McFerrin, Herbie Hancock, Jaco Pastorius, Ron Carter, Michael Brecker, Nina Simone, Carmen McRae, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Sting, and Lionel Hampton.
International recognition followed the release of Newborn Light, which received a five-star rating from DownBeat magazine in 1972. In 1979, she was named Singer of the Year by the Los Angeles Times. Her composition Papaya became a global hit, re-entering popular culture across multiple continents over subsequent decades.
Since the early 1970s, she has been closely associated with the New York jazz scene, performing at venues such as Carnegie Hall and appearing at the Newport Jazz Festival. Her concerts have spanned Europe, Asia, and both Americas. Her artistic language encompasses jazz, vocal improvisation, and experimentation with electronic voice processing, with a distinctive mastery of scat singing that has often drawn comparisons to the extraordinary vocal range of Yma Sumac.
Her achievements have been recognised with numerous honours, including the Bronze Medal Gloria Artis for services to culture (2005), the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (2009), the Artysta bez granic award at the Polish National Song Festival in Opole (2008), and the Fryderyk Lifetime Achievement Award in the jazz category (2017). In 2016, UNESCO awarded her the title of Artist for Peace, marking the first time the distinction was granted to an artist from Eastern Europe.
