Polish soprano Iwona Sobotka

This fall, audiences have not one, but two chances to catch Mascagni’s Iris, what James Jorden memorably called “the most fucked up opera ever,” with productions in both Wexford and Turin. While Wexford’s production, which opens later this month, features the burgeoning soprano Leyla Gu, in Turin the title role will be shared by Erika Grimaldi and today’s Grand Tier Grab Bag featured artist, Iwona Sobotka.

The Polish soprano, a favorite of Riccardo Muti, has had a busy season; since the spring of 2025, she has made role debuts as Senta, Turandot, Abigaille, Aïda, and the Marschallin, in addition to reprising lead roles in Il trovatore, Simon Boccanegra, Don Giovanni, Otello, and Manon Lescaut.

But its performances of Verdi’s Requiem under Muti that have introduced her to the international scene; she replaced Angela Meade at the last minute in the Philadelphia Orchestra’s 2024 Requiem performances and sang it again with Muti in Salzburg this summer, after which the conductor announced it would be his final performance of the Mass.

It’s hard to imagine Muti giving up the Verdi Requiem entirely, but it’s not hard to imagine how Sobotka might be compelling in similarly dramatic repertoire, like Giordano’s Siberia which she will sing in Italy this fall. Today’s clip, however, features Sobotka in repertoire other than her familiar Italian heroines: Strauss’s Vier letzte Lieder, which she has sung numerous times in concert over the past several years.

Strauss: Vier letzte Lieder

Iwona Sobotka

Conductor: Michał Klauza
Polish Radio Orchestra
23 September 2023
Broadcast