This week Iwona Sobotka is set to make her debut at the Salzburg Festival in Verdi’s “Requiem.” The soprano has been performing at many of the great opera houses in the world and slowly expanding her repertoire.

Verdi has been one of the composer’s with which Sobotka has been associated with singing “Otello,” “Simon Boccanegra,” “Il Trovatore,” and “La Traviata,” as well as the “Requiem.”

In anticipation of her debut, Sobotka spoke about the thrill of singing at Salzburg.

OperaWire: What does the Salzburg Festival mean to you and what excites you about this debut?

Iwona Sobtoka: For me, Salzburg is much more than a festival. It is a place where music has a very special kind of presence. There is so much history here, but it never feels like you are simply looking back. Everything is alive. To make my debut here at this point in my career feels incredibly meaningful. I have been fortunate to perform in many wonderful theatres and concert halls around the world, but there are still moments that make you feel like a young artist again — excited, curious and a little nervous. And perhaps that is the most beautiful thing about this profession: after all these years, music can still surprise you.

OW: You are performing with Riccardo Muti, a legend of the Verdi repertoire. What have you learned from him while working on the Requiem?

IS: Working with Maestro Muti has been an extraordinary experience. What strikes me most is his profound understanding of Verdi — not only musically, but also dramatically and spiritually. He reminds us that every single note has a meaning. In Verdi’s Requiem, there is enormous emotional intensity, but it is never about simply producing a big sound. It is about expression, words, phrasing, color and, above all, truth.

I have learned to listen in a completely different way — to the orchestra, to the other singers, and to the silence between the notes. Maestro Muti has an incredible ability to reveal what is already inside the score, and working with him makes you want to go deeper every time.

OW: When was the first time you saw a performance at the festival and what do you recall from that experience?

IS: For me, Salzburg was almost mythical long before I came here. I grew up hearing stories about the legendary performances and extraordinary artists who had been part of this festival. My professor, Tom Krause, used to tell me about the legendary “Don Giovanni” conducted and directed by Herbert von Karajan, with Gundula Janowitz and the wonderful Polish soprano Teresa Żylis-Gara. Those stories created a very special image of Salzburg in my mind — almost like an artistic Olympus.

But what makes Salzburg so fascinating is that the prestige is not only about the artists on stage. It is also about the people who come here, the atmosphere, the sense of occasion. You feel that attending a performance is something important — a celebration of music, culture and tradition. There is a certain elegance to it, and also a sense of belonging. People come here because they want to be part of something exceptional. And I think that is what makes the Salzburg Festival so unique.

Recordings

For those who want to hear more from Sobotka, here she is singing from “Manon Lescaut,” “Simon Boccanegra” and “Il Trovatore.” The soprano also featured on a. recording of Szymanowski: Songs and Chopin Polish Songs.