Conrad Doda, *19 February 1905 Szczytniki (present-day neighbourhood of Wrocław), †27 December 1997 Blois (France), son of Maria Freund, American singer (bass) of Polish origin. He studied singing in Milan, Vienna and New York. He made his debut in Paris in 1932, and subsequently performed across Europe (including in Poland in 1937, 1938 and 1957), the USA and the Far East. Conrad’s extensive repertoire encompassed vocal works from the 16th to the 20th century. Among the composers who wrote songs for him were F. Poulenc, H. Sauguet, D. Milhaud, G. Auric and J. Françaix. Through his artistic collaboration with Nadia Boulanger, he took part in recordings (HMV, Decca) of works by C. Monteverdi (Il ballo delle ingrate, Scherzi musicali a tre voci, Madrigali guerrieri et amorosi, 1937 and 1953), French Renaissance composers (1952), M.-A. Charpentier (Médée, 1953), J.Ph. Rameau (excerpts from operas, 1953), G. Fauré (Requiem, 1948) and J. Brahms (Liebeslieder, 1938 and 1952). In 1965, Conrad retired from concert performances. In 1978, he recorded Schubert’s Die schöne Müllerin and Winterreise (piano: W. Chodack, Eremus Xb 1F 2045–7), which included an introduction and the essay L’art du Lied (translated in Ruch Muzyczny, 1980, no. 12). Conrad was also involved in organisational activities: he was an active member of the Association of Young Polish Musicians in Paris, a co-organiser of the P. Casals Festival in Prades (1950), and organised “Hommages collectifs” dedicated to Paderewski (1941), Chopin (1949) and Maria Freund (1956) on the occasion of her 80th birthday; between 1956 and 1965 he ran the “Saison Musicale de Royaumont”. In 1945, as an officer in the United States Army (he became a naturalised citizen in 1942), he was involved in the restitution of Polish works of art looted by the occupying forces, collaborating on this initiative with K. Estreicher. Conrad is a Knight of the Legion of Honour.
Literature: Z listów wzajemnych Zygmunta Mycielskiego i Dody Conrada (from 1939, 1954, 1956–67), “Ruch Muzyczny” 1998 Nos. 18–20 and 25, 1999 Nos. 6 and 19 and 2000 No. 4.
