Koterbska Maria, married name Frankl, *13 July 1924 Bielsko-Biała, †18 January 2021 Bielsko-Biała, Polish singer. She came from a musical family: her mother Janina (née Mirowska) was a pianist, and her father Władysław was a violinist and director of the Echo choir in Lviv. In 1938 she graduated from music school in Bielsko-Biała. In 1945–46 she was a student at E. Kamińska’s ballet school, she performed in an amateur theatre in Bielsko-Biała and later studied pharmacy at the Medical Academy in Katowice. In 1949, Koterbska joined the vocal trio Nas-Troje, whose hit song in 1949 was the title song from the film Skarb (directed by L. Buczkowski). Her stage debut took place in December 1949 at the Studenci i aktorzy – Warszawie [students and actors for Warsaw] koncert. In 1950–52, Koterbska performed in the Melodie świata [Melodies of the World] radio programme with the Polish Radio Orchestra in Katowice, conducted by J. Harald. She began her artistic career in 1952 at the Satirists’ Theatre in Kraków, where she popularised the songs Wio, koniku and Brzydula i rudzielec. In 1955 she appeared in the film Irena do domu! (directed by J. Fethke). In 1955–73 she performed with W. Furman’s Wagabunda cabaret. Koterbska’s subsequent hits included: Wrocławskie tramwaje, Parasolki, Serduszko puka w rytmie cza-cza and Karuzela. In 1963, at the third International Song Festival in Sopot, Koterbska won second prize for the song Odejdź, smutku (music by M. Sart, lyrics by J. Miller). In 1964 she won at the jazz festival in Ljubljana. In 1975 Koterbska was presented with a gold record marking the 25th anniversary of her artistic career, and in 1987 she received the Grand Prix in Opole. She was a soloist for many Polish dance orchestras, including those of K. Turewicz, W. Kolankowski, E. Czerny and S. Rachoń. Her most popular songs included: Nie o mnie, Si señor, Augustowskie noce, Powracająca melodyjka, Zawsze słyszę ten daleki śpiew and Stary motyw (composed by her son, R. Frankl).
Literature: R. Frankl Maria Koterbska. Karuzela mojego życia, Warsaw 2008.
