In her long career, Dudziak has performed with some of the greatest jazz musicians in Europe, the Americas, and Asia, such as Herbie Hancock, Jaco Pastorius, Marcus Miller and Bobby McFerrin.
Her discography includes nearly 50 albums of which Newborn Light was singled out for special praise by America's prestigious Down Beat magazine.
In 1979, Dudziak was named Female Jazz Vocalist of the Year by the Los Angeles Times.
In 2012, she was a special guest of Quincy Jones at the Solidarity of Arts festival in the Polish city of Gdańsk, and a year later, at the same festival, she was a special guest of Bobby McFerrin.
The Medal of Recognition was presented to Dudziak at the foundation’s Annual Fundraising Dinner and Ball on Saturday.
At the same ceremony, the Kościuszko Foundation honoured Waldemar Dąbrowski, the general manager of the Polish National Opera, who received the Medal of Recognition for being “a visionary leader in the field of classical music."
Dąbrowski has served as general manager of the Polish National Opera since 2008. His previous positions included that of culture minister.
A citation from the Kościuszko Foundation said that Dąbrowski's "pioneering initiatives led to the advancement of the Polish cultural scene and encouraged an appreciation for Poland’s rich national heritage worldwide.”
Among those present at the Foundation’s Fundraising Dinner and Ball on Saturday was the Polish Consul General in New York, Adrian Kubicki, and Peter Gelb, the General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera, which has worked together with the Polish National Opera on several joint productions.
(mk/gs)