She graduated from the Academy of Music in Warsaw in the singing class of Jerzy Artysz (diploma in 1981). In 1983-84 and 1985 she improved her vocal skills under the direction of Irina Archipova in Moscow.
She is a laureate of many national and international competitions. In 1982, she received second prize in the category of female voices at the Moniuszko Festival in Kudowa, in 1983, she was a finalist of the International Vocal Competition in s’Hertogenbosch, in 1984, she received a special prize for the best performance of Spanish music at the Francisco Viñas Competition in Barcelona, and in 1986, she was a finalist of the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.
In 1982, Jadwiga Teresa Stępień became a soloist at Warsaw’s Wielki Theatre, where she sang the main roles in Baroque, 19th century and contemporary operas, including Zbigniew Bargielski’s In a Little Manor and Alban Berg’s Wozzeck. Her lively and spontaneous interpretation, as well as her lush temperament and the sensual beauty of her dark voice, make her particularly suited to performing Spanish music and the title role in Georges Bizet’s Carmen, which she has also performed outside Poland. She also played the role of an opera singer in Marek Nowicki’s film Sceny Nocne (Night Scenes, trans. MG).
The artist has had a dynamic concert career. She has performed, among others, in Ukraine, Germany, Belgium, Russia, Turkey, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, the Philippines and the United States. She has taken part in prestigious festivals in Poland (such as Warsaw Autumn, Wratislavia Cantans, International Jewish Culture Festival in Kraków) and abroad (for example Le Mois Molière in Versailles). She has cooperated with many orchestras and outstanding conductors. In 1995, she initiated the performance W Drodze (On the Road, trans. MG), based on Sephardic songs, which premiered at the Royal Castle in Warsaw under the patronage of the ambassadors of Israel and Spain. The performance was also shown in Gdańsk, Bydgoszcz and at the International Music Festival in Łańcut.
Her albums Al Amor and Pieśni Sefardyjskie (Sephardic Songs, trans. MG) were nominated for the Polish phonographic industry award Fryderyk in 1996 and 1997. In 1999, her album dedicated exclusively to Polish music was released (world premiere of Ignacy Jan Paderewski’s set of songs). In 2001, she recorded 21 Pieśni Stanisława Niewiadomskiego (21 Songs of Stanisław Niewiadomski, trans. MG) for Polish Radio. In 2003, her album Dusza Kresów (The Spirit of Kresy, trans. MG) with Niewiadomski’s songs was released. The album featured pianist Mariusz Rutkowski. In 2004, with the same pianist, she recorded Paderewski’s songs for the Acte Préalable label.
Jadwiga Teresa Stępień is also a pedagogue. In 1998, in recognition of her artistic output, she was invited to lead a masterclass in South Korea.