Opera Singer. A dramatic soprano, she is remembered for her distinguished career at the Warsaw Opera. Raised in Warsaw, Poland, she evidenced her talent early and studied at the State Secondary School under acclaimed tenor Victor Bregy. She went on to the La Scala School in Milan, Italy, from which she graduated in 1958. A shy girl afflicted with stage fright of which she never rid herself, she nevertheless began her stage career, making her 1959 bow at the Warsaw Opera as Leonora from composer Giuseppe Verdi's "Il Trovatore". She won a Grand Prize at the 1961 Toulouse International Vocal Competition, sang “Roxana“ in a 1965 recording of Karol Szymanowski's "King Roger" which was honored with a Grand Prix du Disque", in 1967 was a ‘Nymph’ for a Bayreuth Festspielhaus performance of composer Richard Wagner's early and seldom heard "Die Feen", and thru the years sang at major venues on both sides of the Atlantic including the Vienna State Opera in Austria, though Warsaw was to remain her home. Hanna earned praise in many of opera's 'heavyweight' roles including the title leads of Giacomo Puccini's "Madame Butterfly", "Tosca", "Manon Lescaut", and "Turandot", several of Verdi's ladies, among them ‘Amelia’ in "Un Ballo in Maschera", ‘Elisabeth’ from "Don Carlos", the tragic ‘Lady Macbeth’ of "Macbeth", the title heroine from "Aida", ‘Madeleine’ of Umberto Giordano's "Andrea Chenier", ‘Leonora’ in Ludwig von Beethoven's "Fidelio", and the ‘Marschallin’ from Richard Strauss' "Der Rosenkavalier". She was the first Polish post-World War II ‘Brunnhilde’ in Wagner's "Die Walkure", also singing ‘Senta’ in "The Flying Dutchman" and ‘Elisabeth’ from "Tannhauser" to rave reviews. In 1971 she was asked to be another Polish post-war first as the title lead of Richard Strauss' "Elektra", and though the role's demands frightened her she took the assignment with such success that thereafter “Elektra” was to be one of her signatures. After gradually retiring from the stage, she remained in Warsaw and was a respected competition judge. At her demise she could be heard on a number of 'live' and studio recordings. She was occasionally billed under her married name of Rumowska-Machnikowska.