For the third time, he came to Szczecin as one of "the most beloved and appreciated opera stars of this decade" - Jakub Józef Orliński (born December 8, 1990 in Warsaw) - Polish singer, counter-opera* and b-boy**.
This time, his concert celebrated the grand opening of the Pomeranian Dukes' Castle in Szczecin after years of renovation.
The concert took place in the beautiful Duke Bogusław X the Great Hall – formerly the castle chapel.
The concert took place in the beautiful Duke Bogusław X the Great Hall – formerly the castle chapel.
"The artist was born and raised in Warsaw in a family with a strong painting and architectural tradition, the son of a pair of graphic artists (...). He grew up with his brother Franciszek, who now creates graphics for social media. Their paternal and maternal grandparents were architects. From the age of eight, he sang in the amateur choir "Gregorianum," directed by Berenika Jozajtis, with which he toured both in Poland and abroad. From primary school, he sang Renaissance music for 11 years and was fascinated by movement and dance. He attended a high school with an art program, but after only two years of study, he knew he would be taking his final exams in music history (...). In May 2017, he graduated from New York's Julliard School of Music***, where he had been studying under Edith Wiens since 2015.
*Tenor and countertenor are two types of high male voices, but they differ in technique and register. Tenor is a traditional male chest voice that uses a natural, higher male range, while countertenor is a male voice that sings in a high register (often compared to a woman's) using a head voice/falsetto technique.
**The Juilliard School is an American higher music school founded in 1905 and part of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. In 1999, it was awarded the National Medal of Arts. It currently enrolls approximately 800 students. It is located at 60 Lincoln Center Plaza in New York City. In 2007, the school received 2,311 applications for admission, of which 149 were accepted.
***B-boy A breakdancer (or b-girl) is a person who performs breakdancing. The terms breaker or breakdancer are also often used. The word "B" can stand for "break" (from breakdancing), but also for "beat," "Bronx," or "baby." A b-boy/b-girl is a dancer who is both an artist and an athlete, focusing on versatility and physical fitness.
In yesterday's concert, the artist didn't showcase his athletic and dancing skills, but connected individual parts of the concert with graceful and natural spoken lyrics.
He performed three (!) encores at the request of the enthusiastic audience!
For those interested, videos demonstrating Jakub Józef Orliński's talents are available:
