Mariusz Kwiecień

This article will address the topic of Mariusz Kwiecień, which is of great relevance today. Mariusz Kwiecień has captured the attention of a wide spectrum of audiences, from experts in the field to people interested in acquiring knowledge about this topic. Throughout this reading, various perspectives and approaches related to Mariusz Kwiecień will be explored, with the aim of providing a complete and enriching overview. From its historical origin to its contemporary implications, this article seeks to offer a comprehensive view of Mariusz Kwiecień and its impact in different contexts. In addition, possible future trends will be analyzed and reflections on its development and evolution will be presented.

Mariusz Kwiecień
Kwiecień in Don Giovanni at the Grand Theatre, Warsaw, 2002
Born (1972-11-04) 4 November 1972 (age 52)
Kraków, Poland
NationalityPolish
Alma materChopin University of Music
OccupationArtistic director
Years active1993–present
Websitewww.mariuszkwiecien.com

Mariusz Kwiecień (Polish: [ˈmar-juʂ ˈkvjɛ-tɕɛɲ], born 4 November 1972) is a Polish artistic director and retired operatic baritone[1] who sang leading roles in the major opera houses of Europe and North America. He received particular distinction in the title role of Mozart's Don Giovanni, which he sang at the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Vienna State Opera,[2] Bilbao Opera, Houston Grand Opera, San Francisco Opera,[3] Santa Fe Opera,[4] Warsaw Opera, Royal Opera House, London,[5] and Seattle Opera, where he won the company's 2006–07 Artist of the Year award for the role.[6]

Career

Kwiecień studied at the Warsaw Academy of Music and began his professional career as Aeneas in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas at the Kraków Opera in 1993. In 1995 he sang the title role in The Marriage of Figaro in Luxembourg and Poznań. He made his Warsaw Opera debut the next year as Stanisław in Moniuszko's rarely performed Verbum Nobile.[7] Debuts in major European and American opera houses soon followed.

A former student of the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, he made his Met debut in 1999 as Kuligin in Janáček's Káťa Kabanová. By 2003 he was singing leading baritone roles there, eventually giving over 200 performances, including Marcello in La bohème (2003), Silvio in Pagliacci (2004), Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro (2005), Guglielmo in Così fan tutte (2005), Dr. Malatesta in Don Pasquale (2006, 2010), Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor (2007, 2009), Belcore in L'Elisir d'Amore (2012), the title role in Eugene Onegin (2013–2017), and Zurga in The Pearl Fishers (2015–2018).[8]

Kwiecień has won awards in several international voice competitions, including the Vienna State Opera and Hamburg State Opera Prizes in the 1996 Hans Gabor Belvedere Competition and the Mozart Interpretation Prize and Audience Choice Award in the 1998 Francisco Viñas Competition in Barcelona. He was also selected to represent Poland in the 1999 Cardiff Singer of the World competition.[7]

In 2015, he became the recipient of the Gold Cross of Merit for his contributions to promoting Polish culture on the initiative of President of Poland Bronisław Komorowski.[9]

In 2017, he received a Grammy Award nomination in the Best Opera Recording category for his performance in Szymanowski: Król Roger conducted by Antonio Pappano and produced by Jonathan Allen.[10]

In September 2020 he announced his retirement from singing due to recurrent back problems. He became artistic director of the Wrocław Opera,[11][12][13] a role he held until March 2023.[14]

Recordings

References

  1. ^ "Polish Baritone Mariusz Kwiecień Ends His Operatic Career". 30 September 2020.
  2. ^ Midgette, Anne, "Women Onstage and in the Pit at a Venerable Opera House", The New York Times, 25 January 2005
  3. ^ Rowe, Georgia, "Kwiecień exudes Don Giovanni", The Contra Costa Times, 31 May 2007
  4. ^ Smith, Craig, "Don Giovanni in excelsis at Santa Fe", The New Mexican, 5 July 2004
  5. ^ Gutman, David. "Don Giovanni", 9 September 2008[full citation needed]
  6. ^ "Mariusz Kwiecien, baritone", Seattle Opera Archived 7 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine (accessed 24 September 2007)
  7. ^ a b Naxos Records (accessed 24 September 2007)
  8. ^ The Metropolitan Opera Archives Archived 2007-03-29 at the Wayback Machine (accessed 24 September 2007)
  9. ^ "M.P. 2015 poz. 845". Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  10. ^ "Krzysztof Penderecki i Mariusz Kwiecień nominowani do nagrody Grammy" (in Polish). Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  11. ^ "Mariusz Kwiecień: Back on track". Limelight. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021.
  12. ^ "Polish Baritone Mariusz Kwiecień Ends His Operatic Career". Operawire. 30 September 2020.
  13. ^ "Mariusz Kwiecień: Nigdy się nie ograniczałem i teraz też nie zamierzam – Dwójka". polskieradio.pl.
  14. ^ "Mariusz Kwiecień Resigns from Opera Wrocławska". Operawire. 10 April 2023.

Further reading