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Jacek Laszckowski

Jacek Laszckowski

Guest of the Opera

Biography

The Polish tenor and soprano countertenor Jacek Laszczkowski (born 1966) studied clarinet at Bialystok and later voice at the Chopin Music Academy in Warsaw. He made his opera debut in 1989 as Pedrillo (Mozart: Die Entführung aus dem Serail) at the Warsaw Chamber Opera. In 1990, he performed Ernesto (Donizetti: Don Pasquale) at the Vienna Chamber Opera. In 1991, he won the third prize in the Viotti international competition in Vercelli and in 1993, he became a finalist of the International Vocal Competition in Toulouse. In 1994, Jacek Laszczkowski sang Mitrane (Rossini: Semiramide, conducted by Sir Roger Norrington) at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro and a year later, he sang Don Alfonso (Mercadante: Caritea, regina di Spagna) at the Festival della Valle d'Itria in Martina Franca (the opera was recorded and released on CD, Nuova Era label). In 1996 he made his debut at La Scala in Milan, where he performed in Prokofiev’s The Gambler. In 1997, Jacek Laszczkowski made his very successful debut as a soprano countertenor; he performed Mitrane (J. A. Hasse: Zenobia) at the Warsaw Chamber Opera. In 2001, he debuted at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich as Nerone (Monteverdi: L'incoronazione di Poppea) and he has also sung this role at the Hamburg State Opera, Paris National Opera, Norwegian National Opera in Oslo and at the Theater an der Wien. The numerous roles, in which he has guest appeared on many European stages, include Orlofsky (J. Strauss: Die Fledermaus) in the Bavarian State Opera and Theater an der Wien, Armindo (Vivaldi: Rosmira fedele) in Nice, Handel‘s Teseo in Potsdam, Covent Garden in London and Stuttgart, Oberon (Britten: L'incoronazione di Poppea) in Hamburg, Anfione (Steffani: Niobe, regina di Tebe) in Schwetzingen, Bonn, Teatro Nacional de São Carlos in Lisboa, Luxemburg and Covent Garden, Adschib (Henze: L'Upupa und der Triumph der Sohnesliebe) at the Semperoper in Dresden, Ikharev (Shostakovich: The Gamblers) in Gdansk, Oedipus (Stravinsky: Oedipus rex) in Poznan, Czartkov (Mieczyslaw Weinberg: The Portrait) in Poznan, Puccini‘s Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly) in Szczecin and Cavaradossi (Tosca) in Gdansk and many others. Jacek Laszczkowski made many appearances on radio and TV and he also played in films directed by Krzysztof Zanussi (The Soul Sings, 1996 and Our God's Brother, 1997) and by Malgorzata Szumowska (Ono, 2004). The German magazine Opernwelt awarded Jacek Laszczkowski with the title Male Singer of the Year 2003.

Update: June 2014
Photo copyright Ryszard Moscicki