Professor Ryszard Karczykowski
One of the most outstanding Polish operatic singers. He has had a great international singing career. He has sung the leading tenor parts in the most renowned operatic and concert centres alongside the leading soloists of his generation, under world-famous conductors. He is also a highly regarded singing teacher, has judged many international singing competitions and has also worked as a music stage director. Educated in Gdańsk and Berlin, he began his operatic career in Germany (1969). His spectacular performance in Verdi’s La Traviata during the Aix-en-Provence Festival (1976) and his debut at London’s Covent Garden (1977) opened the door to his world-wide career. He has been singing ever since on nearly all major operatic and concert stages all over the world. He received the prestigious title of “Kammersänger” in 1980.
He is renowned for his excellent renderings of such classic roles as: Alva in Berg’s Lulu, Lenski in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, Edgaro in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor and Nemorino in his L’elisir d’amore, Ferrando in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte, Tamino in his Die Zauberflöte and Belmonte in his Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Rudolf in Puccini’s La Boheme, Rinuccio in his Gianni Schicchi and Cavaradossi in his Tosca, Alfred and Eisenstein in Johann Strauss’s Die Fledermaus, Matteo in Richard Strauss’s Arabella, Ricardo in Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera, Fenton in his Falstaff, the Prince in his Rigoletto and Alfred in his La Traviata. He has sung the leading tenor parts in the operas of Busoni, Flotova, Haydn, Lortzing, Moniuszko, Offenbach, Prokofiev, Rossini, Schönberg, Smetana and Shostakovitch. He has not only operas in his comprehensive repertory but also operettas, oratorios, church music and songs.
He has made many recordings for radio and television broadcasting companies at home and abroad. He has recorded many CDs with the best orchestras and conductors, e.g., for such record companies as DENON, DECCA, CAMERATA, BBC, ORF, RAI, ZDF and Polskie Nagrania.
Ryszard Karczykowski began to teach in 1982. He is full professor at the Department of Vocal Studies at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw and he also co-operates with the Cracow Academy of Music. He leads master courses in many European countries and also in Japan. The London Institute of Applied Research conferred the title of Honorary Doctor upon him in 1992 and he received his scientific title of Professor of Musical Arts from the Polish President in 1998.
He was director of the Cracow Opera in 2003–2006. In September 2006 he was nominated Artistic Director of Teatr Wielki — National Opera in Warsaw.
