He owes his popularity to his supermodel looks, great charisma on- and off-stage, and his… breakdancing skills. But his dazzling voice is more important than anything – without it, nothing else would matter.

The acclaimed counter-tenor Jakub Józef Orliński started his career singing with the Gregorianum boys’ and men’s choir in the 1990s. He went on to study vocals at the Chopin University of Music in Warsaw – a major undertaking for a singer with no formal training – and participated in the Opera Academy of the Grand Theatre – National Opera. Following two years at the illustrious Juilliard School in New York, he won the Grand Finals in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. His celebrated performance of Vivaldi’s heart-rending aria for Radio France at the Aix-en-Provence Festival, featuring Orliński dressed in shorts and trainers and accompanied by Michał Biel on piano, became a major YouTube hit. He has also secured a record deal with Warner Classics & Erato, and performs at stages all over the globe, including Carnegie Hall, Oper Frankfurt, San Francisco Opera and Wigmore Hall and at the Verbier and Glyndebourne festivals.

This introduction leads to announcing a great start to the new year – and hopefully a good omen for the future! Starting from 6 January, we can see and hear Jakub Józef Orliński perform on the PLAY KRAKÓW platform accompanied by Capella Cracoviensis. The programme resounds with music by George Frideric Handel: the musicians present excerpts from oratorios Samson, Theodora and The Messiah, including the captivating aria He was despised. The recital, recorded at the Krzysztof Penderecki Auditorium Hall at the ICE Kraków Congress Centre, is one of the most important premieres on the platform and will be available to users of PLAY KRAKÓW until the end of the year. (Barbara Skowrońska)