Jakub Józef Orliński

“Orlinski is the real countertenor deal, one of the best I’ve heard on the operatic (or any other) stage: an exceptional legato, no loss of power in the lower reaches, attentive diction, superb histrionic flair. He has, in short, raised the bar decisively for what we can expect of this voice type in this repertory.” Roger Parker, Opera, October 2019

Polish countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński has quickly emerged as one of the most vibrant performers on the international classical music scene, triumphing on stage, in concert, and on recording. An exclusive artist on the Warner/Erato label, his first recording Anima Sacra has garnered critical accolades and earned him the prestigious Opus Klassik award for Solo Vocal Recording. His sold-out concerts and recitals throughout Europe and the United States have attracted new followers to the art form, and his live performance of Vivaldi’s “Vedrò con mio diletto,” filmed at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in 2017, has amassed more than four million online views. Television appearances, including the “Concert de Paris” at the Eiffel Tower and “Rebâtir Notre Dame de Paris,” both with the Orchestre National de France and Les Victoires de la Musique Classique awards concert accompanied by the Orchestre de l’Opéra National de Lyon, have been broadcast to millions worldwide. Last year he was the subject of a major profile in The New Yorker and featured in Polish Vogue. His second album release – entitled Facce d’amore featuring Baroque operatic arias written for romantic male characters – was released in November 2019 and toured throughout Europe with Il Pomo d’Oro.  He is also featured on Warner recordings of Agrippina opposite Joyce di Donato and on a disc of selections with L’Arpeggiata with Christina Pluhar. 

Jakub Józef Orliński graduated from the Juilliard School in 2017 and immediately began his international career as Orimeno in Cavalli’s Erismena in his debut at the Aix-en-Provence Festival. He followed this with his role debut in the title role of Handel’s Rinaldo at Oper Frankfurt in a stunning production by Ted Huffman. While still at Juilliard, he debuted with the Händel-Festspiele in Karlsruhe with music of Handel and Vivaldi; at Carnegie Hall in New York; as well as with the Houston Symphony. He also collaborated with Les Arts Florissants in Vivaldi’s Stabat Mater conducted by Paul Agnew; performed with Music of the Baroque in Chicago under Jane Glover; and on tour with the English Concert under Harry Bicket as Eustazio in Rinaldo with performances in London, Seville, Madrid, and New York.  Another production of Rinaldo – again in the title role – served as his United Kingdom operatic debut at the Glyndebourne Festival. He performed Unulfo in Rodelinda in both Frankfurt and Lille (DVD with Emmanuelle Haïm), and has performed concerts with numerous groups throughout Europe and the U.S.

In the 2020-2021 season, Mr. Orliński joins Il Pomo d’Oro for concerts in Hamburg, Essen, Budapest, Trento, and Lyon, featuring selections from his critically acclaimed album Facce d’amore. He later rejoins the ensemble for additional performances, including at Vesailles, the Aix-en-Provence Festival, the Festival Castell de Peralada, and multiple cities across South America. Other concert engagments include a Baroque program with Il Giardino d’Amore in Barcelona, Bilbao, Castellón, and Madrid; a program entitled Pasticcio with Les Arts Florissants, alongside mezzo-soprano Lea Desandre and led by music director William Christie; and a performance in Kraków, Poland, with Capella Cracoviensis featuring music by Vivaldi, Bach, and Handel. He also reunites with pianist Michał Biel for recitals in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Heidelberg, Germany. Previously scheduled engagements included his house and role debut at Staatsoper Unter den Linden as Farnace in a new production of Mitridate, re di Ponto; a repetition of Farnace with Les Musiciens du Louvre in cities including Paris, Barcelona, Valencia, and Moscow; a return to the Händel-Festspiele in Karlsruhe to reprise the title role in Handel’s Tolomeo; a tour of Handel’s Tamerlano with The English Concert traveling to Carnegie Hall, Los Angeles’ Disney Hall, the Barbican Centre, Théâtre Champs Élysées, Theater an der Wien, and other locations; and an additional recital with Michał Biel in Dijon, France. 

Highlights of past seasons include his Carnegie Hall solo concert debut featuring members of New York Baroque Incorporated; his American operatic debut at San Francisco Opera as Armindo in Partenope; his house and role debut at Opernhaus Zürich singing Cyrus in Belshazzar under the baton of Laurence Cummings; his debut in Russia with sold-out concerts during the inaugural season of Zaryadye Hall in Moscow; and debuts with the Warsaw Philharmonic in Handel’s Messiah and with the Montreal Bach Festival. He has performed critically-lauded solo recitals at Wigmore Hall, Verbier Festival, and throughout Spain, Belgium, Poland, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Mr. Orliński has triumphed in multiple vocal competitions, winning first place at the Oratorio Society of New York’s 2016 Lyndon Woodside Oratorio-Solo Competition, second prize in the International Stanisław Moniuszko Vocal Competition, the first and second annual International Early Music Vocal Competitions in Poland, where he received “Special Mention” and “Special Prize,” respectively, first prize at Rudolf Petrák’s Singing Competition in Slovakia, third place at the Debut Competition in Igersheim, Germany, Special Mention at the Eighth Annual Mazovian Golden Voices Competition in Poland, and third place at Le Grand Prix de l’Opera in Bucharest, Romania. Mr. Orliński’s star rose rapidly following major competition wins on both sides of the Atlantic, including the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2016 and the Marcella Sembrich International Vocal Competition in 2015. 

While completing his Master’s degree in vocal performance studying with Anna Radziejewska at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, he participated in the prestigious young artist program Opera Academy in Teatr Wielki-Opera Narodowa, where he studied with Eytan Pessen and Matthias Rexroth. Mr. Orliński earned his Graduate Diploma at The Juilliard School, studying with Edith Wiens. He was also a recipient of the Fulbright Scholarship in the years 2015-2016 and 2016-2017.

In his spare time, Mr. Orliński enjoys breakdancing, in addition to other styles of dance. His achievements in this arena include prizes in many dance competitions: fourth place at the Red Bull BC One Poland Cypher competition, second place on the Stylish Strike – Top Rock Contest and second place at The Style Control competition, among others. He has also been featured in a commercial for the street wear company CROPP, as well as featured as a dancer, model, and acrobat in campaigns for Levi’s, Nike, Turbokolor, Samsung, Mercedes-Benz, MAC Cosmetics, Dannon, and Algida.