Sylwester Smulczyński

Sylwester Smulczyński (tenor) began his musical education at the State Secondary Music School in Kielce and graduated with distinction from the Vocal and Acting Department of the Academy of Music in Łódź in 2006, where he studied with Professor Piotr Miciński.

During his studies, he participated in the international “Opera Island” project in Norway, performing in Verdi’s La Traviata directed by Jonathan Miller. As a student, he also made his stage debut as Count Almaviva in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia on a European tour with the Lublin Musical Theatre.

He further refined his vocal skills at interpretation courses in Florence under Paul Esswood (baroque music) and at masterclasses with Professor Jerzy Artysz.

From 2006, he was a soloist of the Warsaw Chamber Opera, making his debut in the role of Nemorino in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore. With this ensemble, he toured extensively, performing in opera houses across Germany, Switzerland, France, and Spain. He has recorded for Polish Radio, the Fryderyk Chopin National Institute, and other cultural institutions. He has also appeared as a guest artist at the Grand Theatre in Łódź, the Castle Opera in Szczecin, the Kraków Opera, and the Lublin Musical Theatre.

He has been invited to perform at numerous festivals, including the Warsaw Autumn Festival of Contemporary Music, Jubilaei Cantus Festival in Nowy Sącz, Viva il Canto International Vocal Festival, and the Chopin in Autumn Colours International Festival.

Since 2017, he has been a soloist of the Polish Royal Opera. In 2020, he was awarded the Silver Cross of Merit by the President of the Republic of Poland.

Among his notable stage roles are Count Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore, and Tom Rakewell in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress. His Mozart repertoire includes Belmonte (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Ferrando (Così fan tutte), and Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni).

He has worked under the baton of many distinguished conductors, including Benjamin Bayl, Łukasz Borowicz, Tomasz Bugaj, Kai Bumann, Massimiliano Caldi, Igor Dohović, Zbigniew Graca, Christopher Hogwood, Vladimir Kiradjiev, Paweł Kotla, Grzegorz Nowak, Charles Olivieri-Munroe, Helmuth Rilling, Wojciech Rodek, Eraldo Salmieri, Ruben Silva, Marc Soustrot, Lucas Vis, and Marco Vitale. He has also collaborated with directors such as Natalia Babińska, Tomasz Konina, Jonathan Miller, Walter Neiva, Maciej Prus, Jitka Stokalska, and Marek Weiss.

His repertoire encompasses numerous solo roles in works by Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi, Britten, and Stravinsky. He is equally acclaimed for his performances of oratorio and cantata repertoire, especially works by J.S. Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, and Rossini, as well as for his refined interpretations of art songs. Of particular significance to him are the Evangelist roles in Bach’s Passions, which he performs with great joy.