Tenor. Graduate of the Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw, Prof. Kazimierz Pustelak’s class. Świdziński further perfected his vocal skills during, for instance, Mozarteum International Master Courses in Salzburg.
In 1988, he made his debut on stage of the Warsaw Chamber Opera as Ferrando in W. A. Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte. His first performance at the Polish National Opera was Edgar in G. Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. Later he appeared there in other roles: As Belmonte in Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio, Alfredo in Verdi’s La traviata, Rudolfo in Puccini’s La bohème, or Stefan in Moniuszko’s Straszny dwór (“Haunted Manor”). He’s also performed the title role in G. Orefice’s Chopin. He’s made guest appearances in opera houses in Cracow, Wrocław, Łódź, Bydgoszcz, Poznań, Szczecin, and Bytom as: the Count in The Barber of Seville by G. Rossini, Stefan in Staszny dwór (“The Haunted Manor”) by S. Moniuszko, Ernesto in Don Pasquale by G. Donizetti, Ernani in Verdi’s Ernani, and many other.
He’s participated in numerous music festivals, such as the Mozart Festival, the Baroque Opera Festival, the Monteverdi Festival, the Old Polish Music Festival, the Music in the Historical Sites of Warsaw, Carintischer Sommer in Villach, Klangbogen in Vienna, and the Al Bustan in Beirut. Świdziński performs on stages in many countries all over the world. Apart from entire Europe, he’s performed in Egypt, Lebanon, Canada, USA, Japan, and China.
In his repertoire, there are parts from many operas, oratorios, and operettas. His versatile skills allow him to appear in many diverse roles, from the coloratura parts in G. Rossini’s opera buffas, to spinto, dramatic parts in works by G. Verdi and G. Puccini. The artist creates an excellent prince in Rossini’s Cinderella, as well as a convincing and moving Manrico in Verdi’s Il trovatore, or Gustavo in his Un ballo in maschera. His repertoire includes songs by S. Moniuszko, F. Chopin, M. Karłowicz, I. J. Paderewski, F. Schubert, and R. Schumann.
The artist has often recorded for the radio and television (e.g. Kazimierz in Moniuszko’s Hrabina (“The Countess”), and songs by I. J. Paderewski with A. Mickiewicz’s texts, as well as the role of a tenor in the Na dobre i na złe TV series). He’s issued many CDs, including music to a film based on Chopin’s songs and to the film Belcanto.
Leszek Świdziński is also a teacher and teaches the solo vocal class at the Fryderyk Chopin State School of Music in Warsaw.
He is a soloist of the Polish Royal Opera.
Photo by Maciej Czerski
