by Pokey LIN

From Viral Fame to a Gen-Z Phenomenon

A new shortcut to fame developed in the 21st century: the Internet. There is no limit to the influence of the Web, which has even reached into the classical realm and the lesser-known world of such countertenors as Polish Jakub Józef ORLIŃSKI, who has gained quite a name in recent years as the first operatic vocalist to win over Gen-Zers.

His rise was a complete accident. In the summer of 2017, at the age of 26, he joined the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence in France. The organizer had told him it was going to be a broadcast program, so he came wearing shorts and ordinary shoes—the accompanying pianist was wearing flip-flops! On stage, looking as if on vacation, he sang an aria from an opera by VERDI, his voice both magnificent and sincere. It was recorded, uploaded to YouTube, and has since been watched 12.77 million times.

In this era where looks are everything, ORLIŃSKI definitely has what it takes to be popular—you can't take your eyes off his Greek-godlike sculpted physique. With YouTube's algorithmic recommendations, people have been even more surprised to find that he is also a killer b-boy, which is about as far from his other identity as you can get!

Andy Warhol once said, "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." But gaining fame is just the first step. With so much information on the Internet, we have seen tons of people skyrocket to global popularity only to fade into the background just as quickly. ORLIŃSKI, however, has maintained his groove for eight years, his popularity ever-increasing and making him a bona fide superstar.

Born in 1990 in Warsaw, he began singing in a church choir at a young age and grew into a baritone, but that vocal range wasn't fun until he came across Baroque music, at which time he learned to express his feelings by singing falsetto. He studied at the Chopin University of Music in Warsaw (at which time he got into breaking) and then at the Juilliard School in New York, where he won numerous awards in both singing and breaking contests, all the while paying school fees by modeling. He clearly had the potential to be a star.

Without that YouTube video, he might have gained fame sooner or later anyway, but the way it shot him to the forefront definitely accelerated his career.

Proving His Artistry on Recordings and Opera Stages

In 2018, a classical music label signed him onto an exclusive contract and released his first album, Anima Sacra, which is surprisingly full of religious music considering the fact that the cover features a picture of the vocalist half-naked. The album won him Gramophone's Young Artist of the Year award. In the short time since then, he has released seven albums. That he continues to produce new work despite the recording industry's overall decline is clear proof of his enduring market appeal.

Naturally, opera houses around the world have sought visits from him. It's hard to believe that he has already performed at such iconic venues as the New York Metropolitan Opera House, the London Royal Opera House, the Glyndebourne Festival, and more at such a young age. As an interesting side note, many opera directors love to showcase his physique and breaking skills in their programs.

A Dancer's Body, a Singer’s Soul

However, since becoming a renowned vocalist, does he even have time for breaking? "Breaking is a good form of training for me mentally and physically," he says, "and it allows me to get away from the world of classical music temporarily. I do it every morning as a warm-up before practicing vocals."

If you've ever seen him perform, you'll know that his appeal is not just his amazing singing but, even more importantly, his naturally flowing charisma. Such emotional expression requires no deliberate embellishment; it's always evident in his dramatic facial expressions and physical movements. He can even fill an aria from a little-known Baroque opera with a sense of novelty.

So what appeals to him most about Baroque music? He says it's the freedom the vocalist has: "First are the ornaments, which allow for different interpretations." Baroque pieces were written for castratos in a way to let them showcase their extraordinary skills as they pleased. Though the inhuman practice of castrating prepubescent boys to retain their high vocal ranges ended long ago, generation after generation of countertenors since then have kept Baroque vocals on the stage. ORLIŃSKI remarks, "With ornaments, you can express your creativity, get deep into the core of the piece, and showcase your artistic personality."

From the Paris Olympics to Weiwuying: The Next Chapter

According to Gramophone, he has "a voice with a big future." Outside of operatic singing, he is frequently invited to collaborate in other forms of music and has gone on global tours solo. Singing an aria at the 2024 Paris Olympics opening, he was seen by over one billion people around the world, winning even more younger fans.

It is this superstar who will make his first appearance in Taiwan in 2026, touring with the orchestra Il Pomo d'Oro, one of the biggest names in classical music today. The repertoire consists of his specialty genre, Baroque pieces.

Though classical music-countertenor combinations aren't so common in Taiwan, many Taiwanese music lovers have already gotten a taste of the beauty of this unique genre with highly acclaimed performances by other popular countertenors of our time, such as German Andreas SCHOLL, French Philippe JAROUSSKY, and Kangmin Justin KIM (another young artist).

I'm really looking forward to ORLIŃSKI's arrival and being intoxicated by his exceptional voice. And while he's on stage at the Weiwuying Concert Hall, I wonder if he might show us a bit of his breaking?

  Program  

3/21(Sat)19:30

►Jakub Józef ORLIŃSKI & il Pomo d'Oro - Beyond