Urszula Kryger
Urszula Kryger graduated from two faculties at the Academy of Music in Łódź: instrumental (piano) in 1988 and singing & acting in the class of Jadwiga Pietraszkiewicz in 1992. She continued her singing studies under the direction of Andrzej Orłowicz in Copenhagen.
Urszula Kryger took part in many international music competitions, winning prominent prizes. Her foremost achievements include winning the 1st Stanisław Moniuszko International Competition for Young Singers in Warsaw (1992), the 6th J. Brahms International Singing Competition in Hamburg (1994) and the 43rd ARD International Music Competition in Munich (1994). Since then her career has been followed with unwavering interest by music lovers and critics alike.
In 1995 she appeared in La Scala with a recital of songs by Fryderyk Chopin.
One year later she appeared in a highly successful debut on the stage of the Semper Oper in Dresden, singing the role of Angelina in Rossini’s “La Cenerentola”. Audiences in Poland and around the world have had many opportunities to admire her art in sacred vocal works performed under the direction of such masters as Jan Krenz, Jerzy Semkow, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Sir Colin Davis and Armin Jordan.
Kryger is especially fond of chamber music – her art of interpretation combines perfect delivery with an extraordinary naturalness This is appreciated by musicians who have performed with her, including renowned pianists Hartmut Höll, Charles Spencer, Melvyn Tan and Pascal Rogé, clarinettist Paul Meyer, the Tokyo String Quartet and the Petersen Quartet.
Urszula Kryger made many recordings for radio stations in Poland, France, Germany and Switzerland. Her discography grows steadily, with albums recorded for English Decca (Poulenc’s Polish Songs) and Hyperion (Songs by Chopin), German CPO (Löwe’s Ballads), Polish DUX (Russian Duets – the album received the Fryderyk award in 2001, Songs by Moniuszko and songs by Karłowicz and Szymanowski – the album received the Fryderyk award in 2002).
An album of Beethoven’s arias (BNL) was released in 2003 and in 2004 Channel Classics released an album containing the complete songs by Karol Szymanowski. The record received a Fryderyk award in 2004 for the best recording of Polish music. In 2012 a Fryderyk award was given to an album of songs by Władysław Żeleński (DUX).
In 2006 Urszula Kryger received an award from the Karol Szymanowski Foundation for her distinct, artistic interpretations of the composer’s songs.
Urszula Kryger is also a teacher, holding numerous master classes. She has been a lecturer at the Music Academy in Łódź for more than 10 years.
