Urszula Kryger – vocal

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Mezzosoprano.

She is one of the most distinguished Polish singers. She is a graduate of Grażyna and Kiejstut Bacewicz Music Academy in Łódź with degrees both in piano and vocal studies.

She competed in many international music competitions winning the highest awards. Her greatest successes include the first prizes in the 1st Stanisław Moniuszko International Vocal Competition in Warsaw (1992), the 6th Johannes Brahms International Vocal Competition in Hamburg (1994) and the 43rd International ARD Music Competition in Munich (1994). Since then her career has been followed by music lovers and critics alike with unwavering interest.

In 1995 she gave a recital of Frédéric Chopin’s songs at La Scala. A year later, she debuted with great success in the role of Angelina in Gioacchino Rossini’s La Cenerentola on the stage of the Semperoper in Dresden. Audiences in Poland and in many countries around the world have often had the opportunity to admire her highly acclaimed interpretations in oratorios performed under the baton of such outstanding maestros as Jan Krenz, Jerzy Semkow, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Sir Colin Davis and Armin Jordan.

She pays particular attention to chamber music – her art of lied interpretation blends perfection with remarkable naturalness. This rare combination has been highly appreciated by outstanding musicians who have shared the stage with her such as the pianists Hartmut Höll, Charles Spencer, Melvyn Tan and Pascal Rogé, the clarinetist Paul Meyer, as well as Tokyo String Quartet and Petersen Quartet.

Urszula Kryger has made several recordings for radio stations and record companies including Decca (Poulenc’s Polish Songs), Hyperion (Chopin’s Songs), CPO (Löwe’s Ballads), DUX (Russian Duets – Polish Music Industry Award – Fryderyk 2001, Songs by Moniuszko, Karłowicz and Szymanowski – Fryderyk 2002, Songs by Żeleński – Fryderyk 2012, Slavic Duets, German Duets, Górecki – Songs – Fryderyk 2021), BNL (Beethoven’s Arias), NAXOS (Lutosławski’s Songs), Channel Classics (Szymanowski Complete Songs – Fryderyk 2004), the Polish Radio (Karol Szymanowski – Songs with Orchestra), NInA (Paweł Mykietyn – The Passion of St. Mark), Anaklasis (Aleksander Nowak Ahat-ilī – Sister of Gods – Fryderyk 2021), SPMK (Żelenski – Fryderyk 2024, Różycki – Songs – Fryderyk 2025).

The artist has also received the Karol Szymanowski Foundation award in appreciation of her thoughtful and highly artistic interpretations of the composer’s songs.

Urszula Kryger is also a teacher. She gives numerous masterclasses and is a professor at the Grażyna and Kiejstut Bacewicz Music Academy in Łódź.