Award-winning opera singer Jakub Józef Orliński has wowed the Olympics audience with a breathtaking mix of vocal and breakdancing talent.
Appearing at the opening ceremony in Paris on Friday, the 33-year-old counter-tenor performed an aria from ‘Les Indes galantes’ by France’s Baroque composer Jean-Philippe Rameau, combined with a blend of urban dance moves.
Dressed all in white, Orliński’s performance was a tribute to urban sports, with breakdance and skateboarding being two of this year’s Olympic disciplines.
Video of the performance has now gone viral with fans flooding social media with praise for the singer.
The breakdancing counter-tenor’s appearance comes just a month after he appeared at the BBC Proms in London’s Albert Hall.
Dubbed by the BBC as a “multi-skilled, golden-voiced countertenor”, and by The New Yorker as “the Justin Timberlake of opera”, Orliński has become one of the leading Baroque singers of his generation.
He also took the lead role of Orfeo the 2022 production of Christoph Willibald Gluck’s opera “Orfeo ed Euridice”, and has won a string of prestigious awards.
The opera heavyweight is also known for trying to break the image of opera being elitist by mixing genres and styles.
This led in 2021 to him teaming up with Polish rapper Miuosh and the Śląsk Song and Dance Ensemble to record the album "Pieśni nowoczesne" (Contemporary Songs), which is a mix of rap, folk and opera.
After the Olympics, Orliński will next appear at the Edinburgh International Festival on August 3.
Dressed all in white, Orliński’s performance was a tribute to urban sports, with breakdance and skateboarding being two of this year’s Olympic disciplines.
Video of the performance has now gone viral with fans flooding social media with praise for the singer.
The breakdancing counter-tenor’s appearance comes just a month after he appeared at the BBC Proms in London’s Albert Hall.
Dubbed by the BBC as a “multi-skilled, golden-voiced countertenor”, and by The New Yorker as “the Justin Timberlake of opera”, Orliński has become one of the leading Baroque singers of his generation.
Born in Warsaw in 1990, the performer is now one of the world’s most sought after opera singers, with recent appearances including last month’s role as Lucida in Vivaldi’s “L’Olimpiade” at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris.Jakub Józef Orliński zaczarował Paryż 😍#HomeOfTheOlympics #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/NlrpgTPxUG
— Eurosport Polska (@Eurosport_PL) July 26, 2024
He also took the lead role of Orfeo the 2022 production of Christoph Willibald Gluck’s opera “Orfeo ed Euridice”, and has won a string of prestigious awards.
The opera heavyweight is also known for trying to break the image of opera being elitist by mixing genres and styles.
This led in 2021 to him teaming up with Polish rapper Miuosh and the Śląsk Song and Dance Ensemble to record the album "Pieśni nowoczesne" (Contemporary Songs), which is a mix of rap, folk and opera.
After the Olympics, Orliński will next appear at the Edinburgh International Festival on August 3.
Source: TVP sport/Fakt/TVP World
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