Ryszard Karczykowski

After studies at the Gdańsk conservatory, he started as a chorister in Gdańsk, then became a soloist in Szczecin (1965–69) and Dessau (1969–74). His next contract was in Leipzig, from where he made guest appearances in Dresden, Berlin (both at the Staatsoper and the Deutsche Oper), Warsaw, Zagreb, Leningrad, at the Bolshoj in Moscow, the São Carlo in Lisbon, in Zürich, Aix-en-Provence, Prague, New York, Detroit, Los Angeles, Boston (where he made his US debut in 1981 as Duca) and Washington. From 1977, he sang several times at Covent Garden. He sang a handful performances at the Vienna Staatsoper and was a very regular guest at the Vienna Volksoper, the Deutsche Oper Berlin as well as in Frankfurt.

After his career, he taught voice at the Chopin University of Music in Warsaw and the Academy of Music in Krakow, and was director of the Krakow opera theater (2003–06) and the Teatr Wielki in Warsaw (2006–08).

I heard him repeatedly at the Vienna Volksoper, and he was an average singer with an extraordinarily pleasant voice.

Reference 1: Kutsch & Riemens, reference 2