Charismatic countertenors Bruno de Sá, Samuel Mariño, and Jakub Józef Orliński to perform in Poland
In recent years, we have witnessed a true renaissance of countertenors — high male voices. Popular during the Baroque period, castrati were forgotten for centuries, and their roles were taken over by female singers. It wasn’t until the mid-20th century and the rise of historical performance practices, that they returned to the operatic stage. In the coming months, three talented and charismatic singers — Bruno de Sá, Samuel Mariño, and Jakub Józef Orliński — will perform in Warsaw, Walim, and Świdnica.
Experts divide high male voices into falsettists and sopranists, depending on their vocal technique or natural vocal characteristics. Bruno de Sá’s voice defies technical classification. I am a male soprano. But I don’t mind being referred to simply as a soprano, he says in an interview for Polish Opera Now. With most countertenors, their basic, natural voice is tenor or baritone, but they have a highly developed head register. Their voices thus resemble those of a mezzo-soprano or alto. Some singers with particularly light and agile voices may sound like sopranos — but they are still countertenors, and there’s a fundamental difference between them and true sopranos. In my case, it’s different. When I was a teenager, I didn’t go through vocal mutation, so I’ve retained many characteristics of a boy’s voice to this day. Active on international stages since 2015, the Brazilian singer will perform on June 6 in Warsaw, presenting material from his second album, “Mille affetti” (“A Thousand Emotions”). The album features previously unknown arias by composers contemporary to Mozart and Haydn, such as Luigi Cherubini, Luigi Caruso, Felice Alessandri, and Johann Friedrich Reichardt. The concert will take place at the Auditorium of the Museum of Polish History, with de Sá accompanied by Sinfonia Varsovia, conducted by Jarosław Thiel.
In Poland, the awareness of the unique phenomenon of countertenor voices has expanded beyond a niche circle of Baroque music enthusiasts, thanks to the international success of countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński. The award-winning 34-year-old Pole regularly performs on prestigious operatic and concert stages around the world and often appears in Poland. On September 2, he will perform with pianist Michał Biel at the closing concert of the 26th Bach Festival in Świdnica. The program of the event, taking place at the historic Church of Peace, has yet to be announced — though that is unlikely to deter Orliński’s fans from securing tickets.
Samuel Mariño, a countertenor from Venezuela, possesses a voice with impressive range and perfectly honed coloratura, enabling him to perform the most demanding Baroque and Classical repertoire. When he first appeared at the Bach Festival in Świdnica, he was on the brink of a career that, as predicted, led him to the grandest stages of Europe and earned him a contract with the legendary Decca label. Mariño has performed in Poland three times at the Opera Rara Festival in Kraków (2021, 2022, 2024).
In July, he will give two concerts. On July 28, he will perform two of Bach’s cantatas: “Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut” (BWV 199) and “Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen” (BWV 51) at St. Hedwig’s Church in Walim. He will be accompanied by the Bach Academy Ensemble. Two days later, on July 30, Mariño will present a Handel program, featuring arias from the operas “Rodelinda,” “Giulio Cesare,” “Semele,” and “Lotario” at the Church of Peace in Świdnica. He will be accompanied by Capella Cracoviensis, performing on period instruments under the direction of Jan Tomasz Adamus.