Mariusz Kwiecien is recognized worldwide as one of the leading baritones before the public today. Known for his handsome voice, incisive musicianship and captivating stage presence, he performs with the Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden, Paris Opera, Vienna State Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago and Bavarian State Opera, and with many other renowned theaters around the world. He is in demand for his portrayals of the title roles in Don Giovanni, King Roger, and Eugene Onegin, as well as for Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, Malatesta in Don Pasquale, Riccardo in I Puritani, and Rodrigo di Posa in Don Carlo....
Mariusz Kwiecien
Baritone
“Kwiecien won perhaps the biggest ovation of the night for his fine portrayal of the young patriot who lays down his life for Don Carlo.”
David Mellor Event – Daily Mail
“Mariusz Kwiecien is direct and articulate as the liberal idealist Rodrigo, the vitality of his tone as unstinting as his dramatic engagement.”
George Hall – The Guardian
“This Polish baritone has a freshness of manner and flexibility of tone which make him especially touching in his portrayal of Carlos's loyal friend.”
Fiona Maddocks – The Observer
“As the vengeful Zurga, Mariusz Kwiecien … commanded a gracious legato. He is invariably an elegant singer, ennobling the scheming character to the point that the melodramatic finale of the opera felt like high tragedy.”
James Jorden - The Observer
“Kwiecien did even more. The production introduces him as a small time politician, with a touch of the petty autocrat, and his singing was at first smooth, ingratiating, with a calculated sincerity in “Au fond du temple saint.” But when the character explodes with the turmoil of jealously, love, and honor, Kwiecien did so as well, with a surge of charismatic singing. The sequence that opens Act III has Zurga wrestling almost maniacally with feelings of tenderness, betrayal, love, jealously, confusion, and certainty—all this both solo and in duet with Leila. Kwiecien’s singing and acting in this stretch was a tour-de-force of opera performance, and at that moment in this production, one was almost convinced that Pearl Fishers is a great opera.”
George Grella - New York Classical Review