Jan Kiepura

Jan Wiktor Kiepura (May 16, 1902 – August 15, 1966) was a Polish singer (lyric tenor / lirico spinto, Heldentenor) and actor. Life and career Jan Kiepura was born in Sosnowiec, Poland, the son of Maria « Miriam » (née Neuman), a former professional singer, and Franciszek Kiepura, a baker and grocery owner. His mother was converted to Christianity, Jewish. He had a brother, Władysław. During 1916–1920, he attended the Junior School in Sosnowiec where he graduated from high school. In 1921 he studied law at the University of Warsaw. He learned singing from Wacław Brzeziński and Tadeusz Leliwa. In 1923 he performed his first concert in the Sphinx cinema in Sosnowiec. In 1924, Jan Kiepura was admitted by Emil Młynarski to the local choir. He played the role of Góral in Moniuszko's opera Halka. He also took part in a production of Gounod's Faust in the Polish city of Lwów (now Lviv, Ukraine). In 1926, Jan Kiepura left Poland for an international career in Germany, Hungary, France, and England. When he returned to Poland, with the money he had earned from his performances, he built the well-known hotel Patria in the Polish border town of Krynica-Zdrój, which cost him about US$3 million. Some Polish movies were made there. Kiepura played in twelve Polish musicals, including O czym się nie myśli (1926), Die Singende Stadt (Neapol, śpiewające miasto) (1930), Tout Pour L'amour (Zdobyć cię muszę) (1933), and Mon coeur t'appelle (1934). Return to Warsaw Kiepura's return to Warsaw in 1934 caused a sensation in the Polish capital, and his musical shows were received with huge enthusiasm. Apart from his performances in concert halls, he also sang to a crowd gathered under the balcony of the Warsaw hotel "Bristol". He also sang while standing on the roof of his car, or from the window of a carriage, and also spoke to the audience. Kiepura introduced himself as "The Great Kiepura", to the annoyance of similarly temperamental individuals. However, he was not a frequent guest in Poland. He signed contracts with Covent Garden in London, Opéra Comique in Paris and National Opera in Berlin. Kiepura also started a film career, working with Berlin's UFA and then with the Motion Picture Industry in Hollywood. He played in many films, of which the most famous are: The Singing City, The Song of Night, Ich liebe alle Frauen, The Charm of La Boheme, The Land of Smiles.