Video Interview, Jakub Józef Orliński on Gluck's Orfeo

Jakub Józef Orliński has been to hell and back so many times over the past few years that he may as well have a season-ticket for the journey: the Polish countertenor has brought Gluck's Orfeo to life on stage in two contrasting stagings in San Francisco and Paris as well as in concerts across Europe, and a new recording of the opera (released on Erato at the end of April) sees him acting as co-artistic director alongside singing the title-role. 

The morning after winning a Golden Fryderyk Award, Jakub spoke to me via video-call about why the Orfeo myth has captivated him since his high school days, how the experience of singing the role in two such different productions has informed his interpretation of the character, the challenges of pacing yourself emotionally and vocally in an opera where you're never off-stage, and what stepping into the booth during the recording-sessions taught him about 'reading the room' and inspiring a team...

A lightly-edited transcript of the conversation is also available.