Jacek Kaspszyk was born in Poland and studied at the Warsaw Academy of Music, graduating in 1975 and that year making his début at the National Opera in a new production of ‘Don Giovanni’. In 1976 he made his début at the Düsseldorf Opera and the next year was appointed as Principal Conductor of the Polish National Radio Symphony, becoming Music Director in 1980. In 1978 he had gained top prize at the Karajan Competition and made his New York début.
Moving to London in 1982 he has since appeared regularly with all of the London orchestras and with the Hallé, RSNO, RLPO, Bournemouth Symphony, BBC NOW (with whom he made his Prom début) and BBC SSO.
Elsewhere in Europe he has conducted such orchestras as the Berlin Philharmonic, Bayerischer Rundfunk, RSO Berlin, Orchestra National de Paris, Vienna Symphony, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Oslo Philharmonic, Danish National Radio Symphony, Czech Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, with which he toured Australia.
Further afield he has toured with the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony and the Tokyo Philharmonic, as well as visits to the Hong Kong Philharmonic and New Zealand Symphony. In the US he has conducted the San Diego Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Winnipeg Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic and at the Detroit Opera. Other operatic appearances include productions at Lyon, Bordeaux, Opéra Comique, Royal Stockholm, English National, Opera North and Scottish Opera.
Jacek Kaspszyk is widely represented on CD, including an award-winning performance of Rossini’s ‘Il Signor Bruschino’ with the Warsaw Chamber Opera and the Edison Prize-awarded recording of Tadeusz Baird’s Concerto Lugubre with the Polish National Radio Symphony. He has made many recordings with the Philharmonia, London Philharmonic, London Symphony and Royal Philharmonic for COLLINS Classics.
Jacek Kaspszyk returned to Poland in 1994, after an absence of 12 years. He became Principal Guest Conductor of the National Philharmonic and in 1998 took the position of Artistic Director of the National Opera. In 2005 he took the position of General Director of the National Opera, overseeing a great increase in the company’s international reputation, with many productions visiting the US, South America and other European houses.
In 2000 he conducted an acclaimed new production of Szymanowski's 'King Roger' and last season included new productions of 'Otello' and of 'Don Carlos'. At the beginning of 2001 he toured Japan with the National Opera's production of 'La Traviata', and returned in 2005 and 2006.
In 2001 he made his début at the Zurich Opera and in the last two seasons he has appeared with, among others, the Bournemouth Symphony, Bruckner Orchester, Gran Canaria Symphony and Royal Flanders Philharmonic. In 2003 he returned to Antwerp, conducted ‘Turandot’ at the Puccini Festival in Lucca and his recording, with the National Opera, of Moniuszko’s ‘Straszny dwor’ (Haunted Manor) was released on EMI Classics. Among 2004’s highlights were a London residency with the Opera Narodowa, a new production of ‘Tosca’ in Italy, his début at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, concerts with the Berlin Radio Symphony and China Philharmonic and a production of ‘Eugene Onegin’ at the Teatro di Maestranza in Sevilla.
In 2005 he conducted regularly in Italy, at the Schleswig Holstein Festival and at a number of UK festivals. He appeared at the Perolada Opera Festival in Spain and conducted ‘Salome’ at the Bergen Opera. Last year he returned to the China Philharmonic, appeared at Justus Frantz’s Finca Festival in Spain and toured with Nigel Kennedy. He also recorded a CD and DVD for EMI Classics of Polish Violin Concerti with Kennedy. He returned to the Orchestra of Opera North and began a tenure as Principal Conductor at the National Opera in Lithuania, where his first production was 'Die Walkure'. In 2007 he conducted an acclaimed new production of 'Salome' directed by David Alden. He returned for further concerts in China and to the Bergen Philharmonic and appeared twice with the Orchestra of Opera North. He also conducted the BBC National Orchestra of Wales for the BBC Cardiff International Singer of the Year Competition. In the summer he conducted 'Die Walkure' at the Ravenna Festival and recently returned again to the Orchestra of Opera North. Last year he appeared extensively with Sinfonia Varsoia and at the Wroclaw Philharmonic, as well as visits to Orchestras in the UK, China and Spain. In 2009 he has taken up his position as Music Director of the Polish National Radio Symphony and will return to the Sinfonia Varsovia in France, Spain and Japan.
July 2009
