Kryger Urszula, *20 April 1964 Łódź, Polish singer (mezzo-soprano) and pianist. At the age of 5, she started learning to play the piano, which she continued at the State Secondary Music School in Łódź. She studied at the Academy of Music in Łódź in the piano class of B. and Z. Szymonowicz (1983–88) and at the vocal and acting department in the class of J. Pietraszkiewicz (1987–92). She continued her singing studies under A. Orłowicz in Copenhagen. She won the first prize at the following international vocal competitions: S. Moniuszko in Warsaw (1992), named after J. Brahms in Hamburg (1994), in the international German radio broadcasting competition (ARD) in Munich (1994). In 1995, she performed at La Scala in Milan with a recital of Chopin’s songs, and a year later she made her debut on the stage of the Semper Opera in Dresden, playing the role of Angelina in Cinderella by G. Rossini. He performs primarily in the oratorio-cantata, song and chamber repertoire, collaborating with outstanding conductors (including J. Krenz, J. Semkow, R. Frühbeck de Burgos, C. Davis, A. Jordan) and instrumentalists (H. Höll , Ch. Spencer, M. Tan, P. Rogé, P. Meyer, K. Jankowska, Tokyo String Quartet and Petersen Quartet). She has made many recordings for radio stations and record labels in Poland and abroad. The Fryderyk Award was awarded to albums with her participation: in 2001 Russian Duets (Dux 2001), in 2002 Karłowicz, Szymanowski. Songs (Dux 1998), in 2004 Szymanowski. Complete Songs for Voice and Piano (Channel Classics 2004), in 2012 Władysław Żeleński. Songs (Dux 2011). In addition, she took part in the recording of the following albums: Carl Loewe. Lieder & Balladen (CPO 1997), Moniuszko. Songs (DUX 1998), Music and Mickiewicz in music – songs by C. Löwe, F. Chopin, S. Moniuszko (Engram 1998), Chopin. Polish Songs (Hyperion 1999), Poulenc. The Complete Mélodies (Decca 1999), songs by Shostakovich (Dux 2003), Lutosławski. Double Concerto, Dances Preludes, Chain I (Naxos 2003), Ah, perfido! – arias by Ludwig van Beethoven (BNL 2003), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Requiem (DVD, Dux 2006), Szymanowski. Songs with an orchestra (PR 2007), Fiddler’s Green – works by A. Nowak (Silesian Music Society 2009), Mykietyn. Passion according to St. Brand (Polish Audiovisual Publishing House 2011).
In 2004, Kryger received the Łódź Eureka distinction, and in 2006 the K. Szymanowski prize for the interpretation of this composer’s songs. Since 2002, she has been teaching solo singing at the Academy of Music in Łódź, and in 2012 she became the dean of the Vocal and Acting Faculty there.
