Jan Kiepura
| Jan Kiepura | |
|---|---|
Jan Kiepura, 1933
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| Born |
Jan Wiktor Kiepura May 16, 1902 Sosnowiec, Poland |
| Died | August 15, 1966 (aged 64) New York City, United States |
| Cause of death | heart attack |
| Resting place | Powązki, Poland |
| Monuments | Sosnowiec, Krynica-Zdrój |
| Other names | Jean Kiepura |
| Occupation | singer (tenor) and actor |
| Spouse(s) | Marta Eggerth (1936-1966; his death) |
| Children | 2 |
Jan Wiktor Kiepura (May 16, 1902 – August 15, 1966) was an acclaimed Polish singer (tenor) and actor.
Jan Kiepura was born in Sosnowiec, Poland, the son of Miriam (née Neuman), a former professional singer, and Franciszek Kiepura, a baker and grocery owner. His mother was 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 Faust in the Polish city of Lwow (now in the 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).
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 his car's roof, or from a carriage's window, and also spoke to the audience. However, he was not a frequent guest in Poland. He signed contracts with Convert 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.
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