The award was handed to him by Culture Minister Hanna Wróblewska after the singer’s recital at the Museum of Interiors in Otwock near Warsaw on Thursday.
At 33, Orliński is among the world’s most sought-after operatic singers. His recent appearances included the BBC Proms in London, the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris and the Edinburgh Festival.
The Edinburgh concert featured music by early Baroque composers, performed with the Il Pomo d’Oro ensemble.
A critic for the Edinburgh Music Review wrote: “Orliński sang, he acted, he danced, and he enthralled the audience. In other hands ninety minutes of interval-free singing of obscure baroque music would be risky – here it was magical and kept the sold-out Queens Hall audience rapt with attention. When it finally ended there was a roar of approval from a thousand people and, after four encores and six curtain calls, a standing ovation!”
In 2019, Orliński was named the Young Artist of the Year by the British Gramophone magazine and in 2020 he received the International Opera Award for the solo album Facce d'Amore.
Orliński’s upcoming tours will take him to Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and Austria, followed by a series of concerts across Poland at the end of September and in October.
(mk/gs)