Bryan Hymel &
Irini Kyriakidou

The charismatic American tenor Bryan Hymel and the Greek soprano Irini Kyriakidou were guests of the Nachtigall Artists’ World Opera Stars series on 14^th February 2016. With their first notes, they enchanted the audience at the Smetana Hall. Bryan Hymel is rightfully considered the new king of high “Cs” which is validated by one of his reviews: Pavarotti is Over – Bryan Hymel is Here. Bryan soon received his world renown as he stepped in for his ill colleagues: as Énée in Berlioz’s Les Troyens – one of his signature roles – at the Covent Garden, London (for Jonas Kaufmann) and later at the Metropolitan Opera, New York (for Marcello Giordani). In 2016/2017 season he was celebrated as Arnold (Guillaume Tell) at the Metropolitan Opera, Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly) at La Scala, Milan, Don Carlo (Don Carlo) in Covent Garden, London, and Don José (Carmen) at Opéra national de Paris.

In the 2017/2018 season he will sing in Berlioz’s La damnation de Faust at the festival in Aspen (Colorado) and at the Barbican Hall, London; in Cavalleria rusticana at Covent Garden, Roméo et Juliette at the Metropolitan Opera, Faust at the German Opera in Berlin and Les Vêpres siciliennes at the Covent Garden and Bavarian State Opera in Munich. The Greek soprano Irini Kyriakidou graduated from the Marie Callas Conservatory in Athens and a fellowship at the Zurich Opera Studio. She excelled as Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi) at the Greek National Opera in Athens, Zerlina (Don Giovanni) – debut in 2010 at Teatro La Fenice in Venice, later in 2012 at the Covent Garden, London, and Micaëla (Carmen), a role she assumed in New Orleans. Along with PKF – Prague Philharmonia, conductor Emmanuel Villaume and Bryan Hymel, she performed at the New Year’s concert at the Royal Opera House Muscat, Oman.