Opera: The German Language is one of Beauty and Inspiration

Music Student James Kryshak Holds German Accountable for his Success in the World of Opera

James Kryshak started learning German at Elmhurst College (outside of Chicago) with Professors Lester Caltvedt and Wallace Lagerwey, eventually graduating with two majors, Voice Performance and German in 2006.

German professor and Director of International Education and Programs Abroad, Wallace Lagerwey, describes Kryshak’s remarkable story from beginner German student to fluent German speaker. “Jim was a wonderful student in my German 101 class. I urged him to continue with German and spoke to him about the possibilities of going to Vienna through the IES program where he would be able to take courses at the Conservatory if he was good enough in voice. He had just completed German 202 when he went to Vienna, and before long he was competing in musical competitions in Vienna. That is how he got his start. He continued taking voice lessons and returned to campus as the best singer I have ever heard here and with a scholarship to go back to Vienna after he graduated from Elmhurst. No German, no Vienna; no Vienna no international competition; no international competition, no career. A truly remarkable story.”

His other German professor, Les Caltvedt, continues the story: “After James Kryshak returned from studying music and German in Vienna, he took a course in 20th century German culture with me and was a liberal arts German student par excellence, in that he showed great interest in and knowledge of all aspects of German civilization from Jugendstil to Postmoderne. His oral reports dealt with music, but he was perceptive in his observations regarding art, architecture, literature and their historical context as well. I was fortunate to attend his lecture/recital on Schumann’s Dichterliebe, which he prepared for the Elmhurst College Music Department. His knowledge of German, his experience in Vienna, and his sunny, upbeat personality are great assets to add to his superb musical talent for his already promising career in opera, the most interdisciplinary of musical genres.”

“The German language, for me, is one of beauty and inspiration,” explains James Kryshak. ”Ever since I began my study of the language and culture, it has always held a very special place in my heart and life. Through study, I was able to live in Austria for two years, meeting several native speakers, forming lasting relationships, and finding meaning in my own life. It has been through my work in the spoken language, which has allowed me to develop a love of language through song, focusing on the Lieder of Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, and Hugo Wolf. One of my favorite and most rewarding aspects of being a singer is to study and develop relationships to these pieces, especially longer cycles, such as Schubert’s Winterreise and Schumann’s Dichterliebe.”

“Not only has the use of language helped me in song repertoire,” he continues, “but also in many Operatic endeavors. I have been able to successfully perform roles in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (Tamino, Mononstatos) as well as prepare roles in several other German operas including; Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Pedrillo), and Wagner’s Lohengrin (Noble 2).
It is through this relationship with the German language that I indeed plan to once again travel to Germany and Austria and work in the opera houses of Central Europe, those which feed the world with all the glory opera and song repertoire have to offer.”

James Kryshak

James Kryshak BIO
A tenor hailing from Baldwinsville, in New York, James Kryshak made his professional opera debut in 2008 as Don Ottavio in Raylynmor Opera’s production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni. He has sung leading roles in several operas including Il barbiere di Siviglia, The Merry Widow, Die Zauberflöte, and many more. A winner in both District (2008, 2009) and Regional (2009) levels of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, James sang on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera as a National Semi-Finalist in February 2009. James was also a Finalist in the Ferruccio Tagliavini International Vocal Competition in Deutschlandsberg in Austria (April 2005) as well as a Semi-Finalist in the Klassik Mania Competition in Vienna (July 2005).

Recently James won a coveted spot at the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Center at the Lyric Opera of Chicago (2010-2011 season). He will perform in four operas, including Wagner’s Lohengrin.

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