Kiepura, Jan, 1902-1966

Jan Kiepura (1902-1966) was born in Sosnowiec, Poland, the son of Miriam (née Neuman), a former professional singer, and Franciszek Kiepura, a baker and grocery owner. From 1916–1920, he attended the Junior School in Sosnowiec where he graduated from high school. In 1921, Kiepura studied law at the University of Warsaw. He learned singing from Wacław Brzeziński and Tadeusz Leliwa, and in 1923, he performed his first concert in the Sphinx cinema in Sosnowiec. In 1924, Kiepura was admitted by Emil Młynarski to the local choir, and then played the role of Góral in Moniuszko's opera Halka. He also took part in a production of Gounod's Faust Faust in the then-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, he built the well-known Hotel Patria in the Polish border town of Krynica-Zdrój. Kiepura's return to Warsaw in 1934 caused a sensation in the Polish capital, and his musical shows were received with huge enthusiasm. During this period, 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). Apart from his performances in concert halls, he also sang to a crowd gathered under the balcony of the Warsaw hotel Bristol. Kiepura continued his international career, signing contracts with Covent 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.

On October 31, 1936, Kiepura married the Hungarian-born lyric soprano Marta Eggerth (1912–2013). The two often sang together in operettas, in concerts, on records, and in films until his death. In 1937, Kiepura and Eggerth were forced to flee Europe due to the rise of Nazism and the onset of World War II. They emigrated to the United States; Kiepura died at the age of 64 in New York and was buried in Powązki Cemetery, Warsaw.