On Dec. 11, 2021, revered Polish tenor Kazimierz Pustelak passed away at the age of 91.

Born in Nowa Wies, near Rzeszow, Pustelak worked on a farm before he was offered a position as a soloist with the Polish Radio Orchestral Ensemble and Choir in Krakow at the age of 25. Two years later, he made his debut at the Krakow Opera.

In 1960 he moved to Italy and studied at La Scala in Milan, before returning to his native country to become a soloist of the Grand Theater in Warsaw in 1961.  At the Grand Theatre in Warsaw, Pustelak would sing over 1,000 performances.

As an artist, he was a leading interpreter of oratorio and operatic repertoire. Among his roles included Jantek in “Halka,” Belmonte in “Abduction from the Seraglio,” the Duke in “Rigoletto,” Alfredo in “La Traviata,” and more. During his time with the Polish Radio Choir he also recorded a number of patriotic and folks songs.

His career would shift in 1971 when he started teaching at the Warsaw Academy of Music, and served as a long-time dean of the vocal department of the Frederic Chopin University of Music.

For his achievements, Pustelak received awards such as the Honorary Music Award of the Rzeszow Music Society in 2010, and the 2007 Gold Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage.