Geneva, June 2026 – The epicentre of the operatic world and the first opera house to receive Rolex support, Teatro alla Scala in Milan will welcome one of the brand’s newest Testimonees – Polish counter-tenor Jakub Józef Orliński – to its stage for the first time on 7 June 2026. He will be the first counter-tenor to perform a recital at La Scala, widely considered the world’s most prestigious opera house, which this year celebrates 20 years of partnership with Rolex, the venue’s Main Partner and Exclusive Timepiece since 2006.

Since its creation in 1778, Milan’s Teatro alla Scala has welcomed artists from across the globe to its illustrious stage. Today, performances here continue to transcend history and time. More than a dozen Rolex Testimonees have taken to the stage, including Peru’s world-leading tenor, Juan Diego Flórez, and New Zealand’s esteemed soprano, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa.

“Performing a recital at La Scala as the first counter-tenor is a tremendous honour. It is a stage steeped in history, where so many legendary artists have performed,” says Orliński. “I feel deeply grateful, and at the same time incredibly excited to share my own special repertoire with this audience.”

Joining the Rolex family in 2025, Orliński is among the youngest and newest Testimonees, and the first-ever counter-tenor the brand has supported. A talented breakdancer known for incorporating exciting movement and staging into his recitals, Orliński brings dynamic new energy to the opera scene, seamlessly blending Baroque vocal mastery with acrobatics and breakdance.

After singing in a choir as a child, Orliński went on to be a part of the Poznań Philharmonic in his home country, Poland, then studied at The Juilliard School in New York. A video of him singing Vivaldi’s Vedrò Con Mio Diletto in 2017 at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence was viewed more than 18 million times, catapulting him into the spotlight. Soon he was taking to the stage at some of the world’s most iconic venues, including Carnegie Hall and the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the Royal Ballet and Opera in London, to critical acclaim. In 2024, he even performed a boundary-breaking set during the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony. 

His unconventional energy and ability to reinvent and fuse art forms make Orliński a perfect partner of the Rolex Perpetual Arts Initiative, which strives not only to uphold cultural heritage, but to cultivate the exciting young talents carrying it into the future. The Initiative supports this emerging generation of musicians through various partnerships, not least with competitions like Operalia and the Herbert von Karajan Young Conductors Award at the Salzburg Festival.

“Rolex stands behind artists who push boundaries, and that is something I strongly identify with,” says Orliński, “Knowing that such a respected institution believes in my artistic journey is both inspiring and motivating.”

Showcasing music by Handel and Purcell, Orliński will be solely accompanied by his regular recital partner, pianist Michał Biel, as opposed to a full orchestra.

His beautiful staging and acrobatic performances are popular with young people, drawing fresh audiences to the world of opera.
“I believe it is essential to introduce younger audiences to places like La Scala because they are living cultural treasures,” says Orliński. “If we want this tradition to continue evolving, we need to build bridges with younger generations, showing them that this music can speak to them, move them, and inspire them.”

ROLEX AND THE ARTS
Rolex is committed to achievement in the arts, recognizing the crucial role they play in our world. With a dedication to craftsmanship and excellence, the brand upholds, cultivates and celebrates artists and institutions, connecting people around the world. 

Over five decades, Rolex has formed deep partnerships with artistic visionaries, based on their commitment to the highest standards of creativity and performance. The first was renowned soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa in 1976. Since then, the company’s role has evolved to include many other Testimonees who are talented artists as well as relationships with institutions that foster outstanding artistic achievement.

Today, this ongoing endeavour has become known as the Perpetual Arts Initiative, a global framework encompassing architecture, cinema, dance, literature, music, theatre and visual arts. Through its expanding partnerships with talented artists and leading institutions, Rolex aims to celebrate and support those at the pinnacle of their disciplines, uphold cultural legacy and cultivate rising talents who will reach new heights in the future.