Three highly-acclaimed Polish musicians are billed at the Salzburg Festival, one of the oldest and most prestigious events in the European summer arts circuit.

The tenor Piotr Beczała appears in the title role in Charles Gounod’s opera Romeo and Juliet. He is partnered by Anna Netrebko, one of the finest sopranos of our time.

Both have won enthusiastic reception, with the Austrian daily Kurier headlining its review: “When the famous Juliet meets the ideal Romeo”.

In the annual ranking of singers published by the Austrian periodical Festspiele, the Polish tenor is in fifth place, behind Bryn Terfel, Jonas Kaufmann, Roberto Alagna and Juan Diego Florez. Two other Polish singers are in 14th (Mariusz Kwiecień) and 18th place (Artur Rucinski). Among ladies Anna Netrebko is in second place, behind Renee Fleming.

There are five more performances of Romeo and Juliet starring Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczala - on 20, 23, 24, 27 and 30 August.

Polish soprano Aleksandra Kurzak appears in Salzburg as Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni tonight and on 22, 25 and 29 of August, while the pianist Krystian Zimerman, winner of the 1975 Chopin Competition in Warsaw, is billed with a Chopin recital and in works by the Polish composer Grazyna Bacewicz (with the Hagen Quartett). (mk)