Polish tenor Janusz Ratajczak, a soloist with Opera Nova in Bydgoszcz, has died on Monday in a car tragic accident.The artist was born in 1962 in Szczecinek. He was a graduate of the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz, where he completed his studies in voice and acting. Over time, he became a teacher himself—he lectured on classical singing at the Academy of Music in Łódź and also taught at music schools in Inowrocław and Toruń.

One of his major successes was Don José in Bizet’s Carmen – a role for which he was honored with the prestigious Golden Mask Award.