By ANTHONY TOMMASINI [NY Times, 2 March 2008]

SOME of the qualities the Polish baritone Mariusz Kwiecien brings to his work are typical products of raw talent, good training and hard work. His voice, for one: burnished and rich, with robust carrying power and a ringing high A many a tenor would covet. His good looks, trim physique and agility are also givens, though at 35 he stays fit through routine exercise. Even his hobby — nature photography in mountainous regions like Peru — keeps him pretty limber.