VILLAGE OF BALDWINSVILLE – James Kryshak, one of this year’s honorees for the Baldwinsville Community Hall of Fame for Visual and Performing Arts, returned to Baldwinsville for a brief visit and had the opportunity to tour his alma mater, C. W. Baker High School, and view the new Hall of Fame Wall there.
“The Hall of Fame is a testament to the education and care the Baldwinsville Central School District (BCSD) provides for its students, and to see the space provided for it was extremely moving,” Kyrshak said in a thank you note. “I can’t wait to see how this Hall of Fame grows through the years. There is so much talent and greatness coming out of the B’ville school system, and to be recognized in the Hall of Fame is a true honor. My hope is that as students walk by and see these faces, they will believe in themselves and know they, too, can achieve their dreams!”
Kryshak graduated from Baker High in 2001, having realized several musical successes performing leading roles in “Guys and Dolls,” “Oliver,” “Secret Garden” and “Into the Woods.” He studied for his Bachelor of Arts at Elmhurst College in Chicago, and then for his master’s degree in Opera Performance, he studied at the University of Wisconsin, where he received the Distinguished Voice Excellence Fellowship.
As a winner in national auditions for the Metropolitan Opera, Kryshak sang on the stage of the Met as a national semi-finalist in February 2009. Many grants and accolades later, he has sung for prestigious opera companies, including Lyric Opera of Chicago, Vienna State Opera, Opera de Lyon, Deutsche Opera Berlin, Teatro Nacional de Sao Carlos, San Francisco Opera Company, Glyndebourne Opera, Birmingham (UK), Wolf Trap Opera and the Cleveland Symphony and Concertgebouw Amsterdam.
Kryshak made his professional debut in 2008 in Mozart’s “Don Giovanni.” His roles are too numerous to mention, but Opera News has hailed his voice as “crystalline,” saying that he is quickly becoming known for his vocal finesse, as well as his stagecraft.
Beginning Sept. 15 through Dec. 31, the Hall of Fame will begin to accept nominations for 2024. Nomination applications can be found on the Hall of Fame website, bvilleartshalloffame.org. The organization is seeking former students, staff, and community members who have dedicated their time in the areas of visual and performing arts. The committee hopes the new nominations will be for people who have invested in the arts in Baldwinsville community; people who have inspired and who continue to inspire students to cultivate their talents in the arts.
Nominees may be selected from these categories:
– Those graduates of the BCSD whose success in the performing and visual arts serves to inspire our youth
– Educators and staff members who have served as role models to inspire students to strive for success in the arts
– Community members whose dedication of time and expertise have supported our youth in their pursuit of success
First year honorees Jay Ashby, Frank Cammuso, Gina Lamparella, Evelyn Mercer, James Kryshak and Norm Wanzer all met the high standards of the Hall of Fame.
Their influences as college professors, Broadway actors, operatic performers, and community leaders in the arts have, and continue to be recognized among our community as people who strongly believe in the arts, who have or are still bringing the beauty of “art” to the world, and whose successful careers inspire the youth of today.