HE has not stopped singing since his voice broke as a young boy. Jacek Strauch knew by the age of 15 that his future lay in opera although the now internationally acclaimed baritone was then headed towards a career in medicine. As a student at Harrow school in London, he was aware that an opera singer’s income can be irregular, so he decided to get a degree before making any rash decisions.

In 1972, Strauch began studying medicine at Queens’ College Cambridge. While there, he also attended private singing lessons. Six years later, Strauch entered the prestigious Kathleen Ferrier Awards singing competition and walked away with first prize.

He made his debut with the Glyndebourne Touring Opera in 1979 and, for the next four years, he was a company member in the Würzburg and Saarbrücken opera houses in Germany.

His career took off in 1984 when he entered the Belvedere singing competition in Vienna and won three prizes. As a result he was invited to make several guest appearances in high-profile operas.

In 1992, he became a company member in Nuremberg and, over the next four years, he secured many coveted roles including Rigoletto and Scarpia. He became a leading figure in the world of opera and landed a coup when he was invited to sing Pacheco in the world premiere of Ines de Castro at the Edinburgh Festival in 1996.

Strauch made his Vienna State Opera debut as Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana in 2000. The following year, the German Opera magazine Opernwelt selected him as singer of the year. He now lives in Vienna and is a member of the city’s opera company.

This week, as part of Opera Ireland’s spring season, he takes on the title role in Puccini’s opera Gianni Schicchi and Simone in Zemlinsky’s A Florentine Tragedy based on the Oscar Wilde play. The two-act shows run at the Gaiety theatre on April 3, 5, 7 and 9.

How much money do you normally have in your wallet and do you carry anything unusual or sentimental in it?

I always make sure I have enough money for a few drinks in the pub. After that, the amount of cash I have on me varies depending on what’s happening that particular day.

I don’t have anything sentimental in my wallet. I used to carry a conker that a female companion gave me, but when my association with her ended, the conker went as well.

What was your first job and how much were you paid?

I used to work at the bar of the local Conservative society in London. I was at school and was paid £3 (€4.35) for each shift. It was rather hard work and people were a little stuffy, however it covered my costs for such things as sweets and comics. I also worked in the kitchen of the local hospital when I was 16. One of my regular chores was to cook hard-boiled eggs for 500 people.

Have you ever been really hard up or broke?