9th Krakow Musical Salon Festival

9th Krakow Musical Salon Festival

The Polish Chamber Musicians’ Association invites you to the 9th edition of the Kraków Music Salon Festival – an event that each year transports its audience into the atmosphere of 19th-century music salons and revives the forgotten tradition of making music at home. This year’s edition will take place from September 6 to October 1, 2025, in extraordinary venues: the Kraków Museum – Sala Fontany, as well as intimate private salons on Studencka Street and Garncarska Street. Admission to all concerts is free.

It is the only festival of its kind in Poland – continuously developed since 2017, combining the unique atmosphere of chamber music with the exploration of Polish and world cultural heritage.

 

Festival Program

Concert I
📅 September 6, 2025, 6:00 PM
📍 Music Salon, Studencka Street, Kraków
Performers:
Polish Violin Duo – Marta Gidaszewska (violin), Robert Łaguniak (violin), Piotr Pawlak (piano)
Program:

  • Works by M. Moszkowski and R. Palester

Concert II
📅 September 7, 2025, 6:00 PM
📍 Kraków Museum – Sala Fontany, Rynek Główny 35, Kraków
Performers:
Hanna Hipp (mezzo-soprano), Grzegorz Mania (piano)
Program:

  • Songs by S. Laks, W. Żeleński, Z. Noskowski, R. Ryterband

Concert III
📅 September 15, 2025, 7:00 PM
📍 Kraków Museum – Sala Fontany, Rynek Główny 35, Kraków
Performers:
V4 String Quartet (musicians from the Visegrad Group):
Miranda Liu (violin, Hungary), Daniel Rumler (violin, Slovakia), Tomas Krejbich (viola, Czech Republic), Bartosz Koziak (cello, Poland), Marek Żebrowski (piano, USA)
Program:

  • Works by Henryk Wars

Concert IV
📅 September 18, 2025, 7:00 PM
📍 Music Salon, Garncarska Street, Kraków
Performers:
Bartosz Koziak (cello), Elżbieta Stefańska (harpsichord)
Program:

  • J.S. Bach’s viola da gamba sonatas

Concert V
📅 September 26, 2025, 7:00 PM
📍 Music Salon, Studencka Street, Kraków
Performers:
Herbert Piano Trio – Bartłomiej Wezner (piano), Joanna Kreft (violin), Dominik Płociński (cello)
Program:

  • Works by L. van Beethoven and M. Weinberg

Concert VI
📅 September 29, 2025, 7:00 PM
📍 Music Salon, Studencka Street, Kraków
Performers:
Katarzyna Budnik (viola), Grzegorz Mania (piano)
Program:

  • Works by W. Gawroński, P. Scharwenka, Z. Stojowski

  • World premiere of a commissioned composition within the SPMK-ZAiKS Composer-in-Residence Program

Concert VII
📅 October 1, 2025, 7:00 PM
📍 Kraków Museum – Sala Fontany, Rynek Główny 35, Kraków
Performers:
Charles Owen & Katya Apekisheva (piano duo)
Program:

  • Works by W.A. Mozart, J. Zarębski, W. Lutosławski, F. Schubert

🎟️ For the salon concerts at Studencka Street and Garncarska Street, free entry passes are required and can be reserved by email: promocja@spmk.com.pl. Entry to the Kraków Museum concerts is free.

Concert I

Polish Violin Duo is formed by violinists Marta Gidaszewska and Robert Łaguniak. The ensemble was founded in 2014. It began at the M. Karłowicz Secondary Music School in Poznań, in the class of Dr. Hab. Karina Gidaszewska. Currently, Marta is a student of the I. J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań in the violin class of Prof. Bartosz Bryła and Dr. Hab. Karina Gidaszewska, while Robert is a graduate of the G. and K. Bacewicz Academy of Music in Łódź in the violin class of Dr. Hab. Karina Gidaszewska. Marta and Robert have been participating for years in International and National violin and chamber music competitions, always winning top prizes. They have won over 180 awards, among others at competitions in Japan, USA, Estonia, Serbia, Denmark, Greece, Sweden, England, France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Germany, Poland. As a duo, they conduct a lively concert activity. They have performed, among others, at the National Philharmonic in Warsaw, the Lublin Philharmonic, the Podkarpacka Philharmonic in Rzeszów, the Poznań Philharmonic, or in China during the International Gala in Beijing, where they inaugurated the official opening of the new air connection from Warsaw to Beijing. They also performed at various festivals and concert series, including the Rzeszów Music Autumn, the Czarnolas Arts Festival “Capturing the Uncatchable…”, the concert series “With Classics Through Poland”, or “Masterpieces of Chamber Music”. They also performed with orchestras, among others with the Witold Lutosławski Chamber Philharmonic in Łomża, or with the “Poznańskie Smyczki” Orchestra. In 2020, they were nominated for the award “Koryfeusz of Polish Music” in the category “Discovery of the Year”. Together they took part in many National and International Competitions. Among their most important achievements are such as 1st Prize and 6 Special Awards at the Stanisław Moniuszko International Competition of Polish Music in Rzeszów, Poland (2019) and 1st Prize at the A. Rubinstein International Chamber Music Competition in Düsseldorf, Germany (2019). In addition, they are winners of the International Music Competition “Concert Tours to China” in Copenhagen, Denmark (2020), winners of the Grand Prix at the International Music Competition in Kyoto, Japan (2021), the Grand Prix and the Special Award for Outstanding Artistic Personality at the International Music Competition in Łódź, Poland (2021), the Grand Prix at the L. Bellan International Music Competition in Paris, France (2020), the Grand Prix at the International Music Competition in Vienna, Austria (2021), the Grand Prix (Platinum Award) at the International Music Competition in Quebec, Canada (2021), the Grand Prix at the International Music Competition in Brussels, Belgium (2020), the Grand Prix at the International Competition “Music&Stars Awards” in Tallinn, Estonia (2020), the Grand Prix at the International Chamber Music Tournament “In Three Stages” in Bydgoszcz, Poland (2020), the Grand Prix, 1st Prize and Special Award for the best performance of the compulsory piece at the Baltic String Duo Competition in Gdańsk, Poland (2020), 1st Prize at the International Music Competition named after S. Prokofiev “Silk Way” in Moscow, Russia (2021), 1st Prize at the International Music Competition “Odin” in Tallinn, Estonia (2021), 1st Prize at the International Music Competition “Magic Muse” in Moscow, Russia (2021), 1st Prize at the International Music Competition “Weiner Klassiker Danubia Talents” in Budapest, Hungary (2021), 1st Prize at the International Music Competition in Moscow, Russia (2020), 1st Prize at the International Music Competition “Music e-Contest” in Tallinn, Estonia (2020), 1st Prize at the International Music Competition “OPUS 2020” in Kraków, Poland, 1st Prize at the International Music Competition “The Muse” in Athens, Greece (2020), 1st Prize at the International Competition “ISCART” in Lugano, Switzerland (2020), 1st Prize at the International Music Competition in Belgrade, Serbia (2015), Grand Prix at the Chamber Music Tournament “In Three Stages” in Bydgoszcz, Poland (2015), 1st Prize at the National Chamber Music Competition in Łódź, Poland (2015), 1st Prize at the Chamber Music Tournament “In Three Stages” in Bydgoszcz, Poland (2014)… They were also laureates of the project “Stage for Polish Music”, organized by the Institute of Music and Dance. Together they took part, among others, in the TV programs “Scena Klasyczna” and “Sunday with the National Institute of Music and Dance” on TVP Kultura, as well as in the broadcast “Płytomania” on Polish Radio Two. They also performed on the radio station Merkury Klasyka and on Polish Radio Rzeszów. In 2021, in cooperation with the DUX record company, the duo recorded their first album, making the world phonographic premiere of two opuses of Duets for two violins by the forgotten Polish composer Joachim Kaczkowski. In the same year, the duo will go on a concert tour in China, where during 10 recitals in the most prestigious concert halls they will present forgotten works of Polish composers. In 2020, a piece by Michał Janocha – Attra for two violins, dedicated to the Polish Violin Duo, was published. Also in 2020, two albums were released by the DUX record company with recordings from the Stanisław Moniuszko International Competition of Polish Music in Rzeszów with their participation.

Concert I

Piotr Pawlak is a polish pianist, soloist and chamber musician, winner of the 5th International Maj Lind Piano Competition in Helsinki (2022) and the 11th International Chopin Piano Competition in Darmstadt (2017); prizewinner of the Chopin Competitions in Beijing (2016) and Budapest (2018), as well as of the 1st International Competition of Polish Music in Rzeszów (2019). He has performed in the USA, Russia, China, Georgia and many European countries, and has appeared with numerous Polish and foreign orchestras – among them the National Philharmonic Orchestra, the Baltic Philharmonic, the West Bohemian Symphony Orchestra, the Ningbo Symphony Orchestra, the Polish Chamber Philharmonic Sopot, and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. In 2021 he made his debut on the legendary stage of Teatro alla Scala in Milan. He took part in the 17th (2015) and 18th (2021) International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competitions in Warsaw. In 2014 he received a scholarship funded by Krystian Zimerman. In 2021 he graduated with distinction from the Stanisław Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdańsk in the class of Waldemar Wojtal. He also studies conducting, plays the organ, improvises, and holds a master’s degree in mathematics.

Concert II

Thanks to her impassioned and passionate singing, Hanna Hipp has become a favourite in the leading lyric mezzo-soprano repertoire worldwide. Among her recent roles are the critically acclaimed portrayal of Offred in The Handmaid’s Tale at the Royal Danish Theatre (conductor: Jessica Cottis), Der Komponist in Ariadne auf Naxos at the Glyndebourne Festival (Cornelius Meister) and at Opera North (Antony Hermus), Dorabella in Così fan tutte at Seattle Opera (Paul Daniel), English National Opera (Kerem Hasan) and in New Zealand (Natalie Murray Beale), as well as Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (Antonio Pappano). Hanna Hipp first took on the role of Varvara (Káťa Kabanová) at Scottish Opera, sang the title role in Offenbach’s Fantasio and, for the first time, Octavian (Der Rosenkavalier), both for Garsington Opera. Her international debuts include Teatro Real in Madrid as Frances, Countess of Essex (Gloriana) in a new staging by David McVicar under Ivor Bolton, Dutch National Opera as Ein Page in a new production by Ivo van Hove conducted by Daniele Gatti, as well as Isolier (Le Comte Ory) and Beatrice (Béatrice et Bénédict) at Seattle Opera – the former of which Hipp reprised last season for New Zealand Opera. Other recent significant operatic appearances include Federico García Lorca in two productions of Osvaldo Golijov’s Ainadamar at Welsh National Opera and Pacific Opera Victoria, as well as a return to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in Hänsel und Gretel conducted by Mark Wigglesworth. In this season, Hanna Hipp will appear at English National Opera in her highly praised portrayal of Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, and at Scottish Opera in The Strauss Collection, featuring excerpts from the roles of Der Komponist (Ariadne auf Naxos) and Octavian (Der Rosenkavalier).

Concert II

Grzegorz Mania graduated with distinction in piano studies under Prof. Stefan Wojtas at the Academy of Music in Kraków, while simultaneously completing law studies at the Jagiellonian University. In 2017 he obtained a PhD in legal sciences for his dissertation on music in copyright law, written under the supervision of Prof. Janusz Barta. He also graduated with distinction in piano studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where he studied under Prof. Martin Roscoe, Prof. Charles Owen, and Prof. Caroline Palmer. As a soloist and chamber musician, he has performed in Poland and abroad, giving concerts at, among others, the Kraków Philharmonic, Zielona Góra Philharmonic, NOSPR, St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London, as well as at the Opera and Music Conservatory in Hanoi (Vietnam). He has performed at the “Emanations” Festival and the Felix Mendelssohn Music Days. He regularly performs in the United Kingdom, presenting solo and chamber repertoire, and has also given concerts in France, Norway, Germany, Austria, Italy, Iceland, Israel, and the United States. He has taken part in performance workshops and masterclasses with, among others: Krzysztof Śmietana, Wiesław Kwaśny, Peter S. Buck, Anthony Spiri, Altenberg Trio, Jerome Rose, Wolfgang Redik, Ewa Bukojemska, Alisdair Beatson, Carole Pressland, Victor Rosenbaum, and Kaja Danczowska. He was a participant of the International Chamber Music Courses in Puławy (2003–2005), as well as a finalist of international chamber and solo competitions. He is an experienced and versatile chamber musician and accompanist, awarded at instrumental competitions. He has collaborated with many distinguished soloists, and together with pianist Piotr Różański he co-founded the Zarębski Piano Duo. He has participated in numerous academic conferences, is the author and co-author of legal articles and case commentaries, as well as co-author of a copyright law textbook for teachers of art schools. Together with Dr. Hab. Monika Gardoń-Preinl he prepared for PWM a sight-reading textbook for students of secondary music schools. Currently, he works as a piano teacher, accompanist, and at the same time as a legal counsel he cooperates with the Kraków Advocacy Group. He is co-founder and president of the Polish Chamber Musicians’ Association. He has coordinated numerous national and international projects, including youth exchanges, concert tours, and the organization of festivals, competitions, and academic conferences. In 2018 he received (together with Prof. S. Wojtas) the Ars Quaerendi Award of the Małopolska Region for outstanding activities in the development and promotion of culture. He is also a scholarship holder of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage.

Concert III

Miranda Liu is a Hungarian violinist originally from California. She studied at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg (the youngest violin student in the history of the institution, admitted at the age of 14) and at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest. In 2016 András Keller appointed her concertmaster of Concerto Budapest, one of the oldest and most important symphony orchestras in Hungary. She is the founder and first violinist of the European String Quartet and the V4 Quartet, as well as the founder and artistic director of the New Millennium International Chamber Music Festival and Master Classes (Budapest). She regularly appears as a soloist and chamber musician at international festivals. She has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Barbican Centre, Wigmore Hall, the Vienna Konzerthaus and the Mozarteum in Salzburg. Since her first orchestral performance (at the age of 8), she has appeared with ensembles such as Concerto Budapest, the Kraków Philharmonic Orchestra, New World Symphony, Las Vegas Philharmonic, Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, Lithuanian National Philharmonic, Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock, Philharmonie Salzburg and the Romanian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Her concert repertoire includes more than 70 works for violin and orchestra.

Concert III

Daniel Rumler is a Slovak violinist, member of the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra (since 2018), regular collaborator with Camerata Zürich and Ensemble Corund Luzern. He studied at the Conservatory in Pardubice with Jiří Kuchválek, at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague with Jiří Tomášek, and at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts with Igor Karsko and Giuliano Carmignola. At the latter institution he also obtained a master’s degree in pedagogy. From 2015 to 2017 he performed regularly with Musikkollegium Winterthur and Sinfonieorchester Biel-Solothurn. As a chamber musician he has taken part in festivals such as “Convergences” (Bratislava), “Confrontations” (Nitra), Murten Classics and the Lucerne Festival. He has collaborated with the Slovak Youth Orchestra, and in 2021 became a lecturer at the Bratislava Conservatory. He has extensive experience in arranging and composing music. Some of his transcriptions have been recorded for ECM Records and Swiss Radio SRF.

Concert III

Marek Żebrowski, born in Poznań, began his musical education at the age of five. After graduating with distinction from the Poznań Music High School, he began his musical studies in France, continuing them at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where he completed his Bachelor’s and Master’s theses. Dubbed “powerful and extraordinarily musical” by The Boston Globe and “strong and majestic” by The Washington Post, he received an extremely favorable reception from the international music press already at the beginning of his career. He began it as a recital soloist, also performing with symphony orchestras. His repertoire includes, among others, works by Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy, Scriabin, and Prokofiev recorded for Polish Radio, as well as the works of Ravel and Prokofiev recorded for the German Apollo Records. His performances and compositions have also been featured in the portfolios of Titanic Records and Harmonia Mundi. In addition to his musical career as a pianist and composer, Marek Żebrowski also teaches music at several higher education institutions in the United States. He is also involved with the Boston Book Review. He resides permanently in Los Angeles. Since 2005, he has been associated with the Polish Music Center at the University of Southern California (USC), where he serves as Program Director and Editor-in-Chief of the institution. He has been awarded, among others, the Silver Medal Gloria Artis and the Gold Cross of Merit.

Concert III

Tomáš Krejbich is a Czech violist, member of the Prague Symphony Orchestra and the Sedláček Quartet. Originally trained as a violinist, he began his viola studies in 2011. He studied at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (with Jan Pěruška) and at the Royal Academy of Music in Copenhagen (with Tim Frederiksen and Lars Anders Tomter). During his studies he took part in numerous festivals and masterclasses (Kyoto International Music Students Festival, International Music Forum in Trenta, Slovenia, and the Karen Tuttle Coordination Conference), working under the guidance of Elmar Landerer (Wiener Philharmoniker), Roger Benedict (Sydney Symphony Orchestra) and Pieter Schoeman (London Philharmonic Orchestra). In 2016 he appeared as a soloist in the Brahms-Saal of the Vienna Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, and the following year performed with Boris Kuschnir, Nikolaj Znaider and Misha Quint at the Sulzbach-Rosenberg InterHarmony International Music Festival. He has performed with ensembles such as the European Union Youth Orchestra, Prague Philharmonia, Barocco Sempre Giovane and the Prague Chamber Orchestra, as well as with renowned conductors Jiří Bělohlávek, Jakub Hrůša and Gianandrea Noseda, and soloists Alisa Weilerstein, Giuliano Carmignola, Pinchas Zukerman, Jana Boušková, Anna Netrebko and Diana Damrau. He has appeared in prestigious venues including the Konzerthaus Berlin, Concertgebouw, Usher Hall in Edinburgh, and the Royal Opera House in Muscat, Oman.

Concert III and IV

Bartosz Koziak is a the winner of the 3rd Witold Lutosławski International Cello Competition (2001, Warsaw), second prize laureate at the Isang Yun Competition in Tongyeong (Korea) and the Mykola Lysenko Competition in Kyiv, as well as a prizewinner and recipient of the special award at the Prague Spring Competition, and first prize winner at the 11th International Contemporary Chamber Music Competition in Kraków. He also received prizes at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow and the ARD Competition in Munich. In 2003 he was awarded the Special Prize of the Polish Culture Foundation, presented by Ewa Podleś. He has performed in venues such as the Konzerthaus Berlin, Rudolfinum in Prague, Cité de la Musique in Paris, Teatro Politeama in Palermo, the Witold Lutosławski Concert Studio, and the Warsaw Philharmonic. As a soloist, he has collaborated with orchestras including the Warsaw Philharmonic, NOSPR, Sinfonia Varsovia, Sinfonietta Cracovia, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo, Münchener Kammerorchester, Prague Philharmonia, the Radio Orchestras in Warsaw and Budapest, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, and the Armenian Youth Orchestra, under the baton of Krzysztof Penderecki, Jan Krenz, Antoni Wit, Gabriel Chmura, Jacek Kaspszyk, Massimiliano Caldi, Volodymyr Sirenko, and Ole Rudner. As a chamber musician, he has performed with Kaja Danczowska, Elżbieta Stefańska, Anna Maria Staśkiewicz, and with pianists Justyna Danczowska, Marcin Koziak, Radosław Sobczak, and Agnieszka Kozło. He is a founding member of the Warsaw Cello Group “Cellonet.” He has been invited to renowned festivals including Warsaw Autumn, Young Euro Classic in Berlin, the Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Musica Polonica Nova, the Łańcut Music Festival, “Chopin and His Europe” in Warsaw, Yerevan Music Perspectives, and East Meets West in Korea. For several years he has regularly taken part in Krzysztof Penderecki’s concert projects, including the first recording of the Concerto grosso conducted by the composer. Bartosz Koziak’s discography includes, among others, Grażyna Bacewicz’s Cello Concerto No. 2, distinguished by Pizzicato magazine (Luxembourg), as well as, with Justyna Danczowska, works for cello and piano such as Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata and Robert Schumann’s Märchenbilder. In 2015 he released a CD of duets by Ravel, Kodály, and Martinů recorded with Anna Maria Staśkiewicz. Bartosz Koziak graduated magna cum laude from the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, where he studied with Professors Kazimierz Michalik and Andrzej Bauer, and from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris in the class of Philippe Muller. Thanks to the generosity of Kaja Danczowska, he performs on a 19th-century copy of a J. Guadagnini instrument once played by the eminent Polish cellist Dezyderiusz Danczowski. Bartosz Koziak is represented by the Ludwig van Beethoven Association.

Concert IV

Elżbieta Stefańska completed her studies at the State Higher School of Music in Kraków under Prof. Hans Pischner from Berlin. She participated in international masterclasses in Siena and Weimar under the guidance of Zuzana Růžičková and Ruggiero Gerlin. In 1964 she won two first prizes at the Early Music Competition in Łódź for her performance of Baroque works (on fortepiano and harpsichord). In 1965 she was awarded the main prize at the International Music Competition in Geneva and also received the Henri Ghez Special Prize for the best harpsichordist of the competition. She performs in Poland and abroad as a soloist and chamber musician, playing music from the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, and 20th-century periods, as well as works by Polish composers, both historical and contemporary. She has made numerous radio, television, and commercial recordings (Polskie Nagrania, EMI Electrola, Decca, Fonit Cetra, Pony Canyon – 18 sonatas by W.A. Mozart). Since 1996 she has been the organizer and artistic director of the Bach Days in Kraków. She has served as a jury member for many competitions, including the 1st Wanda Landowska Harpsichord Competition, which she organized (Kraków 1985), as well as competitions in Munich (1970), Taipei, Taiwan (1990), Leipzig (1992), Warsaw (1993, 1998), and Budapest (2000), and at the National Guitar Competitions in Kraków (1986, 1987). She is a professor at the Academy of Music in Kraków and head of the Department of Harpsichord and Early Instruments.

Concert V

Bartłomiej Wezner is one of the most versatile pianists of his generation: a soloist, chamber musician, pedagogue, and cultural manager. He is a laureate of international chamber music competitions: St Martin’s Chamber Music Competition (2011, London – 1st prize), 16th Premio Trio di Trieste (2015, Trieste – 3rd prize), Académie de Musique de Lausanne (2015, Lausanne – laureate), 50th International Vocal Competition ‘s-Hertogenbosch (2014, Netherlands – laureate in the Lied Duo category) and the 17th Kiejstut Bacewicz International Chamber Music Competition in Łódź (2010 – 3rd prize). He won prizes for best pianist at vocal competitions in Warsaw (2007), Katowice (2008), Łódź (2009), Sopot (2010) and Częstochowa (2013). As a soloist, he received the Special Prize at the 6th International I. J. Paderewski Piano Competition in Bydgoszcz (2004) and an Honorable Mention at the 15th L. Janáček International Piano Competition in Brno (2008, Czech Republic). He was born in 1981 in Nysa. He graduated from the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz in the class of Professor Ewa Pobłocka (2006). From 2002 to 2004 he was also a student of Prof. Jerzy Sulikowski. In parallel, he studied harpsichord with Prof. Urszula Bartkiewicz. In 2013 he earned a doctorate in music, and in 2019 completed his habilitation. In 2014 he joined the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz as an Assistant Professor and Head of the Department of Piano Chamber Music. He also serves as Chancellor of the Paderewski Piano Academy in Bydgoszcz and artistic director of the Muzyka w Willi Blumwego festival. Significant influences on Bartłomiej Wezner’s artistic aesthetics include masterclasses with artists of the stature of Maestro Janoš Starker, Stephen Kovacevich, Raphaël Pidoux (Wanderer Trio), Ewa Podleś, Kevin Kenner, Maja Nosowska, and Marcin Sikorski. He performs with outstanding musicians such as Vadim Brodski, Maria Machowska, Joanna Kreft, Agata Schmidt, and Ingrida Gápová. He is a pianist and founder of the BMF Piano Trio, Herbert Piano Trio, and Surrealistic Five. Together with his father and siblings, he forms the unique family quartet Wezner Ensemble. As a harpsichordist, he collaborates with the Capella Bydgostiensis chamber orchestra and the early music ensemble illo tempore. He has performed in Poland, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Greece, Germany, Serbia and Montenegro, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Italy, and the United States. As a soloist, he has performed with Capella Bydgostiensis, the Toruń Symphony Orchestra, the Opole Philharmonic, the Lviv National Chamber Orchestra Akademia, and the Bydgoszcz Philharmonic. He served as the pianist-accompanist for the Master Vocal Course of Maestra Teresa Żylis-Gara at the Radziejowice Palace (2008), the Young Singers of Małopolska workshops under Prof. Helena Łazarska and Zofia Kilanowicz in Nowy Sącz (2012), the Thomas Hampson Masterclass at the Gorzów Philharmonic (2014), and as official pianist for the 14th, 15th, 16th, and 18th Ada Sari International Vocal Art Competition in Nowy Sącz (2011, 2013, 2015, 2019), the 9th Stanisław Moniuszko International Vocal Competition in Warsaw (2016), the Karol Szymanowski International Violin Competition in Katowice (2018), and the 4th Karol Lipiński International Violin Competition in Toruń (2019). He has received scholarships from the Piano Texas Festival and Academy in Fort Worth (2006, USA), the International Dartington Summer School (2012, UK), Beethoven Haus in Bonn (2015, Germany), the Marshal of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship (2011, 2012, 2017) and the Ministry of Culture “Młoda Polska” (2012). The pianist excels both in classical repertoire and in 20th- and 21st-century music. He has given world premieres and first recordings of compositions by Hanna Kulenty, Zbigniew Bargielski, Roxanna Panufnik, Marcin Masecki, and Michał Dobrzyński. His concerts have been broadcast by, among others, Polish Radio “Dwójka” and RTS Suiss. He has recorded for the labels CdAccord, Dux, Fonoteus, and Acte Préalable.

Concert V

Joanna Dreft is a young violinist from Gdynia entered the 21st century with a bang. First, in 2000, she won first place at the 1st Northern Poland Violin Competition in Gdynia, at the age of 11. Two years later she received 4th prize at the 4th Nationwide Violin Competition named after Georg Philipp Telemann in Poznań, in 2004 she was a finalist at the International Violin Competition in Fermo, Italy, and in 2005 she was awarded 3rd prize and a special prize for the performance of a work by Karol Lipiński at the Nationwide Competition for Young Violinists named after Stanisław Serwaczyński in Lublin (in 2008 she won 2nd place and two special prizes at the same competition). The following years brought further artistic achievements. In 2007 she was a finalist at the International Violin Competition in Kloster Schontal (Germany), and in 2010 a semifinalist at the Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition in Oslo. In 2011 she reached the semifinals of the 14th Henryk Wieniawski International Violin Competition in Poznań, also receiving two special prizes for the best representative of Poznań and the Wielkopolska region. For winning the Grand Prix at the Master Class & Music Festival Piła 2012, she was awarded a prize by the Poznań Philharmonic – a concert with the Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra.

Concert V

Dominik Płociński is a soloist and chamber musician, laureate of the second prize and special awards at the 9th Witold Lutosławski International Cello Competition in Warsaw, winner of the Concert of the Year 2013, finalist of the European Broadcasting Union “New Talent 2014” competition, and scholarship holder of the “Młoda Polska 2016” program. He is currently the deputy principal cellist of the Polish Radio Orchestra in Warsaw. He was born on May 24, 1989, in Warsaw. He began learning the cello at the age of 8 under Prof. Michał Nyżnyk, and from 2005 to 2008 studied with Prof. Roman Hoffmann. In 2011 he earned a bachelor’s degree with distinction from the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz in the class of Prof. Andrzej Bauer and assistant Bartosz Koziak, and in June 2013 received a master’s degree with distinction from the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw (class of Prof. A. Bauer). He has participated in numerous music courses led by professors such as Andrzej Bauer, Kazimierz Michalik, Andrzej Orkisz, Stanisław Firlej, Claus Reichardt, Michael Flaksman, and Alexander Neustroev. As a soloist, he has performed with the National Philharmonic Orchestra, the Polish Radio Orchestra, the Slovak Radio Orchestra, the Polish Sinfonia Iuventus Orchestra, the Opole Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Tychy City Chamber Orchestra AUKSO under conductors including Marek Pijarowski, Rastislav Štúr, Marek Moś, Kai Bumann, Wojciech Semerau-Siemianowski, and Rafał Janiak, performing the greatest works of the cello repertoire. He is a laureate and finalist of many national and international competitions, including the European Broadcasting Union “New Talent 2014” in Bratislava, the 9th Witold Lutosławski International Cello Competition in Warsaw, the 4th David Popper Cello Competition in Várpalota (Hungary), the K. Wiłkomirski Youth Cello Competition in Poznań, and the Bach Competition in Zielona Góra. In 2013 he received the Minister of Culture Award, winning the Concert of the Year with the best students from Polish music academies.

Concert VI

Grzegorz Mania graduated with distinction in piano studies under Prof. Stefan Wojtas at the Academy of Music in Kraków, while simultaneously completing law studies at the Jagiellonian University. In 2017, he earned a doctoral degree in legal sciences for a dissertation on music in copyright law, supervised by Prof. Janusz Barta. He also graduated with distinction from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where he studied with Prof. Martin Roscoe, Prof. Charles Owen, and Prof. Caroline Palmer. As a soloist and chamber musician, he has performed in Poland and abroad, including at the Kraków Philharmonic, Zielona Góra Philharmonic, NOSPR, St. Martin in the Fields in London, as well as at the Opera and Conservatory in Hanoi, Vietnam. He has appeared at festivals such as “Emanacje” and the Felix Mendelssohn Days. He regularly performs in the United Kingdom, playing solo and chamber repertoire, and has also performed in France, Norway, Germany, Austria, Italy, Iceland, Israel, and the United States. He has participated in performance workshops and masterclasses with artists such as Krzysztof Śmietana, Wiesław Kwaśny, Peter S. Buck, Anthony Spiri, Trias Altenberg, Jerome Rose, Wolfgang Redik, Ewa Bukojemska, Alisdair Beatson, Carole Pressland, Victor Rosenbaum, and Kaja Danczowska. He took part in the International Chamber Music Courses in Puławy (2003–2005) and was a finalist in international solo and chamber competitions. He is an experienced and versatile chamber musician and accompanist, awarded in instrumental competitions. He has collaborated with many distinguished soloists and, together with pianist Piotr Różański, co-founded the Zarębski Piano Duo. He has participated in numerous academic conferences, is the author and co-author of legal articles and glosses, and co-authored a copyright law textbook for teachers at art schools. Together with Dr. Monika Gardoń-Preinl, he prepared a sight-reading manual for secondary music school students for PWM. He currently works as a piano teacher and accompanist and, simultaneously, as a legal counsel collaborating with the Kraków Legal Group. He is a co-founder and president of the Association of Polish Chamber Musicians. He has coordinated numerous national and international projects, including youth exchanges, concert tours, and the organization of festivals, competitions, and academic conferences. In 2018, together with Prof. S. Wojtas, he received the Małopolska Voivodeship Ars Quaerendi Award for outstanding contributions to the development and promotion of culture. He is also a scholarship recipient of the Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage.

Concert VI

Katarzyna Budnik is a graduate of the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw in the violin class of Prof. Mirosław Ławrynowicz, Andrzej Gębski, and Janusz Wawrowski, as well as in the viola class of Prof. Piotr Reichert. She is employed as an assistant professor in the viola class at her alma mater. Since February 2014, she has also served as the principal violist of the Sinfonia Varsovia orchestra. In September 2013, she was awarded 3rd prize at the prestigious ARD Competition in Munich. She has also achieved success in numerous national and international competitions, including the 47th Ludwig van Beethoven International Competition in Hradec (2008, 1st prize), the 15th Johannes Brahms International Competition in Pörtschach (2008, 1st prize), the 8th Jan Rakowski National Viola Competition (2008, 1st prize), the Max Rostal International Competition in Berlin (2009, 2nd prize), the Max Reger International Chamber Music Competition in Sondershausen (2009, 2nd prize and Special Prize for the best performance of Max Reger’s viola solo suite), and the 4th Michał Spisak International Competition (2010, 2nd prize and Special Prize). As a soloist and chamber musician, she has performed extensively in Poland and across Europe, including the Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, and France. In 2010, she participated in the Chamber Music Connects the World project organized by the Kronberg Academy, performing with renowned musicians such as Gidon Kremer, Tatjana Grindenko, Yuri Bashmet, and Frans Helmerson. She has appeared at many prestigious festivals, including the Łańcut Music Festival, the International Chamber Music Festival “Music on the Peaks” in Zakopane, and the Kammermusikfest Lockenhaus (where she was invited by Gidon Kremer). In November 2013, her solo album “Viola Recital” was released, for which she received the Fryderyk 2014 award. For her outstanding achievements, she received a scholarship from the Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage and is also a recipient of the “Młoda Polska” program scholarship. In 2013, she was nominated for the “Polityka Passport” award. She holds a doctoral degree in music. She teaches violin at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw and at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice. She plays on a Braci Gand instrument (Paris, 1859), courtesy of the Fondation Jerzy Semkow.

Concert VII

Charles Owen maintains an extensive international career, performing a wide repertoire and receiving excellent critical acclaim. He appears in the UK’s most important concert halls, including Bridgewater Hall, The Sage, Wigmore Hall, and Kings Place. Abroad, he has performed at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall in New York, the Brahms Hall in Vienna’s Musikverein, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and the Melbourne Recital Centre. He has collaborated in chamber music with artists such as Alina Ibragimova, Johan Dalene, Imogen Cooper, Steven Isserlis, and Augustin Hadelich, and has performed with string quartets including Carducci, Heath, Sacconi, and Takács. He is a regular guest at UK festivals such as Aldeburgh, Bath, Cheltenham, Three Choirs, and Ryedale, and has also appeared at the Australian Festival of Chamber Music in Townsville and the Verbier Festival in Switzerland. As a soloist, he has performed with orchestras including the Philharmonia, Hallé, Aurora, and London Philharmonic, collaborating with distinguished conductors such as Sir Mark Elder, Ryan Wigglesworth, Nicholas Collon, and Martyn Brabbins. His acclaimed solo discography includes piano works by J.S. Bach, Brahms, Fauré, Liszt, Janáček, Poulenc, and Schumann. His chamber music recordings include works for two pianos by Rachmaninov, Stravinsky, and Poulenc with Katya Apekisheva, an album of Janáček, Suk, and Dvořák with Augustin Hadelich, as well as premiere recordings of Jonathan Dove’s Piano Quintet and Between Friends. Together with Katya Apekisheva, he serves as artistic co-director of the London Piano Festival, an annual piano celebration held at Kings Place. The festival commissions new works for piano duo from leading composers such as Sally Beamish, Nico Muhly, Elena Langer, and Stephen Hough. Charles Owen is a professor of piano at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. In 2016, he was appointed a Steinway & Sons ambassador in the UK and also serves as an ambassador for the charity Help Musicians.

Concert VII

Katya Apekisheva, described by Gramophone Magazine as a “deeply talented artist,” has established herself among Europe’s most esteemed and gifted pianists. Born in Moscow into a family of musicians, she attended the Gnessin School of Music for exceptionally gifted children and made her stage debut at the age of 12. She continued her studies at the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem and later at the Royal College of Music in London. From these promising beginnings, she became a laureate of the Leeds International Piano Competition and began a concert career performing with many of the world’s leading orchestras, including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Hallé Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic, Jerusalem Symphony, English Chamber Orchestra, and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, collaborating with distinguished conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle, David Shallon, Jan Latham-Koenig, and Alexander Lazarev. Her most recent album is a collection of impromptus, described by International Piano as a “fascinating and engrossing record.” As a recording artist, Katya has received wide critical acclaim, including Gramophone’s Editor’s Choice, International Piano’s Critics’ Choice, Classic FM’s CD of the Week, and a Classical Brit Award. Her discography encompasses solo and chamber works by Mussorgsky, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Dvořák, and Rachmaninov. Her recent and upcoming projects include performances in Russia, Norway, Japan, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, Germany, Australia, and the UK, including the Bath Mozart Fest, St. George’s Bristol, and the prestigious Wigmore Hall, where she is a regular guest. Her intense artistic expression and sensitivity make her a highly sought-after collaborative pianist, working with artists such as Janine Jansen, Natalie Clein, Guy Johnston, Maxim Rysanov, Jack Liebeck, Boris Brovtsyn, Alexei Ogrinchouk, and Nicholas Daniel. She regularly appears at major chamber music festivals worldwide. Katya also forms a highly successful and personally fulfilling piano duo with Charles Owen, with whom she performs at festivals around the globe. Together, they serve as artistic directors of the London Piano Festival, inaugurated in 2016.

Graphic design: Paweł Szlotawa

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Funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage from the Culture Promotion Fund under the “Music” program, implemented by the National Institute of Music and Dance.


Project co-financed by the Małopolska Region.
The world premiere on September 29 was made possible thanks to the Composer-in-Residence Program organized by the Polish Chamber Musicians’ Association in cooperation with ZAiKS Authors’ Association.

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Partners:

Instytut Muzykologii UJ

Honorary Patronage:



Łukasz Smółka – Marshal of the Małopolska Region


Prof. Piotr Jedynak, PhD – Rector of the Jagiellonian University

 

Media Patronage: