Easter Chamber Music Festival in Zielona Góra – 6th edition

Marta Mołodyńska-Wheeler is a pianist, chamber musician, composer, and synesthete who graduated with honors from the Academy of Music in Kraków in the piano class of Docent Marek Koziak, as well as from the Academy of Music in Katowice at the Faculty of Jazz and Popular Music in the Composition and Arrangement class under the direction of Professor Andrzej Zubek. Furthermore, she is a graduate of the Vocal and Acting Faculty at the Academy of Music in Kraków under Professor Katarzyna Oleś-Blacha. She also graduated with honors from the Faculty of English Philology at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. In 2017, she obtained the rank of certified teacher (specializing in piano). In 2020 and 2022, she received scholarships from the Minister of Culture and National Heritage. In 2023, she was honored with the Medal of the Commission of National Education, and in 2024, she was awarded the degree of habilitated doctor in the field of musical arts. Her numerous collections and cycles for solo piano, as well as for four and six hands, have been published by Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne, the Association of Polish Chamber Musicians, and Ars Musica. As a pianist, she participates in many music festivals throughout the country and abroad. She is currently a lecturer at the Krzysztof Penderecki Academy of Music in Kraków and teaches piano and piano improvisation at the W. Żeleński Secondary Music School in Kraków. She is a member of the editorial board of the journal Notatnik Pianistyczny, where she regularly publishes her articles, reviews, and compositions.

Monika Gardoń-Preinl is a distinguished pianist, chamber music specialist, and academic educator. A 1991 graduate of the Academy of Music in Kraków under Prof. Stefan Wojtas, she earned her habilitated doctor degree in musical arts in 2013. Early in her career, she was a laureate of several competitions, including the Stendhal Foundation and Chopin Competitions in Darmstadt and Göttingen, and honed her skills in masterclasses with Rudolf Kehrer and Rudolf Buchbinder.

As a soloist and chamber musician, she has performed extensively across Europe (including Germany, the Czech Republic, and Finland) and collaborated with world-renowned artists such as Peter-Lukas Graf, Wolfgang Pfistermüller, and Janos Balint at major international festivals.

Her academic career is centered at the Krzysztof Penderecki Academy of Music in Kraków, where she currently serves as an Associate Professor and Vice-Dean of the Instrumental Faculty. She has held numerous leadership roles, including Head of the Department of Accompaniment and Head of the Department of Early Music. Additionally, she is a certified teacher at the W. Żeleński Secondary Music School.

Beyond performance, she is a dedicated educator and co-author of an innovative three-part textbook series on sight-reading published by PWM (2017–2022). A frequent speaker at scientific sessions on performance and pedagogy, she has received numerous awards for her collaborative piano work, including the prestigious “Gloria Artis” Medal for Merit to Culture.

Piotr Różański studied at the Academy of Music in Kraków in the piano classes of Prof. Ewa Bukojemska (Master’s) and Prof. Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń (Bachelor’s). He also spent five years studying chamber music under Prof. Janina Romańska-Werner. He earned his Doctorate of Arts in 2014 and his Habilitation in 2019. Currently, he is an Assistant Professor at the Academy of Music in Kraków and teaches piano at the F. Chopin Secondary State Music School.

A laureate of numerous national and international piano and chamber music competitions, his honors include first prize at the 38th National F. Chopin Piano Competition (Warsaw 2006), first prize at the YAMAHA Foundation Scholarship Competition (Gdańsk 2008), and third prize at the Independent International Competition of Musical Personalities (Kyiv 2010). He was also a semi-finalist in the Piano-e-Competition (Minneapolis 2009), the Euroradio Competition (Bratislava 2009), and the J. Brahms Competition (Pörtschach 2011). Furthermore, he has received multiple awards for outstanding accompaniment at various festivals and competitions.

He has performed in Poland and throughout Europe (including the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Switzerland, Finland, Germany, France, Great Britain, Lithuania, and Ukraine), as well as in Israel and the United States. As a chamber musician, he has collaborated with distinguished artists such as Kaja Danczowska, Maria Sławek, Grzegorz Mania, and Marcin Zdunik. His festival appearances include “Chopin and his Europe,” the Duszniki-Zdrój Chopin Festival, and the Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival. He has participated in masterclasses led by masters such as Eugen Indjic, Dina Yoffe, and Joaquin Soriano.

His discography includes several albums: Schumann Prokofiew (2012) and Mieczysław Weinberg: Sonatas for Violin and Piano (2014), both recorded with violinist Maria Sławek, and Poland for 4 Hands (2019), recorded in a duo with pianist Grzegorz Mania.

Piotr Różański frequently lectures at scientific and pedagogical conferences and regularly leads instrumental courses in Poland, Ukraine, and Cyprus. He also serves as a jury member for piano competitions. His academic output includes a monograph and numerous articles; he has also served as an editor for collective publications and a reviewer for the journal Contexts of Music Education. He collaborates with Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne (PWM), editing editions of piano music, such as the works of Roman Ryterband.

His artistic and scientific interests focus on 20th and 21st-century piano and chamber music, as well as piano repertoire written specifically for the left hand.

Grzegorz Mania – pianist and lawyer. As a soloist and chamber musician, he has performed in Poland and abroad, including the United Kingdom, France, Norway, Germany, Austria, Italy, Finland, Iceland, Israel, the United States, Australia, Ukraine, and Cyprus.

He is an experienced and versatile chamber musician and a prize-winner at various instrumental competitions. He has collaborated with many distinguished soloists, including a regular duo with Katarzyna Budnik, with whom he recorded two albums (2022 featuring sonatas by M. Weinberg and D. Shostakovich; 2023 featuring works by R. Clarke, W. Gawroński, P. Scharwenka, and Z. Stojowski). He also participated in the recording of the complete songs of W. Żeleński with Urszula Kryger and Magdalena Molendowska; this four-disc album was honored with the Fryderyk 2024 award.

For the past 12 years, he has performed with Piotr Różański as the “Zarębski Piano Duo.” In 2019, they released the album Poland for 4 Hands, featuring works by J. Zarębski, I.J. Paderewski, and the complete piano duo works of W. Żeleński. In 2023, he recorded Waltzes for Piano Duo with Karolina Radomska, featuring pieces by J. Brahms, the Scharwenka brothers, and M. Moszkowski. His 2024 releases include a collaboration with cellist Bartosz Koziak (works by Sz. Laks, K. Rathaus, and M. Weinberg) and a monographic album of Szymon Laks’s works performed in duo and quintet settings.

Grzegorz Mania is the author of the book Music in Copyright Law (PWM 2020) and co-author—with Dr. Hab. Monika Gardoń-Preinl—of a three-part sight-reading textbook (PWM). He serves as an editor for numerous sheet music editions (Różycki, Zarębski, Lessel) and is the Editor-in-Chief of the quarterly journal Notatnik Pianistyczny.

As the co-founder and President of the Association of Polish Chamber Musicians, he has coordinated numerous national and international projects, including youth exchanges, concert tours, festivals, and academic conferences. His contributions to culture have been recognized with the Ars Quaerendi Award (2018), the “Merit for Polish Culture” honorary badge (2023), and multiple scholarships from the Minister of Culture and National Heritage.

He graduated from the Academy of Music in Kraków (class of Prof. S. Wojtas) and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London (class of Prof. M. Roscoe and Ch. Owen). Concurrently, he completed law studies at the Jagiellonian University, later earning a PhD in Law for his work on music in copyright. He obtained his habilitation at the Academy of Music in Kraków, and in 2025, the President of the Republic of Poland conferred upon him the title of Professor of Musical Arts. He currently works at the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz, lectures on copyright law at universities across Poland, and teaches at the Fryderyk Chopin State Music School Complex in Warsaw.

Iwona Kowalkowska-Szepielow was a soloist at the Opera Nova in Bydgoszcz and the Warsaw Chamber Opera, and she has collaborated with the Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera in Warsaw. As a soloist, she has performed under the baton of many prominent Polish conductors, including Ruben Silva, Zbigniew Graca, and Czesław Grabowski. Her international performances have taken her to South Korea, the Netherlands, Canada, the United Kingdom (Scotland and England), Germany, and Belarus.

Currently, she focuses on chamber music, performing both in Poland and abroad. In 2004, she was awarded the “Un Premier Prix à l’Unanimité avec Félicitations du Jury” at the UFAM International Singing Competition (Superior level) in Paris. While her operatic repertoire includes roles by W.A. Mozart, St. Moniuszko, O. Nicolai, and G. Bizet, her artistic interests focus primarily on oratorio-cantata parts and vocal lyricism.

Her recording credits include the first-ever world recording of Georges Bizet’s opera “Don Procopio” (DYNAMIC 2003), a 2008 recording of Stanisław Niewiadomski’s song cycle “Słonko” (MUZA 2008), and a 2014 album of songs by Oskar Kolberg released by ActePréalable.

Between 2005 and 2009, she taught solo singing at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music (Białystok branch) and served as a visiting professor at Keimyung University in Daegu, South Korea. Since 2009, she has led a solo singing class at the I.J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań. Her graduates and former students include talented singers such as Szymon Mechliński, Katarzyna Wietrzny, Maria Domżał (Olender), Artur Rożek, and Hanna Rogoża. Prof. Dr. Hab. Iwona Kowalkowska-Szepielow also has extensive experience in teaching voice projection to speech therapists, educators, and actors, and is the author of numerous scientific publications.

Małgorzata Woltmann-Żebrowska is a mezzosoprano and educator who graduated from the I. J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań under Prof. Grażyna Flicińska-Panfil. She further refined her skills in masterclasses with figures such as Ewa Podleś and Teresa Berganza.

Her diverse repertoire spans opera, oratorio-cantata, and art song cycles by composers including Schumann, Mahler, de Falla, and Szymanowski. She is particularly recognized for her performances of sacred works by Vivaldi, Pergolesi, Handel, and Mozart. Notably, she recorded the world-premiere CD of Aleksander Tansman’s song cycles. She has collaborated with the Philharmonic orchestras of Poznań, Pomerania, and Gorzów, and performed as a regular soloist with the “Poznań Nightingales” Choir under Prof. Stefan Stuligrosz.

In the academic sphere, she earned her doctorate and habilitation from the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. Since 2020, she has served as the Director of the Vocal Institute at her alma mater in Poznań, where she leads a solo singing class. She also lectures on voice projection and vocal physiology at other higher education institutions. On September 13, 2024, she was awarded the title of Full Professor.

Justyna Chęsy graduated with honors from the piano class of Professor Alicja Kledzik at the I. J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań. In 2003, she earned a Master of Music degree in piano and accompaniment from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, followed by a Doctor of Musical Arts in piano with an emphasis on chamber music from the University of Texas at Austin in 2007.

She is a laureate of the City of Berga International Piano Competition in Spain and was awarded a scholarship from the Minister of Culture and Sports for the 1999–2000 academic year for outstanding achievements. In 2007, she received an award for her distinguished doctoral solo recital. In 2008, she was granted a scholarship to translate Professor Elliott Antokoletz’s “Twentieth-Century Music” into Polish. She contributed to the expanded Polish edition by translating and preparing material on Polish composers. She also prepared materials on Asian composers for the professor’s book “Twentieth-Century Music: Linking Culture, Society, and the Arts,” published in 2014.

In the summer of 2010, she served as a faculty member at the FAVA festival in Salzburg, working as an accompanist and vocal coach. From 2010 to 2012, she worked as a vocal coach at Texas State University in San Marcos. Between 2012 and 2014, she was an accompanist and coach at the summer opera festival “La Musica Lirica” in Italy. It was there that she began her long-term collaboration with Professor Ubaldo Fabbri, with whom she co-founded the “Studium Belcanto” International Music Workshops in 2014. These workshops, organized in Italy and Poland, help singers develop linguistic, vocal, and acting skills ranging from Italian phonetics to the Alexander Technique. Guest instructors at the workshops have included Prof. Eva Blahova, Maestro Jose Florencio, Jacek Laszkowski, and Alexander Technique instructor Magdalena Kędzior.

In 2018, Justyna Chęsy translated and edited the Polish edition of Professor Steven W. Smith’s book “The Naked Voice.” That same year, she organized a promotional tour for the book across several Polish cities, featuring workshops with Prof. Smith, a world-renowned vocal pedagogue.

Currently, she works as a vocal accompanist and coach at the I. J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań.

Paulina Zarębska is a graduate of the Academy of Music in Poznań, where she completed postgraduate master’s studies in piano, and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Her professors included Waldemar Andrzejewski, Jan Jański, Grzegorz Kurzyński, and Matthijs Verschoor.

She has performed in numerous cities across Poland and abroad, including performances for The International Holland Music Session and several concerts organized by the Rotary Club in Amsterdam. She has also appeared at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. She performs regularly in Poznań, participating in events such as the Summer Stage, academic galas at the Feliks Nowowiejski Museum (Villa Among Roses), and collaborations with Pro Sinfonika and the Zamek Culture Centre.

She has participated in many vocal courses led by prominent pedagogues and served as an accompanist in national and international vocal competitions, where the young singers she accompanied frequently won top prizes. She received awards for outstanding accompaniment at the Karol Kurpiński Vocal Competition in Włoszakowice and the 2nd National “Sound Discoveries” Competition in Poznań. In 2012, she served as a vocal coach for an international opera production in Porto, Portugal, as part of the Erasmus program.

In 2016, she defended her doctoral thesis on “The Musical Masks of Maurice Ravel through selected works” at the Instrumental Faculty of the Academy of Music in Poznań, earning the degree of Doctor of Arts. She is currently an Assistant Professor at the Poznań Academy, working as a piano accompanist at the Vocal Institute. She specializes in German and French phonetics in singing and has served as the Deputy Director of the Institute since September 2020.

Paulina Zarębska also possesses formal vocal training, which provides her with a deeper understanding of vocal technique and the specific demands of a singer’s work. She regularly participates in the Baroque Project, performing choral parts in the major vocal-instrumental works of Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel.

Nathanael Horton Master of Performance – Classical Cello Nathanael graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with a Master of Performance with Distinction in 2025 supported by the Collier Edward’s Fishmonger’s scholarship. He also holds a 1 st Class Bachelor of Music at Guildhall supported with scholarship. Currently Nathanael in enrolled on a Junior Fellowship scheme at Guildhall. Nathanael was taught by Sue Lowe prior to attending Guildhall. Nathanael’s musical output spans a broad range of genres and ensembles. He has a busy performance schedule and has led the Guildhall Symphony Orchestra in the Barbican concert hall on multiple occasions. He has taken part in festivals including Newbury Festival and Conwy Classical Music Festival. He has played with professional orchestras including English Chamber Orchestra and has played alongside David Cohen in an LSO concert performing Boulez’ Messagesquisse. He also directs chamber music concerts with great success in North Wales. Nathanael is a member of the Wilberforce Trio with Catherine Chang and Elise Scheuer. They are coached at Guildhall by Sam Armstrong, Bortosz Woroch and David Dolan. They have had masterclasses with Robert Levin and Candida Thompson. Nathanael has taken solo masterclasses with many cellists including Xenia Jankovic, Adrian Brendal, Louise Hopkins, Jonathan Aasgaard, Leonid Gorokhov and Andrew Schulman. Nathanael is passionate about avant garde music, performing with Guildhall’s Ubu ensemble which has been broadcast on BBC3. Additionally, he works closely with fellow composer Siri Livingston. He was also involved in the Guildhall baroque orchestra which has collaborated with Academy of Ancient Music and took baroque lessons from Joe Crouch. Nathanael teaches cello privately from beginner to post grade 8. He has had pedagogical training from Selma Gocken during his studies at Guildhall. Before Guildhall, Nathanael studied at the Junior Royal Northern College of Music where he took lessons in Piano, Singing and Composition. Here he was also the principal cellist of the Symphony Orchestra. He composed and performed in the New Music Ensemble sparking an interest in contemporary classical music. In 2019 he won the Jill Copping Cup for Best Performance in the Alderley Edge Festival concert and went on to win the Northern Festival’s Finale Concert later that year. Nathanael plays on an early 19 th century English cello of an unknown maker. Apart from music Nathanael enjoys the outdoors and spends much of his time cycling and running.

He began playing the cello at the age of seven at the Stanisław Moniuszko State Primary Music School in Katowice. He continued his education at the Karol Szymanowski State Secondary Music School in Katowice.

He is a laureate of numerous national and international competitions, including the 16th Kazimierz Wiłkomirski International Youth Cello Competition in Poznań, the 44th National Bach Competition in Zielona Góra, the 1st Manuel de Falla Spanish Music Competition in Warsaw, and the 27th Zdzisława Wojciechowska National Cello Confrontations in Bydgoszcz.

He has worked under the guidance of distinguished professors such as Roman Jabłoński, Piotr Hausenplas, Marcin Zdunik, Tomasz Strahl, and Johannes Moser. Currently, he is a student at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw.

Natalia Julia Kosnowska was born on July 29, 2004, in Siedlce. She began her piano studies at the age of seven under Bożena Adamczyk. In 2023, she graduated with honors from the State Secondary Music School in Siedlce in the class of Iwona Domańska.

Currently, she is a student at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, pursuing a double major: piano performance in the class of Prof. Agnieszka Przemyk-Bryła and Mateusz Krzyżowski, and composition in the class of Dr. Hab. Tomasz Opałka, Prof. UMFC.

From an early age, she has been an active participant in various artistic events. She has performed frequently for wide audiences as both a soloist and chamber musician, including premieres of her own original compositions.

She has refined her piano skills through numerous masterclasses led by distinguished pedagogues, including Joanna Ławrynowicz-Just, Mariusz Drzewicki, Zbigniew Raubo, Maria Korecka-Soszkowska, Hubert Rutkowski, Maciej Pabich, Martina Frezzotti, Jānis Maļeckis, and Romeo Smilkov.

She is a laureate of several national and international piano and composition competitions, including:

• 5th National Piano Competition “In Baroque Style” in Poznań – Laureate title (2022)

• 3rd “Patri Patriae” International Composition Competition in Katowice – 3rd Prize (2023)

• International BTHVN Wien Competition – 1st Prize (2024)

• 5th “Małopolska 2025” International Music Competition – 3rd Prize in the “Chamber Ensembles” category (2025)

Hanna Hipp’s ardent and impassioned singing make her a favourite for the leading lyric mezzo repertoire around the world with her recent roles including a critically acclaimed portrayal of Offred in The Handmaid’s Tale at Royal Danish Theatre (Jessica Cottis), Der Komponist in Ariadne auf Naxos at Glyndebourne Festival Opera (Cornelius Meister) and Opera North (Antony Hermus), Dorabella in Così fan tutte at Seattle Opera (Paul Daniel), English National Opera (Kerem Hasan) and New Zealand Opera (Natalie Murray Beale), Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro with Royal Ballet & Opera, Covent Garden (Antonio Pappano) and English National Opera (Kevin John Edusei and Ainārs Rubikis). Hanna Hipp sang her first Varvara (Katya Kabanova) for Scottish Opera, and the title role in Offenbach’s Fantasio and her first Octavian (Der Rosenkavalier) both for Garsington Opera. International debuts include Teatro alla Scala as Mercédès (Carmen) in a critically acclaimed production by Emma Dante, Teatro Real Madrid as Frances, Countess of Essex (Gloriana) in David McVicar’s new production under Ivor Bolton, at Dutch National Opera as Ein Page in Ivo van Hove’s new production under Daniele Gatti, and both Isolier (Le Comte Ory) and Beatrice (Beatrice and Benedict) for Seattle Opera, the former of which Hipp reprised for New Zealand Opera. Increasingly in demand on the concert platform, Hanna Hipp performed most recently with Nil Venditti and Norwegian Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra (Berio’s Folk Songs), Delyana Lazarova and the Hallé (Boulanger’s Psalm 130), Patrick Hahn and Royal Scottish National Orchestra (Mozart’s Requiem), and was reunited with Vladimir Jurowski and the London Philharmonic Orchestra for Haydn’s Missa in tempore belli as well as with Sir Simon Rattle and the London Symphony Orchestra for concert performances of The Excursions of Mr Brouček after her recent appearance in Jenůfa and performance of Szymanowski’s Stabat Mater at the Barbican. In previous seasons Hanna Hipp joined Halldis Rønning and Malmö Symphony Orchestra for Viva España featuring De Falla’s El amor brujo, and Thomas Zehetmair with Royal Northern Sinfonia for Bruckner’s Mass No.3 at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music with further recent concert highlights including Ein Page in Salome for both Bergen and Edinburgh International Festivals under Edward Gardner, Der Trommler in Ullmann’s Der Kaiser von Atlantis with BBC Symphony Orchestra under Josep Pons, the title role in Mascagni’s Zanetto with the orchestra of Scottish Opera under David Parry, and Rossweise in Die Walküre with London Philharmonic Orchestra under Vladimir Jurowski. Recent notable operatic appearances include Frederico Garcia 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 Ballet & Opera, Covent Garden for Hänsel und Gretel under Mark Wigglesworth.

Hanna is the winner of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage Republic of Poland creative scholarship for the year 2026.

Polish Violin Duo consists of violinists Marta Gidaszewska and Robert Łaguniak. The artists are laureates of numerous international and national violin and chamber music competitions. They have earned nearly 200 awards at competitions in Japan, the USA, Estonia, Serbia, Denmark, Greece, Sweden, England, France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Germany, and Poland, where they notably won 1st Prize in the chamber ensemble category at the 1st Stanisław Moniuszko International Polish Music Competition in Rzeszów.

Often referred to as “ambassadors of Polish music,” the duo maintains an intensive concert schedule. They perform regularly in the most prestigious concert halls in Poland and have toured internationally in the USA, China, France, England, Turkey, Estonia, and Hungary. The Polish Violin Duo is deeply committed to promoting Polish repertoire and actively produces studio recordings.

Their album featuring 20th-century Polish violin duets (Bacewicz, Paciorkiewicz, Spisak, Weinberg) received a Fryderyknomination for Album of the Year – Chamber Music – Duos. The artists also recorded the world-premiere phonographic release of Joachim Kaczkowski’s duets. Their latest album, Interweave, is dedicated to the works of Czech and Hungarian composers.

The ensemble collaborates closely with contemporary composers, leading to the creation of many new works dedicated to them, including Anna Rocławska-Musiałczyk’s concerto for two violins and symphony orchestra, Reflections. The Polish Violin Duo is a recipient of programs by the National Institute of Music and Dance and the Creative Scholarship of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage. They were also nominated for the “Young Promoter of Poland” award, granted by the First Lady of Poland, Agata Kornhauser-Duda.

Piotr Pawlak is one of the most versatile Polish pianists of the younger generation. He is a winner of many international competitions, including the 5th Maj Lind International Piano Competition in Helsinki (2022) and the 11th International Chopin Piano Competition in Darmstadt (2017). He was a designated audience favorite at the 19th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw (2025) and is a laureate of Chopin competitions in Beijing (2016), Budapest (2018), and Kraków (2019). His other accolades include prizes at the Stanisław Moniuszko International Competition of Polish Music in Rzeszów (2019), the Ignacy Jan Paderewski International Piano Competition in Bydgoszcz (2022), and the International Chopin Competition on Period Instruments in Warsaw (2023).

He has performed throughout Europe, as well as in the United States, China, and Japan. He has collaborated with numerous orchestras, including the Warsaw National Philharmonic, the Baltic, Świętokrzyska, and Lower Silesian Philharmonics, the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the {oh!} Orchestra. His concert highlights include appearances at the Berlin Philharmonic, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, the Warsaw National Philharmonic, Sala Verdi in Milan, and Teatro alla Scala, as well as at festivals such as Kissinger Sommer in Bad Kissingen and Chopin and his Europe in Warsaw.

In the 2024/2025 season, he performed in Canada, Japan, Venezuela, Germany, Switzerland, Finland, Great Britain, France, Hungary, and Poland, collaborating with the Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra, the Polish Radio Orchestra in Warsaw, and the Sinfonia Baltica. In January 2025, an album of chamber music by Józef Elsner was released, featuring Pawlak and musicians of the Wrocław Baroque Orchestra (the first recording on period instruments). In February, the Fryderyk Chopin Institute released the artist’s debut solo album featuring the music of Chopin—a recording of his performances during the 2nd International Chopin Competition on Period Instruments.

Piotr Pawlak began his musical education at the age of six at the Feliks Nowowiejski Music School in Gdańsk under Ewa Włodarczyk and continued under Prof. Waldemar Wojtal until completing his studies in 2021. He also graduated from music school in the organ class of Dr. Hanna Dys and is currently studying conducting at the Stanisław Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdańsk under Prof. Zygmunt Rychert. Since 2024, he has also been a student at the prestigious International Piano Academy Lake Como.

The pianist is dedicated to reintroducing improvisation to the world of classical music. He draws inspiration from historical performance practice, such as performing improvised cadenzas in Mozart’s concertos. At the Chopin competition in Darmstadt, in addition to 1st prize, he received an award for the best improvisation on themes from Weber’s Der Freischütz. In 2020, he took second prize in the Transatlantyk Instant Composition Contest piano improvisation competition as part of the International Film Festival in Katowice.

Beyond his pianistic career, he is a laureate of organ competitions and mathematical olympiads. After defending his Master’s thesis in Mathematics in 2020, he is continuing his studies at the doctoral school of the University of Gdańsk.