Polish EU Presidency in Estonia
As part of Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, a special series of chamber music concerts will take place in Estonia, strengthening cultural ties and promoting Polish musical heritage.
The festival will feature 12 concerts in Tallinn, Tartu, Narva, and Pärnu, performed by outstanding Polish musicians. The repertoire includes works by prominent Polish composers such as Fryderyk Chopin, Karol Szymanowski and Henryk Wieniawski.
The events will serve as a platform for artistic exchange, emphasizing European cultural diversity and Poland’s role in fostering dialogue through music. This initiative aligns with the core values of the EU by promoting intercultural understanding, strengthening collaboration between Polish and Estonian artists, and engaging diverse audiences.
The concerts will take place in renowned cultural venues, including Kadriorg Palace in Tallinn, Tubina Saal in Tartu, Narva Town Hall, and churches in Pärnu, offering audiences a unique opportunity to experience the richness of Polish chamber music in Estonia.
Festival Program, 2025:
The concerts will take place in Tallinn, Tartu, Narva, and Pärnu, totaling 12 performances.
Concert No. I
📅 March 23, 2025, 18.00
📍 Kadriorg Palace, Tallinn
🎻 Paweł Zalejski – violin, 🎹 Bartłomiej Wezner – piano
Programme including: Henryk Wieniawski, Karol Szymanowski
Concert No. II
📅 April 13, 2025, 18.00
📍 Kadriorg Palace, Tallinn
🎻 Bartosz Koziak – cello, 🎹 Agnieszka Kozło – piano
Programme including: Fryderyk Chopin, Karol Szymanowski
Concert No. III
📅 May 9, 2025, 18.00
📍 Tubina Saal, Tartu
🎶 Herbert Piano Trio: 🎹 Bartłomiej Wezner – piano, 🎻 Joanna Kreft – violin, 🎻 Dominik Płociński – cello
Programme including: Karol Szymanowski
Concert No. IV
📅 May 10, 2025, 18.00
📍 Narva Raekoda, Narva
🎶 Herbert Piano Trio: 🎹 Bartłomiej Wezner – piano, 🎻 Joanna Kreft – violin, 🎻 Dominik Płociński – cello
Programme including: Karol Szymanowski
Concert No. V
📅 May 10, 2025,18.00
📍 Tubina Saal, Tartu
🎹 Paweł Wakarecy – piano
Programme including: Fryderyk Chopin, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Juliusz Zarębski, Ludomir Różycki
Concert No. VI
📅 May 11, 2025, 18.00
📍 Narva Raekoda, Narva
🎹 Paweł Wakarecy – piano
Programme including: Fryderyk Chopin, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Juliusz Zarębski, Ludomir Różycki
Concert No. VII
📅 May 15, 2025, 17.00
📍 Narva Raekoda, Narva
🎻 Polish Violin Duo: Marta Gidaszewska – violin, Robert Łaguniak – violin
Programme including: Grażyna Bacewicz, Michał Spisak, Tadeusz Paciorkiewicz, Ewelina Nowicka, Romuald Twardowski, Anna Rocławska-Musiałczyk, Henryk Wieniawski
Concert No. VIII
📅 May 17, 2025, 18.00
📍 Tubina Saal, Tartu
🎻 Polish Violin Duo: Marta Gidaszewska – violin, Robert Łaguniak – violin
Programme including: Grażyna Bacewicz, Michał Spisak, Tadeusz Paciorkiewicz, Ewelina Nowicka, Romuald Twardowski, Anna Rocławska-Musiałczyk, Henryk Wieniawski
Concert No. IX
📅 May 17, 2025, 17.00
📍 Narva Raekoda, Narva
🎻 Jarosław Nadrzycki – violin, 🎹 Marcin Sikorski – piano
Programme including: Józef Elsner, Henryk Wieniawski, Karol Szymanowski, Witold Lutosławski
Concert No. X
📅 May 18, 2025, 18.00
📍 Tartu Linnamuuseum, Tartu
🎻 Jarosław Nadrzycki – violin, 🎹 Marcin Sikorski – piano
Programme including: Józef Elsner, Henryk Wieniawski, Karol Szymanowski, Witold Lutosławski
Concert No. XI
📅 June 7, 2025, 16:00
📍 St. Elizabeth’s Church (Pärnu Eliisabeti kirik), Pärnu
🎻 Magdalena Bojanowicz – cello, 🎹 Radosław Kurek – piano
Programme including: Fryderyk Chopin, Józef Wieniawski
Concert No. XII
📅 June 8, 2025, 16:00
📍 Randivälja kirik, Pärnu
🎻 Magdalena Bojanowicz – cello, 🎻 Bartosz Koziak – cello
Varius composers.
This project is co-financed by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland from the Culture Promotion Fund.
Performers:
Paweł Wakarecy – piano
In 2011, after graduating with honors from prof. Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń’s piano class he became the assistant lecturer at the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz. In 2017 he completed his PhD in piano performance and from 2019 started to work as a professor. He developed his abilities at master classes taught by e. g. Bernard Ringeissen, Ewa Pobłocka, Jaques Rouvier, Dang Thai Son, Mikhail Voskressensky and Nelson Goerner. The pianist was awarded in many national and international piano competitions for children and youth. He received special awards in the International Ignacy Jan Paderewski Competition in Bydgoszcz (2007) and was a finalist of the International Fryderyk Chopin Competition in Darmstadt (2009). In the 16th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw (2010), he reached the finals, awarded with the distinction and a special award „for the most highly assessed Polish participant”. As part of the Chopin Year celebrations in 2010, Paweł Wakarecy gave more than 50 concerts in Poland as well as abroad. After success on the Chopin Competition he performed in Germany, Sweden, Russia, Bulgaria, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, Great Britain, Norway, China, Japan, Korea, Denmark, Egypt, Chile, Columbia. In 2012 he toured Ukraine with the ‘Amadeus’ Chamber Orchestra of the Polish Radio, the same year he gave recitals in Moscow and London. In 2013-2014 he performed in important places connected with Chopin’s life – at Chopin festivals in Valldemossa (Mallorca) and Nohant (France), in Schubert Saal of Vienna Konzerthaus. He performed in prestigious concert halls like The Cadogan Hall and Westminster Cathedral Hall in London, Salle Cortot in Paris, Oji Hall in Tokyo, Seoul’s Arts Center and Lotte Concert Hall or Grand Hall of Kiev Conservatory. The artist has played with such ensembles as: Warsaw Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, the Polish Radio Orchestra, Sinfonia Varsovia, the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice (NOSPR), Sinfonia Iuventus Polish Orchestra, the Polish Philharmonic Sinfonia Baltica, Leopoldinum Chamber Orchestra, and the majority of philharmonic orchestras in Poland, under the batons of Agnieszka Duczmal, Antoni Wit, Łukasz Borowicz, Wojciech Michniewski, Zygmunt Rychert, Jerzy Salwarowski, Marek Moś, Adam Sztaba, Mitsuioshi Oikawa, Bar Avni and Daniel Smith. As a chamber musician he performs in Wakarecy Piano Duo with his wife Aleksandra, and plays in chamber ensembles with most prominent young polish musicians. The English music critic John Allison wrote in his commentary to the CD released by the Fryderyk Chopin Institute in 2011, containing selected performances from the 2010’Chopin Competition in Warsaw: „As the only Polish finalist in the 16th International Fryderyk Chopin Competition, Paweł Wakarecy […] had shown himself to be one of the outstanding pianist. The Toruń-born player certainly showed natural, instinctive feeling for nearly everything he tackled, often capturing that subtle, nostalgic quality that Poles call ‘żal’. But if his Polish genes showed through, he never appeared to take anything in the music for granted, and most of his interpretations were the result of a searching, individual musical mind. Above all, Wakarecy’s playing convinced for the depth of his touch, which showed a very psysical connection to the instrument.”
Marcin Sikorski – piano
Marcin Sikorski, born in 1971, is regarded as one of Poland’s most exceptional chamber music pianists. His performances are consistently met with acclaim from both audiences and critics alike. He frequently collaborates with renowned violinist Soyoung Yoon, winner of the Wieniawski Competition. Together, they have performed at prestigious festivals across Europe, with one critic noting, “In duet, they have created a universe that completely captivated the listeners’ minds.” Last year, they held 33 recitals across Japan, Germany, Spain, and Poland. Sikorski has also worked with distinguished artists such as Bartek Nizioł, Erin Keefe, Reiko Otani, Haik Kazazyan, Li Teng, Mei Diyang, Alena Baeva, Veriko Tchumburidze, Ludmila Pavlová, Jarosław Bręk, Katarzyna Polonek, Agata Szymczewska, Anna Maria Staśkiewicz, Rafał Kwiatkowski, the Silesian String Quartet, and the AKADEMOS Quartet. As a soloist, he has performed with orchestras under the direction of conductors L. Foster, M. Caldi, M. J. Błaszczyk, T. Wojciechowski, A. Affeltowicz, J. Rogala, and Ł. Błaszczyk. His career has taken him to renowned venues worldwide, including the Chopin Festival in Duszniki-Zdrój, the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, the International Conservatoire Week in Petersburg, Osorske Glazbene Večeri in Croatia, and Grieg Festival in Bergen. He has performed in 20 countries and at prestigious concert halls, including Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium and the Berliner Philharmonic Chamber Hall. Sikorski has recorded six CDs featuring the chamber music of Schumann, Brahms, Franck, Richard Strauss, Ravel, Prokofiev, Schnittke, Shostakovich, Lutosławski, and Zarębski, and has appeared on over 25 other recordings. His 2006 CD with Agata Szymczewska, winner of the Wieniawski Competition, earned a prestigious “FRYDERYK” Prize. He has also contributed to numerous TV and radio broadcasts. A celebrated figure in the chamber music community, Sikorski has won numerous awards in international competitions and has been honored as the best piano accompanist at competitions such as Khachaturian in Yerevan, Tansmann in Łódź, and Wieniawski in Poznań. He has served as the official pianist for several major violin competitions, including the Joachim in Hanover, Britten in London, Wieniawski in Poznań, and Szymanowski in Katowice. Sikorski completed his studies at the Academy of Music in Katowice, Poland, under Maria Szwajger-Kułakowska, and received his doctorate in chamber music from the Poznań Music Academy. He has participated in master classes with distinguished artists such as Isaac Stern, Leon Fleisher, Bruno Canino, Emanuel Ax, Erica Frieser, and members of the LaSalle, Juilliard, Emerson, and Guarneri quartets. He currently serves as an Associate Professor of Chamber Music at the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz and maintains a collaborative relationship with the Central Conservatory in Beijing.
Jarosław Nadrzycki – violin
Jarosław Nadrzycki is widely considered as one of the most exciting violinists of his generation in the world today. At the age of twelve, he made his soloistic debut at the Great Hall of Tchaikovsky’s Conservatory in Moscow. Ever since then he presented his unique talent alongside some of the most prestigious orchestras and ensembles in Europe, Asia and both continents of America. Born in Żagań, where he began his musical education, further continued in Poznań’s Academy of Music with Prof. Jadwiga Kaliszewska. Additionally graduated from the Mozarteum University in Salzburg with Prof. Igor Ozim, and the Royal Academy of Music in London with Prof.
Igor Petrushevski. Jaroslaw is a winner of numerous major international competitions, such as: Aram Khachaturian International Violin Competition in Yerevan (2010), Valsesia Musica Competition in Varallo (2010), G. Enescu International Competition in Bucharest (2009), Max Rostal Competition in Berlin (2002), Jascha Heifetz Competition in Vilnius (2000), and UK’s Haverhill Sinfonia Soloist Competition (2008), as well as a laureate of: Tibor Varga International Competition in Martigny (2004), Benjamin Britten Competition in London (2008), and Henryk Wieniawski Competition in Poznań (2001). The most significant solo appearances of his include Krzysztof Penderecki Violin Concerto No. 2 “Metamorphosen” with the Simón Bolivar Orchestra of Venezuela led by the composer himself (2010). In 2013, Jarosław Nadrzycki performed thrice the same Penderecki’s concerto at the 17th
Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival with MDR Sinfonieorchester under the buton of Kristjan Järvi. He appeared with many renowned orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Hamburg Philharmonic, Vilnius State Philharmonic, “Transylvania” State Philharmonic and George Enescu Philharmonic orchestras; the Simón Bolivar, The State of Mexico, Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk, Slovac Radio, Polish National Radio, Thessaloniki and Zurich symphony orchestras; the Youth State Orchestra of Armenia, Sinfonia Iuventus and the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra of the Polish Radio. Furthermore, he has had the honour of performing alongside conductors and musical personalities including: Horia Andreescu, Enrique Batiz, Massimiliano Caldi, Agnieszka Duczmal, Paul Goodwin, Giancarlo Guerrero, Alexander Humala, Kristjan Järvi, Krzysztof Penderecki, Thomas Sanderling,
Sergey Smbatyan and Maxim Vengerov. Between the years of 2013-2018, he collaborated as a leading violinist of Meccore String Quartet, further in 2018, he founded Boarte Piano Trio, with which he gained recognition from audiences in Europe and the United States. As a result of many years of collaboration with the pianist Joanna Zathey, an album with works for piano and violin by Brahms was released under the Orphée Classics label in 2018. In 2021, two albums with works by Bach and Mendelssohn-Bartholdy were released under the Hänssler Classic label, recorded together with the flautist Krzysztof Maciej Kaczka, the L’Appassionata Chamber Orchestra and the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra. He has repeatedly performed at the London’s Wigmore Hall, Auditorio Nacional de Música in Madrid, the Romanian Atheneum in Bucharest, Ahmed Adnan Saygun Arts Center in Izmir, Bozar in Brussels, the Pollack Hall in Montreal and Musikverein in Vienna . The artist has made many radio and TV recordings for such broadcasters as the Bayerischer Rundfunk, BBC Radio 3, ZDF, TV ORF Austria, Mezzo TV, TVR Romania, TVP Kultura. He has recorded CDs for DUX, Warner Music Poland, MDG Classics, Orphée Classics. From 2016 Jarosław Nadrzycki is an assistant of the string department at the I.J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań.
Herbert Piano Trio
Established in autumn 2013, the Herbert Piano Trio took as its patron the figure of the great Polish poet Zbigniew Herbert. The Trio made its debut at the Polish Radio Concert Studio in Katowice in 2014. The Trio consists of Bartłomiej Wezner – piano, Joanna Kreft – violin and Dominik Płociński – cello. The musicians are graduates of eminent professors and artists: Ewa Pobłocka, Marcin Baranowski and Andrzej Bauer. The Herbert Piano Trio’s activity is lively and vibrant, performing at, among others: Opole and Gorzów Wielkopolski Philharmonics (L. van Beethoven’s Triple Concerto, Op. 56), the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Philharmonic in Bydgoszcz, Chopin Centres in Szafarnia and Żelazowa Wola, the Władysław Szpilman Studio of the Polish Radio in Warsaw, the Aula Nova in Poznań, the Artus Court in Toruń, and the Polish Embassy in New York. The ensemble’s repertoire ranges from classicism to contemporary music. The ensemble has drawn inspiration from participating in the courses of eminent artists such as Gregor Sigl (Artemis Quartett), Trio Jean Paul, Niklas Schmidt (Trio Fontenay), Clive Brown and Marcin Sikorski. They have performed at many festivals, including the International Krystyna Jamroz Music Festival in Busko-Zdrój, the Kraków Music Salon, the Rzeszów Music Autumn and the Silesian Beethoven Festival in Głogówek. The Herbert Trio has also given concerts at the Beethoven-Haus in Bonn, Teatro Verdi in Trieste, Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt in Weimar, the transVOCALE and PianOdra Festivals in Frankfurt, and the 16th Schwandorfer Klavierfrühling in Schwandorf. The ensemble has recorded for Radio Suisse, Dwójka Polish Radio and Polish Radio PiK, among others. An important mission of the ensemble is also the promotion of Polish chamber music. Since 2020, the trio has released recordings of piano trios by Józef Wieniawski (in the form of a documentary film, under the patronage of Dwójka Polish Radio and the Henryk Wieniawski Musical Society), Henryk Melcer and Franciszek Lessel. The ensemble also inspires composers to create new chamber works. It premiered compositions written for it by Szymon Godziemba-Trytek (Elegy for the Departure of Pen Ink and Lamp to a poem by Zbigniew Herbert for vocal ensemble and piano trio, 2018), Rafał Janiak (Sounds of Robots to a text by Stanisław Lem for act, piano trio and percussion, 2021 and Copernicana for actor, piano trio and percussion, 2023) and Paweł Kwapiński (Game of Reflections for piano trio, 2024), as well as new versions of works by Michał Dobrzyński, Hanna Kulenty and Paweł Mykietyn. A special place in Herbert Piano Trio’s activity is occupied by an interdisciplinary project combining music with the recitation of Zbigniew Herbert’s poems.
Polish Violin Duo – Marta Gidaszewska, Robert Łaguniak
Polish Violin Duo consists of violinists Marta Gidaszewska and Robert Łaguniak. The ensemble was formed in 2014. Their mission is to perform and promote music written for two violins and showing many compositions of lesser known creators to audiences around the world. They share their passion to music with the highest level of virtuosity and craftsmanship as evidenced by numerous awards and first prizes at international music competitions. To their credit, they have nearly 200 awards won at performance competitions in Japan, the USA, Estonia, Serbia, Denmark, Greece, Sweden, England, France, Switzerland, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Hungary, Germany and Poland, where, among other things, they received 1st prize in the “Chamber Ensembles” category at the 1st International Polish Music Competition, an event held annually under the Honorary Patronage of the President of the Republic of Poland. The ensemble, which was called by experts “ambassador of Polish music,” regularly gives concerts at home country and abroad. Together, they premiered works by Polish composers and recorded albums of Polish music. Their album featuring violin duets by 20th century Polish composers (Bacewicz, Paciorkiewicz, Spisak, Weinberg) – earned a nomination for the most prestigious award in Poland – Fryderyki – in the “Album of the Year – Chamber Music – Duets” category. In 2025 they published their latest album titled „Interweave”. It consists of music by Hungarian and Czech composers – Gabor Barta, András Dereckei, Josef Suk, Miklos Rózsa and Jindrich Feld. In recent months, the ensemble has performed at dozens of concerts, including in the United States of America and France, participated in more than a dozen radio and television programs and broadcasts at home country and abroad, and has received many reviews of its albums, including in prestigious foreign magazines (including Crescendo and Pizzicato). Their repertoire consists of music from many musical eras – from baroque to modern contemporary music.
Paweł Zalejski – violin
Pawel Zalejski studied at F.Chopin Warsaw Academy of Music, Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien, Hochschule für Musik in Detmold and Indiana University Bloomington School of Music. He is the Winner of many prizes like Special Prize at J.Brahms International Competition in Pörtschach, B.Hubermann Concert Cycle of Austrian Institute in Warsaw, International “Tadeusz Wronski” Solo Violin competition in Warsaw, Grand Prix of International Modern Music Interpretation Competition of “Accademia dei Concordi Roma” in Gioia dell Colle 2004 and several other chamber music prizes. In 2006 won the 1st prize and the Mozart-prize at the International Chamber Music Competition Concorso Argento, the 1st prize and main prize (Golden Leaf) at the International Chamber Music Competition Premio Rovere d`Oro. Activ als solist and concertmaster, but primary as chamber musician Pawel Zalejski is the founder and first violinist of the Apollon Musagete Quartett – Winner of first prize and several other awards at the International Music Competition of the ARD in 2008, the Apollon Musagète Quartet has rapidly become an established feature of the European musical scene, captivating public and press alike. The quartet studied with Johannes Meissl at the European Chamber Music Academy and was inspired by the musicians of the Alban Berg Quartet at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. The quartet was nominated ECHO Rising Stars 2010, It was also named BBC New Generation Artist in 2012, leading to extensive touring in the UK and a number of recordings for the BBC. In 2014 the musicians received the Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award. Recent engagements have taken the quartet to the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, De Singel Antwerp, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, Auditori Barcelona, Beijing, Konzerthaus and Philharmonie Berlin, Bozar Brussels, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Philharmonie Cologne, Gewandhaus Leipzig, Wigmore Hall London, Philharmonie Luxembourg, Carnegie Hall New York, Louvre Paris, Konserthuset Stockholm, Library of Congress Washington, Vienna Konzerthaus and Musikverein as well as to the Tonhalle Zurich, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg and Konzerthaus Berlin. In 2011 the Apollon Musagete Quartet after recording CD “Night of Hunters” (first time in the history : Billboard Top 10 of the Classical, Alternative, and Rock charts simultaneously) made their large-scale tour
Bartosz Koziak – cello
Described as a “visionary and poet of the cello”, Bartosz Koziak has gained the acclaim of music lovers and critics not only for his extraordinary interpretation of works by both classical and contemporary composers but also for his thoughtful and often daring program choices. He has performed at the Konzerthaus in Berlin, the Berliner Philharmonie, Rudolfinum in Prague, Cité de la Musique in Paris, Teatro Politeama in Palermo, the Khachaturian Concert Hall in Yerevan and the National Philharmonic in Warsaw. The orchestras he has played with as a soloist include the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice, Warsaw Philharmonic, Sinfonia Varsovia, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo, Concerto Budapest, the Armenian State Orchestra, the Prague Philharmonic, the Radio Orchestras in Warsaw and Budapest, the National Orchestra of Ukraine, and has been conducted by Krzysztof Penderecki, Jan Krenz , Antoni Wit, Gabriel Chmura, Jacek Kaspszyk, András Keller, Volodymyr Sirenko and Sergey Smbatayan. He has been invited to leading festivals including Warsaw Autumn, Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival, Yerevan Music Perspectives, Young Euro Classic in Berlin, Musica Polonica Nova, Chopin i Jego Europa, Warsaw and East Meets West, Korea. As an established performer of contemporary music, Bartosz Koziak was a long time and regular guest participant in Krzysztof Penderecki’s concert projects. He participated in the first CD recording of the Concerto grosso conducted by the composer and has performed most of his cello works. Bartosz Koziak has given first performances of a number of works including the “DoubleCello Concerto” by Hanna Kulenty, the Cello Concerto by Anna Zawadzka-Gołosz, “Sixth commandment” by Elżbieta Sikora, performed together with “Quando stanno morendo. Diario polacco no.2” by Luigi Nono as part of the Sikora/Nono project with Les Métaboles ensemble and SWR Experimentalstudio His discography includes recordings of Grażyna Bacewicz’s Second Cello Concerto, Krzysztof Meyer’s Cello Concerto “Canti Amadei”, Bohuslav Martinů’s Cello Concerto No.2 and the premiere recording of Feliks Nowowiejski’s Cello Concerto (DUX), two CDs with Justyna Danczowska of cello and piano works by Schubert, Schumann, Franck and Shostakovich, and an album of Martinů, Kodály and Ravel, recorded with Anna Maria Staśkiewicz (Sarton). Bartosz Koziak won the 3rd Witold Lutosławski International Cello Competition in 2001 in Warsaw, the 2nd prize at the Isang Yun Competition in Tongyeong (Korea) and is a laureate of the Mikola Lysenko International Competition in Kiev. He was awarded a Special Prize at the Prague Spring Competition and was winner of the 1st prize at the 11th International Competition of Contemporary Chamber Music in Kraków. He has also received prizes at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow and ARD in Munich. In 2003, he received a special award from the Polish Culture Foundation presented by Ewa Podleś. In the 2024/25 season, Bartosz Koziak will perform as a soloist in Görlitz with Martinů’s Cello Concerto No. 2 and in Bydgoszcz with Nowowiejski’s Cello Concerto, as well as in recitals promoting the album Laks – Weinberg – Rathaus in Estonia and the USA. He will perform with the V4 String Quartet in Prague, Budapest, Zielona Góra, Levoca. He graduated with distinction “Magna cum Laude” from the classes of Professor Kazimierz Michalik and Andrzej Bauer at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music, Warsaw, and from Philippe Muller’s class at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris . Thanks to Kaja Danczowska, he plays a 19th-century copy of a J. Guadagnini instrument which the eminent Polish cellist Dezyderiusz Danczowski used for concerts.
Bartłomiej Wezner – piano
He is one of the most versatile pianists of his generation: a soloist, chamber instrumentalist, teacher, and promoter of culture. A laureate of numerous international chamber music competitions: St Martin’s Chamber Music Competition (2011, London – 1st prize), 16 Premio Trio di Trieste (2015, Trieste – 3rd prize), Academie de Musique de Lausanne (2015, Lausanne – laureate), the 50th International Vocal Competition ‘s-Hertogenbosch (2014, the Netherlands – laureate of the Lied Duo category), as well as the 17th International Kiejstut Bacewicz Chamber Music Competition in Łódź (2010 – 3rd prize). He has won awards for the best pianist at vocal competitions in Warsaw (2007), Katowice (2008), Łódź (2009), Sopot (2010) and Częstochowa (2013). As a soloist, he has been awarded Special Prize at the 6th International Ignacy Jan Paderewski Piano Competition in Bydgoszcz (2004), as well as Honourable Mention at the 15th International Leoš Janáček Piano Competition in Brno (2008, Czech Republic). Born in Nysa in 1981. He graduated from the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz in the piano class taught by Prof. Ewa Pobłocka (2006). In the years 2002-2004 he also studied under Professor Jerzy Sulikowski. At the same time, he learned the harpsichord with Professor Urszula Bartkiewicz. A graduate of the Postgraduate Study of Song and Artistic Internship with Prof. Maja Nosowska and Jan Stanienda at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw (2011/12). In 2013, he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts and in 2019 – Habilitation. In 2020, he took up the position of associate professor at the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz, and head of the Piano Chamber Music Department. Also in 2020, he was appointed editor of the phonographic publications of the FNAM Sagittaria publishing house in Bydgoszcz. He was elected Dean of the Instrumental Faculty of the FNAM in Bydgoszcz for the term 2024–2028. Since 2018, he has been the artistic director of the Music at the Blumwe Villa festival. Bartłomiej Wezner’s performance aesthetics have been significantly influenced by masterclasses with artists of such prominence as Maestro Janoš Starker, Stephen Kovacevich, Raphaël Pidoux (Wanderer Trio), Gregor Sigl (Artemis Quartet), Jean Paul Trio, Niklas Schmidt (Trio Fontenay), Clive Brown, Ewa Podleś, Urszula Kryger, Kevin Kenner, Maja Nosowska, Marcin Sikorski. He performs with eminent musicians: Vadim Brodsky, Paweł Zalejski, Maria Machowska, Joanna Kreft, Michał Szałach, Jakub Jakowicz, Agata Schmidt, Ingrida Gápova, Ewa Leszczyńska, Artur Rozmysłowicz, Magdalena Bojanowicz. He is pianist and co-founder of the ensembles: BMF Piano Trio, Herbert Piano Trio, Surrealistic Five. Together with his father and siblings, he forms the unique family quartet Wezner Ensemble. He has performed in Poland, as well as Czech Republic, Belgium, Greece, Germany, Serbia and Montenegro, Switzerland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Italy and the United States. As a soloist, he has given concerts with Capella Bydgostiensis, the Toruń Symphony Orchestra, the Opole Philharmonic Orchestra, the Lviv National Chamber Orchestra “Akademia” and the Bydgoszcz Philharmonic Orchestra. He was a piano tutor at the Master Vocal Course of maestra Teresa Żylis-Gara at the Palace in Radziejowice (2008), the Young Singers of Małopolska workshops of Prof. Helena Łazarska and Zofia Kilanowicz in Nowy Sącz (2012), Thomas Hampson’s Master Course at the Gorzów Philharmonic (2014), as well as the official pianist of the 14th, 15th and 16th, 18th Ada Sari International Vocal Artistry Competition (2011, 2013, 2015, 2019), the 9th Stanisław Moniuszko International Vocal Competition in Warsaw (2016), the Karol Szymanowski International Violin Competition in Katowice (2018), and also the 4th and 5th Karol Lipiński International Violin Competition in Toruń (2019, 2024). He has received scholarships of the following institutions: the Piano Texas Festival and Academy in Fort Worth (2006, USA), the International Dartington Summer School (2012, Great Britain), the Beethoven Haus in Bonn (2015, Germany), the President of the City of Bydgoszcz (2011, 2012), the Marshall of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian voivodeship (2011, 2012, 2017, 2020), as well as the Young Poland scholarship (2012), and the Artistic Scholarship (2021) of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage. He is also a laureate of the Marshall of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Award in the Culture category (2022) and of the Artistic Award of the President of the City of Bydgoszcz (2023). The pianist excels in both the classical repertoire and in the 20th– and 21st-century music. He has premiered and recorded compositions by, among others, Hanna Kulenty, Zbigniew Bargielski, Roxanna Panufnik, Marcin Masecki, Michał Dobrzyński, Rafał Janiak, and Zygmunt Mycielski. His concerts have been broadcast by, among others, Polish Radio Dwójka and RTS Suiss. He has recorded for the CD Accord, Dux, Sagittaria and Acte Préalable labels. Winner of the Fryderyk 2024 award in the Chamber – Vocal Music Album of the Year category (Władysław Żeleński – Pieśni wszystkie).
Agnieszka Kozło – piano
is one of the most versatile Polish chamber musician. In 1996, together with Katarzyna Ewa Sokołowska she has founded Ravel Piano Duo which led them to winning competitions in Marcopoulo (Greece) in 1996 and XI International Competition of Piano Duets in Jesenik (Czech Republic) in 1999 (where they also won the special award) and in 2002 they placed second in the competition Premio Valentino Bucchi in Rome. They are finalists of the competitions in Caltanisetta (Sicily) in 2001 and San Marino 2004. She graduated with honors from the Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw, in the class of piano (Prof. Bronisława Kawalla) and in the class of chamber music (Prof. Maja Nosowska). She continued her postgraduate studies in the same Academy (Prof. Jan Ekier) and then, in the years 2001-2005, as a part of Ravel Piano Duo, she continued her postgraduate studies in Hochschule fur Musik und Theater in Rostock (Germany) in the class of master duet Hans- Peter Stenzl und Volker Stenzl. The Duo completed the studies (Konzertexam) with top honors. For years now Agnieszka Kozło collaborates with cellists, in a partnership with Andrzej Bauer, Piotr Hausenplas, Tomasz Strahl, Bartosz Koziak. She is also a teacher and together with professors of the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music prepares young cellists for competing in the most important cello competitions like that of Tchaikovsky’s in Moscow, Lutosławski’s in Warsaw (where since 2003, she is competition’s pianist) Danczowski’s in Poznań, Isang Yun’s in Tongyeong in Korea, and the Prague Spring. Many times she’s been awarded as the best pianist of the competition. The artist gave concerts in many places (Germany, Russia, Israel, Japan, Spain, Czech Republic, China, Greece, Iceland, England, Italy, and National Philharmonic and Studio of Witold Lutosławski in Poland). She made recordings for the Polish Radio, with Ravel Piano Duo she published record of French music for 4 hands, and the record with Ravel Piano Duo with Brahms’s works for chamber choir and piano duo received prestigious award of the Phonographic Academy “Fryderyk 2005”. Next CD in the series “A Polish Kaleidoscope”, featuring a selection of Polish compositions for four hands, received also the Fryderyk Award in 2016. In 2021, another album by Ravel Piano Duo: “Zygmunt Noskowski – Complete Works for Piano Duet” was nominated for the Fryderyk 2022 Award Agnieszka Kozło has been awarded the Doctor of Arts degree in 2011.
Radosław Kurek – piano
Since winning The Bridget Doolan Prize for the best performance of W. A. Mozart’s work at The International Piano Competition in Dublin and the top award at The Johannes Brahms International Competition in Pörtschach (with the cellist Georgiy Lomakov), Radosław Kurek is working intensively to increase his repertoire. He continuously improves his chamber music skills and presents his sensibility to the audience by performing well-thought-out piano recitals with repertoire ranging from classical period to contemporary music of the present day. His strength as an artist lies in the extraordinary flexibility in co-operation with other musicians, he is highly valued as a partner in chamber music. The result of the meetings with various artists has been recorded with leading music producers such as GENUIN Classics, Bayerischer Rundfunk, ANAGRAM, The Fryderyk Chopin Institute, Soliton, DUX and BeArTon. As both soloist and chamber musician Radoslaw Kurek has taken part in various music festivals in Europe, America, Asia and Africa. He performed as a soloist with Wroclaw Philharmonic, Pomeranian Philharmonic, Baltic Philharmonic orchestras, Sinfonietta Cracovia and Capella Bydgostiensis appearing in numerous concert halls including Warsaw Philharmonic Hall, Cracow Philharmonic Hall, Baltic Philharmonic Hall, Pomeranian Philharmonic Hall, Łódź Philharmonic Hall, Warmian – Masurian Philharmonic Hall, The Witold Lutoslawski Concert Studio in Warsaw, Great Theatre – National Opera, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice, Malmö Live Konsethus, Gamle Logen Concert Hall in Oslo, Augustianum Auditorium in Roma, Festsaal in Vienna and Auditorium al Duomo in Florence. Radosław Kurek has performed with many numerous conductors as Jacek Kaspszyk, Jose Maria Florencio, Michał Nesterowicz, Kai Bumann and Jakub Chrenowicz. He also partnered renowned artists as Jadwiga Rappe, Konstanty Andrzej Kulka, Roman Jabłoński, Mariusz Patyra, Anna Maria Staśkiewicz, Marcel Markowski, Jadwiga Kotnowska; he cooperated with Robert Kabara, Wiesław Kwaśny, Bartosz Koziak, Magdalena Bojanowicz – Koziak, Mariusz Godlewski, Lutosławski Quartet and becoming widely known composer-performer Agata Zubel. Radosław Kurek graduated with distinction from Stanisław Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdańsk, where he studied piano with Prof. Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń (to whom he was assistant in years 2008-2009). Lecturer at Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz since 2009, he currently holds the position of assistant professor, having earned doctorate in musical art in 2014, and postdoctoral degree in 2019.
Magdalena Bojanowicz – cello
Magdalena Bojanowicz is holder of the Polityka Passport prize awarded each year by the Polityka weekly to artists and creators. She has won First Prize at the 45th Jeunesses Musicales International Competition in Belgrade, 2015. She is also winner of Second Prize and two Special Prizes at the 8th Witold Lutosławski International Cello Competition in Warsaw. She graduated with honours from the Chopin University of Music in Warsaw in the class of Andrzej Bauer, and also from the University of Arts in Berlin with Jens Peter Maintz. She has performed amongst others at the Tonhalle in Zürich, Royal Festival Hall in London, Kolarac in Belgrade, the Lutosławski Polish Radio Concert Studio in Warsaw, the National Philharmonic in Warsaw. As a soloist she has performer with the National Philharmonic Orchestra in Warsaw, National Polish Radio Symphonic Orchestra, the Wrocław National Music Forum Leopoldinum Orchestra, Sinfonietta Cracovia, AUKSO, the Beethoven Academy Orchestra, Sinfonia Iuventus, Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra. Sha has cooperated as soloist with directors: M. Caldi, G. Tchitchinadze, D. Smith, V. Schmidt-Gertenbach, R. Rivolta, M. Moś, M. Klauza, T. Wojciechowski, J. Kosek, M. Nesterowicz, P. Przytocki, W. Rodek, B. Suđić, B. Lack, E. Kovacic, J. Maria Florêncio. She has appeared at numerous Polish and international music festivals. Her artistic ouvre includes premiere performances of symphonic pieces, among others: the Cello Concerto by Dariusz Przybylski (together with NOSPR, released by the DUX label), Dziennik zapisany w połowie by Aleksander Nowak (together with AUKSO, NMF), the Double Concerto by Hanna Kulenty (at the Eufonie Festival at the National Philharmonic together with the Lviv Philharmonic Orchestra), and Paweł Szymański’s Simple Music (with the Wrocław Philharmonic at the NFM). In 2021 she recorded a monographic album with pieces by Cezary Duchnowski for cello and electronics. Together with the pianist – Radosław Kurek – she recorded an album Fairy Tale with compositions by Strauss, Janáček, Poulenc, Webern,Dutilleux and Ibert. Magda Bojanowicz is an active soloist and chamber musician playing in Poland and abroad.
