Music Festival ”Laks the Survivor”
Co-financed by the ‘Niepodlegla’ Office as part of the ‘Niepodlegla’ Grant Program
Organizers
Partners
Grzegorz Mania (piano)
Grzegorz Mania graduated with distinction from the Music Academy in Krakow, where he studied piano under Professor Stefan Wojtas. He is also a graduate (distinction) of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where he was tutored by Martin Roscoe, Charles Owen and Caroline Palmer. Grzegorz is also a graduate of the Jagiellonian University, where he read law and recently obtained a PhD for a dissertation about music and copyright (awarded by the Polish Ministry of Science). He works as a soloist, with orchestra, as an accompanist and chamber musician, as well as regularly duetting with Alicja Smietana, Romana Szczepaniak, Maria Slawek, violinists and Piotr Rozanski, pianist. He is a member of the Extra Sounds Ensemble – the group has recently recorded a CD for Solo Musica, Munchen with pieces by Corelli, Vivaldi, Schnittke and Kreisler. Grzegorz played in many important halls and during many national and international festivals in Poland and abroad – UK, France, Austria, Italy, Norway, Iceland, Vietnam, Israel, USA. Performing at the International Chamber Music Workshops in Pulawy (Poland, 2003-2005), he has also been a finalist in a number of international solo and chamber competitions from 2002 to the present. He won numerous awards for an outstanding accompaniment during national and international instrumental competitions. He has played in master- classes by, among others, Jerome Rose, Victor Rosenbaum, Wolfgang Redik, Tadeusz Gadzina, Anthony Spiri, Peter S. Buck, Piotr Reichert; and has received coaching from Alexander Baillie, Ewa Bukojemska, Krzysztof Smietana, Wiesław Kwasny, Altenberg Trio, Alisdair Beatson, Carole Presland, Krzysztof Chorzelski and Jan Janski. Grzegorz is a co-founder and president of the Polish Chamber Musicians’ Association. He is an author of a book “Music and copyright law”, as well as a co-author of an innovative sight-reading handbook for pianists publishedby prestigious PWM Edition, famous from its edition.
Bartosz Koziak (cello)
Bartosz Koziak is the winner of the 3rd Witold Lutoslawski International Cello Competition in 2001 in Warsaw, Poland, a winner of the 2nd prize at the International Cello Competition in Tongyeong (Korea) in 2006 (“Isang Yun in memoriam”), winner of the 2nd prize at the Mikola Lysenko Competition in Kiev in 2007 as well as winner of the International Contemporary Chamber Music Competition in Kraków, a laureate and a winner of a special prize at the Prague Spring Music Festival in 2006. Bartosz Koziak also received prizes at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 2002 and the ARD competition in Münich in 2005. In 2003, he received a special prize of the Polish Cultural Foundation awarded by Ewa Podleś. Bartosz Koziak is a holder of a scholarship granted by the French government and a participant in the programme of the Polish Ministry of Culture “Młoda Polska”. He performed at Konzerthaus in Berlin, Rudolfinum in Prague, Teatro Politeama in Palermo, Studio of Witold Lutoslawski, Khachaturian Hall in Yerevan, the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall. As a soloist, Bartosz Koziak collaborated with the Polish National Philharmonic Orchestra, the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra Katowice, Sinfonia Varsovia, Sinfonietta Cracovia, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo, Concerto Budapest (under Andras Keller), Armenian State Orchestra (under Sergey Smbatayan), Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, radio orchestras in Warsaw and Budapest, as well as a majority of philharmonic halls in Poland conducted by Krzysztof Penderecki, Jan Krenz, Antoni Wit, Gabriel Chmura, Jacek Kaspszyk, Tan Dun and Massimiliano Caldi. Since 2007 he plays in piano trio with the violinist Kaja Danczowska and the pianist Justyna Danczowska. He is invited to renowned festivals, such as Warsaw Autumn, L. van Beethoven Easter Festival, Mecklemburg Vorpommen, Young Euro Classic in Berlin, Chopin and his Europe. Bartosz Koziak is for many years playing with the pianist Agnieszka Kozło as well as with the violonist Anna Maria Staśkiewicz. In the recent years Bartosz Koziak has been regularly invited for participation at concert projects of Krzysztof Penderecki. He participated in the first recording of “Concerto Grosso” conducted by Krzysztof Penderecki and made several recordings for Polish Radio. Bartosz Koziak graduated in the class of Prof. Kazimierz Michalik and Andrzej Bauer at the Fryderyk Chopin University in Warsaw, receiving a “Magna cum Laude” distinction and completed Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique de Paris in the class of Philippe Muller. Thanks to the kindness of Kaja Danczowska he plays on a 19th c. copy of J.B. Guadagnini’s instrument, previously used by the outstanding Polish cellist Dezyderiusz Danczowski during his concerts.
Julia Samojło (piano)
Julia SAMOJŁO graduated from the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz in the class of Prof. Tatiana Shebanova. Following her studies, she completed an artistic internship under the supervision of Prof. Szábolcs Esztényi and post-graduate and doctoral studies under the artistic supervision of Prof. Maja Nosowska at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. She honed her skills under the direction of Ronan O’Hora, Graham Johnson, and Pamela Lidiard at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London as part of the Erasmus scholarship and a two-year Guildhall Artist Fellowship. She has participated in master classes conducted by such artists as Halina Czerny-Stefańska, Emanuel Krasovsky, Lee KumSing, Alexander Kobrin, Victor Derevianko, Alon Goldstein, Jerome Rose, Roger Vignoles, Julius Drake, and Martin Katz. She was a piano teacher at the City University in London (2011-2012) and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (2011-2014). In 2007-2010 and 2016-2018 she was a chamber music pianist at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. A special place in the repertoire of Julia Samojło is occupied by piano chamber music and contemporary music. The pianist has made numerous premieres and many recordings for DUX, Musica Sacra, the Library-Music Library of the Polish Composers’ Union, and Polish Radio. In 2020 she premiered 24 Variations on a theme of a folk song by Roman Ryterband. In 2019 she recorded all songs by Zygmunt Stojowski with Magdalena Molendowska- soprano. In 2017, she made the world premiere of the Concerto for piano and orchestra, written for her by Edward Nesbit, with the New Music Orchestra conducted by Szymon Bywalec. In 2014-2017, she recorded compositions for solo piano and chamber ones by Krzysztof Baculewski for the record label DUX. In 2014, the CD of outstanding saxophonist Paweł Gusnar Saxophone Varie which includes, among others, Invitation by Maria Pokrzywińska recorded by Paweł and Julia, received the award of the phonographic industry Fryderyk in the category Album of the year – chamber music. In 2010, she recorded the Piano Concerto by Stefan Kisielewski with the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jacek Kaspszyk. In November 2015, Julia Samojło made her debut at the Carnegie Hall in New York with cellist Karolina Jaroszewska, with whom she has been creating a duo since 2008. She has also performed, among others, at Koninklijk Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Barbican Hall, Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room, St John’s Smith Square in London, Rudolfinum in Prague, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, and National Philharmonic in Warsaw. She has given concerts with, among others, the Sinfonia Varsovia, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Polish Radio Orchestra, New Music Orchestra, Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Łukasz Borowicz, Krzesimir Dębski, Jacek Kaspszyk, Alexander Liebreich, Szymon Bywalec, and Marek Moś. She has often performed at the Warsaw Music Encounters festival, concert cycles Musical Seasons of the Year, and Composers’ Portraits organised by the Polish Composers’ Union. She has also participated in such festivals as: Warsaw Autumn, From Chopin to Górecki – sources and inspirations, Radio Autumn in Prague, Oxford Lieder Festival, City of London Festival, and at the final concert of the Young Songmakers’ Almanac directed by Graham Johnson in London. Julia Samojło has been a laureate of numerous prizes and scholarships, including: 1st prize at the International Competition of Young Performers in Athens, Scholarship of the Prime Minister of Poland, Scholarship of the President of the City of Szczecin, Scholarship of the President of the City of Bydgoszcz, Scholarship of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage. She is a chairman of the Warsaw branch of the Polish Chamber Musicians’ Association.
Magdalena Molendowska (soprano)
She graduated with honors from S. Moniuszko Music Academy in Gdańsk and Opera Course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where she has been awarded the prestigious Gold Medal in her final year. In 2008 she was a member of the Opera Studio Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, where she worked with Renata Scotto. At the moment she is at a vocal guidance of Yvonne Kenny. While studying at the GSMD Opera Course she was working under the guidance of Rudolf Piernay. She had also a priviledge to attend masterclasses of such artists as Gerald Finley, Anita Garanca, Helena Łazarska or Claudio Desderi. Her wide repertoire includes songs, oratorios and cantatas. In London Barbican Hall she presented songs by K. Szymanowski and A. Dvořak. Invited by Malcolm Martineau she recorded Huit chansons polonaises by F. Poulenc on the Poulenc vol.4 album. She is salso interested in contemporary music, for example she made first performance of Rythmi Urbani cantata by K. Dębski. Together with pianist Julia Samojło, a unique recording of the song of the eminent Polish emigrant composer Zygmunt Stojowski.
Since 2011 she has been a soloist of the Polish National Opera in Warsaw, where she made her debut at in Jakob Lenz by Wolfgang Rihm. In the 2012/13 season she returned to the Polish National Opera to perform the title role in Halka by Stanisław Moniuszko. She currently cooperates with Wroclaw Opera House, Krakow Opera House, Opera i Filharmonia Podlaska, Glyndebourne Festival and Baden-Baden Festspiele. Her operatic repertoire consists of such roles by W.A. Mozart as: Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Contessa Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro, Vitellia in La Clemenza di Tito and Arminda in La Finta Giardiniera. In her repertory list you will find also: Marguerite and Elena in Mefistofele A. Boito, Micaëla in Carmen G. Bizet, Mimi in La Boheme by G. Puccini, Tatiana in Eugene Onegin P. Tchaikovsky, Kurfürstin in Der Vogelhändler C. Zeller, Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus J. Strauss and Mother in Hansel and Gretel by E. Humperdinck. In 2016 she appeared in the title role in Tosca by G. Puccini, in Wrocław Opera House production. In 2014 Magdalena Molendowska has debuted as A Milliner (Der Rosenkavalier) and Aninna (La Traviata) during Glyndebourne Festival with which in 2016 she has toured as Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni). The last season has brought her return as Halka to Polish National Opera and her appearance for the first time in Warsaw Chamber Opera as Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro. In 2019 she made her very well received debut as Katerina in The Greek Passion at Opera North, as well as in Silesia Philharmonic, where she sung the soprano part in Deutches Requiem by Brahms. Recently Naxos released a CD containing the recording of the opera Halka by S. Moniuszko under the baton of Gabriel Chmura and where miss Molendowska sung the title role. Among the upcoming events in 2021 it is worth to name the Magdalena Molendowska’s role and house debut as Leonore in Fidelio by Beethoven this Autumn and performing solo part in the XXI Symphony “Kaddish” by M. Wajnberg in Pomeranian Philharmonic Hall in Bydgoszcz. She is actively involved in the activities of the Association of Polish Chamber Musicians in cooperation with which she implements several important artistic projects. She is a PhD student at the Music Academy in Bydgoszcz.
Anna Wandtke (violin))
Violinist, soloist, chamber musician. In 2018, she obtained the title of habilitated doctor at the Academy of Music in Gdańsk, where she works as an assistant professor and leads her violin class. She is a graduate of the Stanisław Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdańsk (class of Prof. Krystyna Jurecka) and the Hochschule für Musik in Mannheim (class of Prof. Valery Gradov). As a soloist, she has performed with numerous orchestras in Poland and abroad (Sinfonia Varsovia, Elbląska Chamber Orchestra, Sinfonia Iuventus, Polish Chamber Orchestra, Baltic Philharmonic in Gdańsk, Podkarpacka Philharmonic in Rzeszów, Warmian-Masurian Philharmonic in Olsztyn, Gorzów Philharmonic, Sinfonietta Cracovia, Kalisz Philharmonic, etc.). She concertizes, giving recitals worldwide. As a chamber musician, she collaborated with SWR Rundfunkorchester Kaiserslautern, recording for the German radio station SWR 2. She was a member of the International UBS Verbier Festival Orchestra under the direction of James Levine, collaborating with artists such as James Levine, Kurt Masur, Paavo Jarvi, Chick Corea, Gidon Kremer, Vadim Repin, Mstislav Rostropovich, Evgeny Kissin, Maxim Vengerov, Nigel Kennedy, and others associated with the “Deutsche Gramophon” record label, of which Martin Engstroem is the chief executive of Verbier Festival. She was also a member of the international chamber orchestra led by Maxim Vengerov, collaborating with the EMI label. The result of this collaboration is a recording of violin concerts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Anna Wandtke is a member of the Ensemble de Narol Tytus Wojnowicz. She is the co-founder and member of The New Art Ensemble, which, in its several years of activity, has become known to audiences in most philharmonics in Poland and receives the highest acclaim during music festivals in the country and abroad. Anna Wandtke is a violinist with an exceptionally expressive musical personality. Her playing is characterized by immense musical sensitivity and deep expression of emotion. Thanks to her unique approach to the instrument’s sound and brilliant virtuosic technique, the artist impressively realizes musical ideas, leading the listener through a fluid musical narrative into the world of exceptional sounds, not only in classical music but also in fusion with jazz, flamenco, world music. She is a laureate of numerous violin and chamber music competitions in Poland and abroad. She was a scholarship holder of the Minister of Culture and the President of the City of Gdańsk. Multiple nominations for the “Red Rose Awards.” Recipient of the Young Creators Award in Gdańsk, “DAAD” scholarship holder in Germany.
Dominika Glapiak (piano)
Graduate of the Stanisław Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdańsk. She studied piano in the class of Prof. Waldemar Wojtal and chamber music in the class of Prof. Anna Prabucka Firlej. She continued her education in postgraduate studies under the guidance of Prof. Dina Yoffe at the International Academy of Music in Dusseldorf. Prominent educators, artists, and ensembles she had the opportunity to work with include Aleksander Bondurianski, Camerata Quartet, Victor Derevianko, Akiko Ebi, Guarneri Trio Prague, Eugene Indjic, Andrzej Jasiński, Viera Nossina, Boris Petrushansky, Zbigniew Raubo, Dang Thai-Son, Maja Weitz, Michael Vaiman. Professionally affiliated with her alma mater, she has been working as a lecturer and accompanist in the violin class of Prof. Konstanty Andrzej Kulka since 2009. In 2016, she earned the title of Doctor of Arts. From a young age, she participated in numerous competitions both in Poland and abroad. As a soloist and chamber musician, she received awards in Gorzów Wielkopolski (1998), Krakow (2000), Płock (2001), Vienna (2004), Gdańsk and Smorgon (2009), Osaka (2011), Padua (2013), and Treviso (2014), among others. She also received the prestigious title of laureate and several special awards during the Estrada Młodych – 43rd Polish Pianism Festival in Słupsk in 2009. She actively engages in artistic activities, performing as a soloist and chamber musician. She collaborates with many young musicians and ensembles. Since 2011, she has served as the artistic director of the ReFermata Festival held in the Kolbudy municipality near Gdańsk. The artist served as the official pianist during the International Music Masterclasses “Summer in the Mill” at Moulin d’Ande in France in 2010 and 2011, as well as at the XVI International Voice Competition in Trujillo (Peru) in 2012. She has also recorded for Polish radio and television. Her discography includes solo music realizations: Chopin/Mussorgsky MTS Studio 2014; Elgar, Shostakovich, Penderecki Chamber Orchestra “Progress,” Szymon Morus – conductor, Paweł Hulisz – trumpet, Dominika Glapiak – piano, Acte Prealable 2015; as well as chamber music: Young Chamber Musicians – Chopin, Popper, Liszt, Prokofiev Maciej Kułakowski – cello, Dominika Glapiak – piano, DUX 2011; Wagner, Strauss/SONGS Bożena Harasimowicz – soprano, Dominika Glapiak – piano, Acte Prealable 2015. She has been repeatedly awarded scholarships, including: Gold Country Piano Institute Scholarship 2002, Tel Hai Piano Institute Scholarship 2005, “Societe Frederic Chopin Geneve” Scholarship 2005, “Primus Inter Pares” Scholarship for the best student in the Tri-City 2008, City of Gdańsk Mobility Scholarship 2013 and 2014, Adam Mickiewicz Institute Scholarship 2014, “Soroptimist” Ambitious Women’s Bank Scholarship 2015, and the Pomeranian Voivodeship Marshal’s Scholarship for Young Creators 2015.