Violin
Roland Baldini
Solo and chamber violinist, teacher. Music studies in Vienna and Salzburg with E. Steinbauer and J. Geise (diploma with distinction), furthered under M. Rostal in Bern and F. Gulli in Siena. Has had concert tours in most European countries, also in Russia, North and South America, Asia and Africa. Masterclasses throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas. A visiting prof. of violin in Poland, Finland, Lithuania, USA and Thailand. From 1994 – 2012 prof. of violin at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy , Leipzig, and since 2015 a visiting prof. of violin at the Academy of Music in Katowice, Poland. He sat on the jury at competitions incl. the J. S. Bach Competition in Leipzig.
Michał Grabarczyk
solo and chamber violinist, teacher. Diplomas cum laude from music schools in Łódź (Z. Frieman’s class) and the Moscow Conservatory where he studied with D. Ciganov and Z. Sichmurzajewa. Prizewinner of competitions including the Wieniawski, Poznań; the Paganini, Genoa; the J. Thibaud, Paris and the Bordeaux Festival. Concertized in Europe, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Jamaica and Cuba and made numerous recordings.
Professor of Violin at the Academies of Music in Poznań and Łódź. Masterclass teacher and juror at international competitions. Honoured with a Gloria Artis medal.
Anna Gutowska
soloist, chamber musician, teacher. Graduated with distinction from: music schools in Rzeszów, Conservatoire de Lausanne and Universitat fur Musik in Vienna, working with prof. E. Zienkowski, prof. P. Urstein J. Jaquerod. Prizewinner of national and international competitions, scholarship holder of national and international foundations. Represented by Arte 90, awarded the Young Poland scholarship of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. As part of the scholarship project, she recorded CDs with H. Wieniawski’s violin concertos. Performs in Poland and many countries around the world, including Berlin, Vienna, Shanghai, Lausanne, Beijing, Iran, China, New York, Paris, Portugal, Norway, Japan, Lichtenstein, Italy, Chile, Mexico, Switzerland. Conducts masterclasses in Poland, Chile, Mexico, Slovakia, Iran, Italy, Japan, China, Georgia, Austria. She is a lecturer at the Universität für Musik and darstellende Kunst Wien.
Ewa Kowar
violinist, chamber musician and teacher. Doctor of Musical Arts. Graduated from the Chopin Academy of Music, Warsaw, where she studied with prof. Z. Brzewski, prof. M. Ławrynowicz and prof. K. Makowska-Ławrynowicz. Comleted master classes in Łańcut taught by prof.” Z. Bron, E. Feltz, K. Lewin. Teaches the violin at Warsaw’s Fryderyk Chopin Unoiversity of Music affiliate in Białystok and the Z. Brzewski Secondary School of Music in Warsaw. Juror of competitions for children and young adults. General Secretary of ESTA Poland.
Roman Lasocki
distinguished violin virtuoso, teacher, popularizer of violin music. Studied violin with F. Jamry at the Higher School of Music, Łódź (diploma with distinction). He continued his studies with A. Gertler, H. Szeryng, T. Wroński and S. Lewandowski. He performed on the most important stages in the world on four continents with excellent orchestras, conductors and pianists. He recorded over 30 vinyl records and CDs for Polish, English, Korean and Japanese labels. Many composers dedicated their works to him. He is the author of over 150 television programmes for which he received the “Złoty Ekran” award. Professor and vice-rector (4 terms) of the UMFC in Warsaw. Professor at the AM in Katowice. He lectured at universities in Europe, Asia and America. His graduates occupy an important place in musical life in Poland and abroad. Juror of numerous national and international competitions. Honored with the highest state and departmental awards and distinctions.
Agnieszka Marucha
prizewinner of international violin competitions, soloist, chamber musician, teacher. In 2014 she received the Fryderyk award for the album “Chagall for Strings”. She studied in the classes of prof. Mirosław Ławrynowicz (Warsaw), prof. Monika Urbaniak-Lisik (Bern) and prof. Robert Szreder (Maastricht). She teaches violin at the UMFC in Warsaw. In 2014 she was a guest professor at the Keimyung University in Daegu (South Korea). She has recorded 10 albums, all of them phonographic premieres. She has performed many pieces for violin and orchestra. As a member of the Ensemble Modern, she has performed in the largest European halls, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the Festspielhaus in Baden Baden, the Alte Oper in Frankfurt, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the Salle Pleyel in Paris. She is the author of numerous publications in the field of violin playing and musicology.
Dorota Obijalska
violinist, chamber musician, teacher, teacher trainer. A graduate of the Music Academy in Gdańsk – violin studies with prof. Maria Suwara.Formerly a long-serving violinist with the Warmińsko-Mazurska Filharmonia in Olsztyn and a member of the Con Flauto quartet, she is the founder and conductor of the string orchestra ABSOLWENT (Alumnus) and co-author of a popular book of pieces for violin and piano Fiddling Notes, intended for the youngest player. She teaches the violin at primary and secondary music schools in Olsztyn and, since 2002, has been a Suzuki method teacher, which she studied with Tove Detrekoy. She has completed a large number of methodology courses run by outstanding pedagogues including those taught by Almita Vamos. Her students and chamber groups are prizewinners at competitions. She runs workshops for children and teachers and is a juror at violin competitions. She has received numerous awards for her pedagogical work.
Gabriela Opacka-Boccadoro
began learning to play the violin at the A. Malawski School of Music in Przemyśl. She graduated from the Chopin University of Music in Warsaw (DMA), the Academy of Music in Kraków and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. As a soloist, she has performed with the NOSPR, Southbank Sinfonia, the Podkarpacka Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as the leader of the International Youth Philharmonic Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in New York. She regularly gives concerts with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and chamber ensembles. She is involved in interdisciplinary projects – she collaborates with Shakespeare’s Globe and London Contemporary Voices, and also records film music, collaborating with, among others, the Oscar winner, Dario Marianelli.
Paweł Radziński
violinist, teacher, born in Gniezno. He was educated at a high school in Poznań under the supervision of M. Kujawa. He graduated with distinction from the Conservatory. P. Tchaikovsky in Moscow in the class of virtuoso W. Pikaizen. He developed his artistic competences with K. von Hausegger, R. Ricci and H. Szeryng. He started his teaching career at the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz. He has conducted numerous masterclasses in Europe, China and Poland, including: Bałoszyce, Łańcut and Żagań. He educated over a hundred graduates, including many winners of nat. and internat. competitions. Founder of the Academia dell’Arco orchestra. From 1991 he taught the violin class at the Conservatory in Vasa, Turku, Jakobstad (Finland). He teaches the violin class at the OSM. Z. Brzewski in Warsaw. He was honored with many prestigious awards, including the KEN Medal, the Gold Cross of Merit and the Gloria Artis Medal.
Magdalena Szczepanowska
chamber musician and teacher. She graduated from the Warsaw Academy of Music (diploma wit hdistinction), studying with of T. Wroński, S. Kawalla and M. Rezler. She deepened her knowledge at masterclasses in the classes of O. Krysa and A. Gertler. Prizewinner of national and international violin and chamber competitions in Lublin, Krakow, Gorizia, Brescia and Vercelli. She gives concerts as a chamber musician. She is a professor of the violin class at the UMFC in Warsaw and the AMKP in Krakow. She has taught for many years at the Z. Brzewski OSM. Her students are prizwinners of competitions, and graduates join the best orchestras in Poland, Austria, Sweden and Spain. She conducts master classes in Poland and abroad. She is a juror in many competitions, including international ones. She has received many awards; the most important awards – the Distinguished Cultural Service Award, the KEN Medal, the Gloria Artis Medal, several times the Award of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage.
Anna Wandtke-Wypych
violinist, soloist, chamber musician. In 2018, she obtained DMA at the Academy of Music in Gdańsk, where she teaches her violin class as an assistant professor. She is a graduate of the S. Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdańsk (class of prof. K. Jurecka) and the Hochschule Fur Musik in Mannheim (class of prof. W. Gradow). She has collaborated with artists such as: M. Vengerow, J. Bell, R. Lakatos, J. Rachlin, H. Hahn, Ch. Treger, J. Kaliszewska, B. Bryła, K. Jakowicz and many others. As a soloist, she has performed with many orchestras in Poland and abroad. As a chamber musician, she has collaborated with SWR Rundfunkorchester Kaiserslautern, where she recorded for the German radio station SWR. Gives recitals all over the world. Anna Wandtke has released 5 solo albums: Violin Soul, Wandtke Plays Polish, Poldowski Creation, Avarp Prologue, Poeme and numerous chamber albums. And in February of this year Vivaldi Osiecka New Four Seasons will be released.
Janusz Wawrowski
solo violinist, chamber artist, teacher. One of the most outstanding Polish violinists of the younger generation. Gratuated with diploma cum laude from the Chopin University of Music, Warsaw, where his teacher was Mirosław Ławrynowicz. Further studies with Yair Kless in Gratz and Salvatore Accado in Cremona. Prizewinner of many competitions, he concertizes and records in Poland and abroad. Famed for his recitals of the complete 24 N. Paganini Capricci. From 2012 a contract with EMI for 4 solo discs, the first of which was released in April 2013. A violin teacher on the faculty of the Frederic Chopin University of Music in Warsaw and artistic director of the Music Spaces festival.
Edward Zienkowski
world-famous virtuoso, teacher. Student of O. Ruppel and S. Herman in Gdańsk and A. Gertler in Hannover and Brussels. Top prize-winner in the Wieniawski Competition, Poznań; the Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Berlin; the Paganini, Genoa and the Shigeti, Budapest. Concert tours and recordings worldwide. Professor of Violin (masterclass) at the Universitat für Musik und darstellende Kunst, Vienna and on music courses in Poland, Germany, Austria and Japan. Juror of national and international competitions.
Viola
Katarzyna Budnik
soloist, chamber musician. A Chopin Univ. of Music graduate, she studied the violin with M. Ławrynowicz, A. Gębski, and the viola with P. Reichert. Prize-winner at int. competitions incl.: the L. van Beethoven Comp. (Hradec, 1st prize), the J. Brahms Comp. (Pörtschach, 1st prize), the M. Rostal Comp. (Berlin, 2nd prize), the M. Reger Chamber Music Comp. (Sonder-shausen, 2nd prize and special award), the M. Spisak Comp. (Dąbrowa Górn., Poland, 2 nd prize) and the J. Rakowski Viola Comp. (Poznań, 1st prize). Concertized in Poland, the Czech Rep., Austria, Germany, France and Russia. A Min. of Culture grant holder, she also won a Young Poland scholarship. Teacher at the Chopin Univ. of Music Warsaw.
Ewa Guzowska
soloist, chamber musician, professor at the I. J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań. Expert and consultant at CEA. Vice-president of the ViolaArte association. She graduated with distinction from the viola class at the Universität der Künste in Berlin and completed postgraduate studies. She is a graduate of the Academy of Music in Poznań (diploma with distinction). Prizewinner of numerous awards. She won the competition for a scholarship and internship at the DSO Berlin, Komische Oper Berlin and Deutsche Oper Berlin. She received a medal from the President of Poland and the City of Konin for promoting musical culture. She has received awards from the Rectors of the Academy of Music in Poznań several times for her outstanding pedagogical and phonographic achievements. She has recorded albums with sonatas by J.S. Bach, R. Clarke, D. Shostakovich, P. Hindemith, J. Brahms, F. Chopin, F. Schubert, E. Fabiańska-Jelińska. Many composers dedicate their works to her.
Cello
Ewa Maria Groblewska
chamber musician, teacher at ZPSM nr 1 and PSM nr 4 in Warsaw. Since September 2022, he has been the deputy artistic director in POSM. E. Młynarski. A graduate of the AM in Warsaw in the class of prof. A. Zieliński and prof. P. Hausenplas. She improved her skills with A. Parisot and at chamber courses conducted by the Tokio String Quartet, Medici String Quartet, Vermeer String Quartet, Camerata Quartet and Amadeus String Quartet. She completed the first level of the Suzuki Method teaching course. He conducts workshops, lectures and open lessons in many schools throughout Poland. Nationwide juror at auditions and competitions. Her students win top prizes in cello and chamber music competitions. She is a great promoter of chamber music. Honored with the Merit for Polish Culture Medal, the KEN Medal, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage Award and many times with the CEA Director’s Award.
Zdzisław Łapiński
diploma with distinction from the State High Mus. S. in Kraków (cello studies with H. Zarzycki and then with A. Parisot at Yale Univ.) Cellist with a quartet – 1st prize at Chamber Mus. Comp. in Łódź (1977) and 3rd prize at String Quartet Comp. in Evian, France (1978). 3rd prize winner at Cello Comp. in Poznań (1978). Member of Trio Jagiellońskie awarded at the Chamber Mus. Comp. in Florence (1979). Numerous recordings for Polish Radio and TV and Radio France. Concerts in Europe, US, Brazil, Japan, Lebanon and Malta. Principal cellist with Capella Cracoviensis (1979-81), concertmaster with PRTV Orchestra in Kraków (1981-89), concertmaster with NOSPR in Katowice. Professor of cello and Rector of the Music Academy, Kraków.
Marta Nowaczyk-Łapińska
Cello studies with prof. Z. Łapiński at the Music Academy Cracow, furthered at numerous masterclasses included those taught by I. Monighetti, J.Berger, C. Bohorquez, and U. Tischbirk. A cellist with Cracow’s Polish Radio and TV Orchestra and Capella Cracoviensis, she achieves notable success in her teaching career, which is evidenced by the prizes won by her students at national and international competitions (Liezen, Dolny Kubin, Wrocław, Warszawa, Poznań, Kłodzko, Kraków, Stalowa Wola). Since 2002 – Director of the B. Rutkowski Primary and Secondary School of Music in Cracow. Juror of national and international competitions. Honoured with many prizes incl. the Award of the Mayor of Krakow, the Medal of the National Education Commission and Honoris Gratia.
Double bass
Leszek Sokołowski
He first studied double-bass at secondary music school in Białystok and then at Warsaw’s Acad. of Mus. studying with M. Stadnicki and prof. A. Mysiński and continuing at masterclasses led by Klaus Stoll – principal double-bassist of Berlin Philharmonic. At present, he is Professor of Double-Bass at University of Music in Warsaw and Academy of Music in Gdańsk, also a principal double-bassist with the Podlaska Opera and Philharmonic. He collaborates with Camerata quartet and Deutsche Oper Berlin Polish Quartet. He founded and now leads the chamber orchestra Sinfonia Academica. Honoured with the Gloria Artis medal.
Sebastian Wypych
soloist, chamber musician, improviser, composer, arranger, music producer, manager, founder of many bands, originator of many artistic projects. Artist of many musical trends, balancing on the edge of classical, tango, world music and open improvisation. Double bassist permanently collaborating with world-class artists; Yasmin Levy, Roby Lakatos. Composer and soloist of his two original albums: “DIRERCTIONS” and “POLSKA ENTER”. Originator, musical director and producer of the album “WORLD TANGOS ODYSSEY” with the participation of the band GANG TANGO, he founded, and the world-famous violin virtuoso – Roby Lakatos.
Classical guitar
Mateusz Kowalski
one of the most outstanding guitarists, according to Classical Guitar Magazine, he is a “spectacular” musician who performs an extensive repertoire from the Renaissance to the present day with extraordinary expertise and sense of style, as well as great musical culture. He has performed in the most important concert halls around the world, including the Musikverein in Vienna and the Shanghai Grand Theatre, delighting audiences in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Paris, and London. He became famous for the first-ever live performance of Fryderyk Chopin’s Piano Concerto in F minor arranged for guitar and orchestra. The first performance with the {Oh!} Orchestra conducted by Martyna Pastuszka took place during the “Chopin and His Europe” festival in 2023. In parallel with his solo career, he develops his teaching activity: among others at festivals in Szeged (Hungary), Rust (Austria) and Qingdao (China). Since October 2019, he has been a lecturer at the Chopin University of Music in Warsaw.
Chamber ensembles
Janusz Smolarski
violinist, solo and chamber musician, teacher. Graduate of the Chopin Academy in Warsaw, the first student of Professor M. Ławrynowicz to become an assistant in his class. Prizewinner at international competitions, concertmaster of the Symphony Orchestra in Płock. Teaches the violin at the music school in Płock and the Zenon Brzewski Secondary School of General Education and Music, Warsaw. Organizer of the M. Ławrynowicz International Meetings of Young Violinists in Płock.
Giovanni La Porta
graduated in viola in Conservatorio of Musica “C. Pollini” in Padova and in violin in Conservatorio di Musica of “J. Tomadini” in Udine, studying with m° R. Senia and D. Asciolla. Finished musical studies, and played violin and viola in several professional orchestra in Italy and abroad (Orch. Rai in Milano, Orch. Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Orch. da Camera di Padova). He had many experiences with chamber music ensemble, particularly dedicated to music of the baroque and classical periods. As a violin teacher he has taught for over 30 years in a public secondary school. He has published a short guide for beginners in violin study titled Primo incontro con il violino (1994, Intra’s ed.). Graduated in Architecture at the IUAV in Venice (1997), subsequently obtaining a PhD in “Civil environmental engineering and architecture” at the University of Udine (2014), specializing in the field of building and room acoustics.
Chamber orchestras
Maksym Dondalski
solo and chamber violinist, conductor,teacher. He graduated with distinction from the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz, where he first studied the violin with Jadwiga Kalisze-wska and Marcin Baranowski, and, two years later, orchestra con-ducting under Zygmunt Rychert and Piotr Sułkowski. Award-win-ner at many violin competitions, he is an active concert violinist and orchestral conductor, performing at home and abroad. Until 2016 he was first violin leader/ concertmaster with the Gorzów Philharmon-ic, Poland. For two years now he has been a faculty member of the Academy of Arts in Szczecin, teaching the violin and chamber music, as well as collaborating, since 2016, with Sinfonia Varsovia
Aural Training
Grażyna Paciorek-Draus
music theorist, composer, teacher, personal and professional development trainer. Specializes in music neurodidactics (techniques of learning and memorizing music), development of hearing and musical imagination, as well as mental and physical preparation for stage performances. Graduate of the Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw (currently the UMFC) in the field of composition and music theory and the SET Academy Coach School. Assistant professor at the Chopin University of Music, teacher at the ZPSM No. 1 in Warsaw, lecturer in international and national music workshops and courses. Juror of solfeggio and composition competitions for young people, co-creator of scientific and artistic projects. Speaker at scientific conferences, author of publications in the field of theory, philosophy, perception and interpretation of music and 20th century music. Winner of many awards for artistic, scientific and didactic achievements.
