Fabio Bidini is one of the top-flight younger-generation pianists. At the age of five he was given his first piano lessons and already half year later he played his first public concert. In the following years he won eleven of the most important Italian piano competitions, including always the Audience Prize as well as all the special prizes.

He made his final graduation with “Magna cum Laude” and was one of the youngest graduates ever of the prestigious “Conservatorio Santa Cecilia” in Rome. Pianists who made a significant contribution to his artistic development are Orazio Frugoni and Maria Tipo. After winning top prizes in the most famous international piano competitions his sensational success at the Busoni and at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition opened him the door to a constantly growing international career. Fabio Bidini now is recognized as one of the foremost young pianist to have emerged from Italy since the days of Michelangeli.

His outstanding piano playing that combines technical wizardry with poetic lyricism and his fascinating culture of the attack of the keyboard brought him to have a glowing London debut in the Barbican Center with the London Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas in the presence of Sir Georg Solti, Barbara Hendricks and James Galway in 1992. Shortly after, he had his highly acclaimed North American debut with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra under Joel Levi.

Since then Fabio Bidini is a frequent guest of the best orchestras worldwide (San Francisco Sympony, Dallas Symphony, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, The Philharmonia Orchestra of London, BBC Orchestra Wales) playing in the world´s most famous halls (Carnegie Hall, Kimmel Center Philadelphia, Kennedy-Center Washington, Royal Festival Hall, Davies Hall, Tonhalle Zürich, Gewandhaus Leipzig, Rudolfinum, Auditorio Nacionál-Madrid, Auditorio de Zaragoza, Muziekgebouw Amsterdam, among others).

He collaborated successfully with leading conductors of our time like: Michael Tilson Thomas, Ivan Fischer, Andrey Boreyko, Zoltan Kocsis, Eri Klas, GianAndrea Noseda, Barry Wordsworth, Yoel Levi, Pavel Kogan, Louis Lane, Tadaaki Otaka, Mathias Bamert, Jesus Lopez Cobos, Jorge Mester, JoAnn Falletta, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Max Valdes, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Ignat Solzhenitsyn, Keri-Lynn Wilson, Michael Christie, Thomas Hanus, David Itkin, Joel Levine, Frank Beermann, Thomas Hanus, Daniel Klajner, Carlos Prieto, Jorge Hanson, Rossen Milanov, Keri-Lynn Wilson, among others. He was repeatedly invited to perform at prestigious festivals (Tuscan Sun Festival Cortona/ Napa, Festival Radio France Montpellier Languedoc-Roussillon, La Roque d’Anthéron International Piano Festival, Stern Grove Festival, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli International Piano Festival/ Brescia and Bergamo, Festival dei due Mondi).

His repertory is tremendously vast, it contains 84 piano concerti and the piano works from the baroque to the modern era. Fabio Bidini is also greatly in demand as a chamber music partner. He enjoyed artistic collaboration with the American String Quartet, the Janacek Quartett, the Brodsky Quartett, the Szymanowski Quartet, the Modigliani Quartet, the Quartetto di Fiesole, Zoltan Kocsis, Nikolaj Znaider, Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt, Paula Robison, Corey Cerovsek, Wendy Warner, Eva Urbanova, Eva Mei, Roberto Fabbriciani, Alexis-Pia Gerlach, Nina Kotova, Dimitri Ashkenazy e Sabrina-Vivian Höpcker With the latter he is forming a stable duo. With the publication of their debut CD of sonatas of S.Prokofieff and R.Strauss they layed the foundations for an extensive collaboration with the US American label True Sounds. Fabio Bidini´s discography comprises thirteen CDs of leading recording companies like BMG, Classichord, Musikstrasse, EPR, True Sounds, among others. CDs can be found directly on this homepage under the chapter “CDs” and can be purchased in internet on Amazon.

In 2005 Fabio Bidini accepted a professorship in the piano departement of the “Universität der Künste – Berlin”. In 2009 he got appointed one of the few highest chairs for piano in Germany at the world-renown "Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler" in Berlin and teaches as a professor at this prestigious university since then. He is an official Steinway Artist.

Mirosław Jacek Błaszczyk graduated with honours from the Academy of Music in Katowice, where he studied conducting with Karol Stryja. In 1993, having won a scholarship from the American Society for Polish Music, Błaszczyk went to the United States to hone his conducting skills while working with philharmonic orchestras in Los Angeles and New York City.

In 1984-1986 Błaszczyk led an orchestra composed of Grand Symphony Orchestra of the Polish Radio and Television at the Warsaw Autumn Festival and the Silesian Contemporary Music Days. In 1986 he was appointed Artistic Director of the State Symphony Orchestra in Zabrze, and in 1990 became General Manager and Artistic Director of the State Philharmonic in Białystok, taking the latter on a tour of the United States in 1995. In 1996–98 he was General Manager and Artistic Director of the Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra.

Since 1998 he has held the joint post of Artistic Director of the Silesian Philharmonic Orchestra in Katowice and of the Grzegorz Fitelberg International Competition for Conductors (at which he won an award in 1991).

In 1999-2002 he served as principal conductor at the Porto International Piano Competition (Portugal) and in 2003 was member of the jury and conductor at the International Piano Competition in Morocco. In 2008 he was appointed Musical Director of the Symphonic Orchestra of the Lower Silesian Philharmonic in Jelenia Góra. Two years later he took the post of Artistic Director of the 2nd International Violin Competition in Toruń, Poland, while in 2011, chaired the jury of the 8th Lutosławski International Cello Competition in Warsaw. 2010 brought yet another in the long list of Błaszczyk's conducting engagements, this time with the President Symphony Orchestra of Ankara, Turkey.

Błaszczyk has performed at all major venues in Poland, including the National Philharmonic Hall, and in many countries worldwide (Albania, Austria, Belarus, China, Czech Republic, France, Spain, Ireland, Japan, Canada, South Korea, Lithuania, Latvia, Morocco, Mexico, Germany, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Tunisia, Ukraine and the United States). In addition to his busy conducting schedule, he is a prolific recording artist, making numerous recordings with the Silesian Philharmonic Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, including many premiere performances.

He received the Mayor of Katowice Cultural Award for promoting Polish music, with special emphasis on contemporary music, and for the achievements with the Silesian Philharmonic. On August 7 2012 he was conferred the title of Professor of Music.

Born in Warsaw in 1977, he studied with Bogusław Madey at the Frederyk Chopin Music Academy in Warsaw, where he later also received a doctorate in conducting under the supervision of Antoni Wit. In 2005-06 he served as an assistant to Kazimierz Kord at the Grand Theatre – National Opera in Warsaw, where he made his operatic debut with Mozart’s Don Giovanni. He worked closely with such prominent singers as Ewa Podles, Piotr Beczala, Mariusz Kwiecien and Samuel Ramey.

He had earlier worked as an assistant to Antoni Wit at the Warsaw Philharmonic (2002-05) and to Ivan Fischer at the Budapest Festival Orchestra (the 2000/01 season). He held several grants from the Polish Ministry of Culture and is a prizewinner of four conducting competitions in Trento (1999), Athens (2000), Porto (2002) and Bamberg (2004). He has appeared as a guest conductor with many ensembles including the Russian National Philharmonic Orchestra, the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Ukrainian National Philharmonic Orchestra, the Bamberger Symphoniker, I Pomeriggi Musicali (Milan) and most of Polish symphony orchestras including the Warsaw Philharmonic, the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Sinfonia Varsovia. The CD featuring Schumann’s works performed by the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra under his baton won the ‘Fryderyk’ Award of the Polish recording industry (2007). Three other of his CDs have received ‘Fryderyk’ nominations. His honours also include the ‘Passport’ Award from the Polityka weekly.

Łukasz Borowicz’s artistic contacts with the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra began long before he took over as its Artistic Director. The first new season under his reign was inaugurated with the concert version of Verdi’s Falstaff. In March 2008, during the 12th Ludwig van Beethoven Festival in Warsaw, he conducted the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in a concert performance of Cherubini’s Lodoïska, staged under the artistic supervision of Christa Ludwig. The 2008/09 season was inaugurated with a concert performance of the opera Maria by Roman Statkowski. In 2006 Łukasz Borowicz was appointed Chief Guest Conductor of the Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra, with which he conducted Sibelius’s Violin Concerto with Ida Haendel as soloist. His engagements with the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice have included such prestigious projects as ‘The Train to Kilar’s Music’, ‘The Days of Wojciech Kilar’s Music, ‘Budapest 1956’ (including a concert in the city’s Palace of Arts) and ‘Music for Prague 1968. In memoriam Ryszard Siwiec' (concert at the Rudolfinum). His engagements during the 2008/09 season have included appearances with the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra at the Krzysztof Penderecki Festival and the first Polish performance of Louis Spohr’s Opera Berggeist at the 13th Ludwig van Beethoven Festival. He also conducts Mozart’s The Magic Flute (at the Grand Theatre in Łódź) and Don Giovanni (at the newly-opened Kraków Opera) and Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice (at the Grand Theatre – National Opera in Warsaw).

Professor Zakhar Bron is well known the world over as a phenomenal violin pedagogue and an inspiring performer. Some of the best known violinists of today were amongst his students. He was himself winner of prizes at important international violin competitions, has recorded many CD's and regularly plays recitals, chamber music concerts and violin concertos.

He was a prize winner in both the Wieniawski International violin Competition in Poznan and the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels. Since then he has performed all over the world with many orchestras, including the Moscow Philharmonic, the Novosibirsk Philharmonic and orchestras in Spain, Portugal, Germany and Japan, under inspiring conductors like Maris Yansons, Arnold Katz, Justus Franz and others. Some of these concerts have taken place in halls like the Wiener Musikverein and Tokyo Suntory Hall.

Professor Bron started his teaching career as the assistant of Igor Oistrakh at the famous Tchaikowsky Conservatory in Moscow, even before taking his final exams. He later moved to Novosibirsk to start there what was to become a legendary class of students. It was in these days that he intensively taught violinists like Vadim Repin, Maxim Vengerov, Natalia Prischepenko and Daniel Hope. Bron's class in Novosibirsk turned out to be a perfect breeding ground for these talents. Together with Prof. Bron they were invited for concerts through the whole Soviet Union. True to his Polish roots - his mother is Polish - Bron also taught master classes in Poland.

It was through his contacts with Justus Franz and others that he was first invited to festivals in the West, giving him a chance of introducing his unique style of teaching there. He was soon offered several positions at music academies around Europe and in the first period after his move Prof. Bron taught at the Royal Academy in London, the Conservatory of Rotterdam, the Musikhochschule Lübeck and the Escuela Superior de Musica Reina Sofia in Madrid. He later concentrated his efforts on the latter two. In 1997 he moved from Lübeck to the Cologne Musikhochschule, leaving behind a school of which he has very fond memories. He also teaches at the Escuela Superior de Musica Reina Sofia and Zürcher Hochschule der Künste.

In the mean time through master classes Zakhar Bron has continued to spread his way of making music, teaching in almost every corner of the world. This has resulted in seminars and other initiatives, especially designed to give students a chance to learn from him. Through the years he has received several honorary professorships and recently was awarded the „Kreutz des Verdienstes, am bande” from the German government. Since 2009 Professor Zakhar Bron teaches at the International Masterclass Centre "Pro Bono Musicae" in Poland.

Zakhar Bron plays the 1757 Giovanni Battista Guaranini “Ex-Rose” violin.

A graduate of the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw in the violin class of Professors Miroslaw Lawrynowicz, Andrzej Gebski and Janusz Wawrowski as well as the viola class of Professor Piotr Reichert. Currently employed as an assistant in the viola class at her alma mater.

Katarzyna Budnik-Galazka enjoyed successes in numerous Polish and international competitions. As a soloist and chamber musician she has performed many times in Poland and other European countries. In 2010 she participated in the project callesd Chamber Music Connects the World, organized by the Kronberg Academy, where she played with such distinguished musicians as Gidon Kremer, Tatjana Grindenko, Yuri Bashmet and Frans Helmerson. She has performed at many prestigious festivals including the Music Festival in Lancut, International Chamber Music Festival "Music on the Heights" in Zakopane, Kammermusikfest Lockenhaus (where she was invited by Gidon Kremer).

Katarzyna Budnik-Galazka participated in many music courses, at which perfecting skills under the guidance of Professors Peter Reichert, Miroslaw Lawrynowicz, Yair Kless, Matisa Vaytsnera, Roland Baldini and Stefan Kamasa. For her excellence she received scholarships of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the "Young Poland" scholarship programme.

A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and the former Solo Violist of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, Zvi Carmeli performs through out the world as a violist simultaneously engaging in an intensive career as a conductor. During the years as Principal Violist in the Netherlands Carmeli studied the art of conducting at the Amsterdam Conservatory. Since 1996 He has been intensively involved in conducting large ensembles, chamber and symphonic orchestras.

He is the Founder and Conductor of the Berlin Chamber Soloists, an ensemble comprised of a dynamic international mix of some of Berlin's finest young musicians. The BCS has performed in prestigious festivals such as Emillia romagna, Le dieci giornate della musica Brescia and Festival delle nazioni, Citta di castello. In June 2006 The BCS performed a world premiere of "Bach to me", a revisiting of J.S. Bach 5th Brandenburg Concerto by jazz pianist and composer Cesare Picco. Followed by the release of the album "Bach to me" by the Berlin - Edel classics label. Carmeli and the BCS have collaborated with soloists such as Shlomo Mintz, Massimo Mercelli and Massimo Quarta.

Carmeli has performed as soloist with orchestras such as the European Community Chamber Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, Gorzow Philharmonic of Poland, Concerto Soloists of Philadelphia, The Harmonices Mundi Orchetra Linz and the Salzburg Chamber Soloists. Zvi Carmeli has recorded a variety of chamber music for Divox, Edel Classics, Ottavo, Ars Nova, Kontrapunkt and the KAM Amsterdam Concertgebouw series, along with recordings for Dutch, Spanish, German, American and Israeli Radio and Television productions. In 2005 Zvi Carmeli was appointed chief conductor of the Universität der Künste - Julius Stern Institute Chamber Orchestra, Berlin - an orchestra with which he concertizes regularly in halls such as the Philharmonie Berlin and the UDK Grosse saal, as well as in tours through out Europe. For 2011 and 2012 he has been appointed as guest professor conductor at the Muenster Musikhochschule, conducting the symphonic orchestra.

Carmeli is a professor of viola and chamber music at the Jerusalem Academy for Music and Dance, and also holds a position of chamber music professor and conductor at the Universität der Künste (UDK) - Julius Stern Institute, Berlin. He regularly gives master classes at various courses such as the Lenk Sommer Academie - Switzerland, "Stage" - Spain, "Musica Mundi" - Belgium, "Peter de Groot" - Holland, "Viersener musiksommer" and "Holzhausen musiktagen"- Germany and the Jerusalem Music Center Summer Courses as well as "Itzhak Perlman Project" in Israel.

Born in 1977 in Warsaw, Poland, Michal Dmochowski is the younger generation’s leading cellist of Polish origin. In his youth he received education from Alexander Bornduriansky, Bernard Greenhouse, Natalia Gutman, Philippe Muller, Boris Pergamenschikov and Janos Starker, obtaining purely excellent remarks what persuaded him to devote totally to the cello. Critically acclaimed in Poland and abroad he graduated the Frederic Chopin University of Music in Warsaw years before scheduled. He has chosen Madrid in Spain as the place of destination after being indicated by Mstislav Roztropovitch to the class of Natalia Shakhovskaya and Frans Helmerson at the Escuela Superior de Musica Reina Sofia in 1998.

In 2000 Michal Dmochowski has been honored as the best student and received the graduation diploma from Queen Sofia of Spain in person. Following the blow, in 2001 he won a competition for the cello professor chair at the Escuela Superior de Musica Reina Sofia, becoming the youngest engaged pedagogue there. In 2011 he remains the longest employed cello professor in the history of this prestigious institution, having such an acknowledgment as a proof of his unique teaching abilities and outstanding performing skills.

Michal Dmochowski developed exceptional cooperation with eminent soloists - including Teresa Berganza, Zakhar Bron, Gerard Causse, Frans Helmerson, Jens Peter Maintz, Siegfried Mauser, Paul Meyer, Philippe Muller, Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, Radovan Vlatkovic, Jorg Widmann, and conductors - including Alexander Anissimov, Enrique Garcia Asensio, Miroslaw Jacek Blaszczyk, Lukasz Borowicz, Zsol Nagy, Jerzy Salwarowski, Hansjorg Schellenberger, by performing, teaching and recording together with superb results. He recently toured China and South Korea, North and Latin America as well as Europe with noted philharmonic orchestras. CD recordings presenting his performances have been released by the Deutsche Grammophon, Spanish Verso and Polish DUX recording companies.

In addition to his performing career, Michal Dmochowski founded the very first International Masterclass Centre in Poland, basing on brand new educational centers funded by European Union. His “Masterclass Festivals” gather top-class pedagogues from all around the world, thus strengthening the cultural exchange and raising the level of musical knowledge in Poland - a country somehow neglected in the area of music education mastery.

Michal Dmochowski plays a 1670c Fabrizio Senta cello, courtesy of Janine Wildhage & Christophe Landon Rare Instruments.

Polish Radio Orchestra - Warsaw

Evgeny Durnovo is a splendid russian violinist and pedagogue. He got his education in Gnesin College and Moscow Conservatory in Professors S. Snitkovsky and M. Yashvili classes. As the artist of Russian National Orchestra he played in the best concert halls of Russia and on the most prestigious stages of the world.

In his pedagogic activity Professor Durnovo bases on achievements of outstanding pedagogues of past and present times. His own experience and enduring work in the Gnessin State Musical College and the Moscow Conservatory gives him an opportunity to release outstandingding pedagogic principles, such as special attention to beauty of tone, accuracy of intonation and phrasing, or at last the personality of each student on practice.

It's not by chance, that the best students of Professor Durnovo became diplomaeds and laureats of National and International competitions. Professor Evgeny Durnovo gives regulary violin and chamber music master classes in Moscow, and all over world. In the year of 2004 he became a member of jury on 1st Lisbon International Music Competition, followed by jurying its 2nd edition.

Since 2006, Evgeny Durnovo has been a jury member of one of the most prestigious youth violin contests - the International Competition for Young Violinist in Honour of Karol Lipinski and Henryk Wieniawski. Since 2007 Evgeny Durnovo cooperates with Professor Zakhar Bron as an Assisting Professor.

Ryszard Duz was born in 1952 in Wroclaw, Poland, where he also completed his music education. He graduated with honours from the State Higher College of Music in Wrocław in 1976. He has co-operated with the „Wilanów” Quartet since 1977. To this day, after 29 years, he has given about 3 thousand concerts at home and abroad and taken part in numerous, renowned music festivals and radio, television and record recordings (35 CDs).

He has worked at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music since 1991 and has been associate professor at the Department of Instrumental Studies where he teaches a viola and chamber music class (string quartets) since 2003. During his term at the Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music he has had the opportunity to work with many string quartets which have passed examinations very well, performed at many academic concerts and also participated in many competitions at home and abroad. In 1999 the „Royal Quartet” under his leadership won 3rd prize at the K.Bacewicz International Intercollegiate Chamber Music Competition in Łódź and in 2000 won 1st prize and Grand Prix at the International Carlo Solive Competition in Casale Monferato, Italy. In 2001 another quartet, „PRO Musica”, won 3rd prize at the aforementioned competition in Łodź where it presented a very high level of performance.

In addition to teaching at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, Ryszard Duz has taught at various masterclasses in Europe and South America. He has systematically attended the International Summer Master Courses in Zamosc since 2002 and International Masterclasses "Pro Bono Musicae" since 2010.

Galina Egyazarova was born in Russia. She studied at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow with Alexander Goldenweiser. Since 1961 her career has been exclusively dedicated to teaching, and she has taught at that musical institution. She has collaborated as a pedagogue with artists such as Tatiana Nicolaeva and Dimitri Bashkirov.

A great many number of pianists who are today teaching and playing at the main musical institutions throughout the world, as well as winners of national and international competitions, have been her pupils. Among her most celebrated students are Maria Stembolskaya, Radu Lupu and Arcadi Volodos, who studied under her tutorship for many years.

Galina Eguiazarova has been honoured by the Russian Ministry of Culture for her teaching activities. Since the 1993-1994 academic year Galina Eguiazarova has been Assistant Professor of Dimitri Bashkirov, Head Professor of the Piano Chair at the prestigious Escuela Superior de Musica Reina Sofía (Madrid), sponsored by the Banco Santander Foundation, and since the 2000-2001 academic year she heads her own piano class at that Academy. Professor Egiezarova is often invitied as a jury member onto various international piano competitions.

Frederic Chopin Music University - Warsaw

National Philharmonic - Warsaw

A graduate of the Academy of Music in Cracow, where he studied under the direction of Eugenia Uminska and Kaja Danczowska. He mastered his skills with such acknowledged celebrities as Andree Gertler or Yehudi Menuhin. He was awarded at several violin competitions, including the first prize at the Chamber Music Competition in Lodz, the second prize at the National Zdzislaw Yahnke Violin Competition in Poznan, the first prize at the Adelaide Violin Competition, the third prize and the distinction for the best Polish attendant at the 9th Henryk Wieniawski International Violin Competition and the special award at the Zino Francescati International Violin Competition in Marseilles.

He took on the function of the leader of „Polish Festival Orchestra” formed by Krystian Zimerman. As a soloist he recorded dozens of albums and made numerous recordings for television and radio, which were several times distinguished by critics and music industry. In August 2009 Robert Kabara performed with the marvellous World Orchestra for Peace (conducted by Valery Gergiev) on a special concert, commemorating the 70th anniversary of the World War II outbreak.

Since 1994 he has been running the Sinfonietta Cracovia and performing the triple role of conductor, leader and soloist. His everyday work and hundreds of performances in the last ten to twenty years have brought the ensemble international recognition. At the same time, he appears on stages of the major music centres in Poland and abroad, both as a soloist and a chamber musician. Being the tutor of the Academy of Music in Cracow, he is engaged in extensive pedagogical activity.

Hailed for his outstanding artistry, musicianship and virtuosity, violinist Dong-Suk Kang has performed on five continents to extraordinary acclaim. Dominic Gill, a London music critic, describes Dong-Suk Kang in his book «The Book of the Violin», as «already one of the world’s great violinists. His flawless technique and perfect bow arm certainly produce one of the most beautiful violin tones to be heard anywhere today». Ormandy, Serkin, Menuhin, Francescatti, and other eminent musicians also have praised him as one of the most outstanding violinists of his generation and a musician of the highest order.

Born in Korea, he went to New York in 1967 to study at the Juilliard School and later at the Curtis Institute with Ivan Galamian. He first came to the attention of the American public in 1971 when he created a sensation by winning both the San Francisco Symphony Foundation Competition and the Merriweather Post Competition in Washington D.C.. Following a debut at the Kennedy Center and an appearance with Seiji Ozawa, he went on to win top prizes in a number of international competitions including the Montreal, the Carl Flesch in London and the Queen Elisabeth in Brussels.

Since then, he has appeared with many great orchestras of Europe and North America. Tours of Asia have brought performances with the main asian orchestras with whom, he has than toured the USA and Europe. He also toured extensively in Australia playing with all six orchestras of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
The conductors he has worked with include Dutoit, Ozawa, Mazur, Jarvi, Menuhin, Salonen, Slatkin, Chung, Barshai, Jansons, Norrington, Foster, Svetlanov, Berglund, Lazarev and Herbig. He has performed at major music centers and festivals throughout the world and his concerts, such as London Proms, were frequently televised and broadcast on the radio in many countries. His strong interest in chamber music has resulted in his participation at various chamber music festivals. As a guest artist with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center he has performed in New York and toured throughout the country.

Dong-Suk Kang’s wide-ranging repertoire includes all the standard works as well as many unusual and neglected works. He has recently given the premier of the violin concerto «Mistral» by Alan Hoddinott in Great Britain which was commissioned by BBC as well as the Asian premier of the the Third Concerto by Isang Yun at the opening concert of «World Music Days» Festival after having performed Isang Yun’s First Concerto earlier. In the field of recording, in addition to the well-known works, such as Vivaldi Four Seasons (with The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields), he has recorded Nielsen and Elgar concertos, complete chamber music of Honegger and Alkan, and Furtwängler Sonata. His recordings have won critical acclaim and awards among which are the Grand Prix du disque from both the Académie Charles Cros and the Nouvelle Académie du disque. His Walton Concerto CD was chosen as the CD of the month by the Gramophone magazine and nominated for the Gramophone Award 2000.

Dong-Suk Kang is a professor at Yonsei University in Seoul and artistic director of «MusicAlp Festival» in France and the Seoul Spring Festival in Korea.

HENRYK KOWALSKI


Jacob's School of Music - Indiana University in Bloomington, USA
Royal College of Music in Stockholm, Sweden

Jens Peter Maintz studied with David Geringas and took master classes with Heinrich Schiff, Boris Pergamenschikow, Frans Helmerson and Siegfried Palm. He won first prize in the 1994 ARD competition in Munich, which had not been awarded for 17 years in the violoncello category. From 1995 onwards, he was principal cellist of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester (DSO) Berlin, till in 2004 he became professor for cello at the University of the Arts in Berlin as successor to Wolfgang Boettcher. At this time, he was also a long-serving member of the Trio Fontenay.

At the invitation of Claudio Abbado, he has been principal cellist of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra since 2006. Jens Peter Maintz has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in Europe, Japan, South America and the USA. He has worked with such conductors as Gerd Albrecht, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Herbert Blomstedt, Dennis Russell Davies, Marek Janowski, Bobby McFerrin and Franz Welser-Möst. His chamber-music partners include ensembles such as the Artemis Quartet, Carmina Quartet and Minguet Quartet and Kolja Blacher, Isabelle Faust, Janine Jansen, Julian Rachlin, Wolfram Christ, Antoine Tamestit and Hélène Grimaud.

Apart from classical concert repertoire, Jens Peter Maintz has performed many works by contemporary composers such as cello concertos of Isang Yun, Jan MüllerWieland and Georg Friedrich Haas. In 2003 he was the soloist at the German first performance of Richard Danielpour's Cello Concerto No. 1 in the Berlin Philharmonie, being accompanied by the DSO Berlin under Herbert Blomstedt.

His discography is as wide-ranging as his repertoire: his debut CD on the Sony Classical label featuring works by Bach, Kodaly and Dutilleux was awarded an ECHO classical music prize, and he followed it up with recordings of Isang Yun's Cello Concerto for Capriccio and a CD of Romantic repertoire from Tchaikovsky's circle for Arte Nova. On his CD with works by cellist/composer Wilhelm Fitzenhagen, released by Oehms Classics, he is accompanied by the Munich Radio Orchestra. His newest CD on Berlin Classics Label, featuring Haydn Cello Concertos with the Deutsche Kammerakademie Bremen, was enthusiastically reviewed by magazines like „FonoForum“ and „Der Spiegel“.

Jens Peter Maintz plays a cello by Vincenzo Ruggeri from the year 1696 and another built by Wolfgang Schnabl in 2005.

Siegfried Mauser studied Piano under Rolf Koenen, Rosl Schmid and Alfons Kontarsky at the Music University Munich as well as musicology, philosophy and history of art at the universities of Munich and Salzburg. He published his dissertation on „The expressionistic musical theatre of the Viennese School“ (Bärenreiter/Bosse) in 1981.
After holding a lectureship in musicology and piano at the Music University Munich, he was professor at the State University for Music in Würzburg, at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, where he founded a Research Institute for Musical Hermeneutics, and at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich where he has even presided since the winter semester 2003. Moreover, as a pedagogue of international master courses he is in a great demand due to his mastery in pianistry, song interpretation and chamber music.

Siegfried Mauser has received various awards, such as the scholarship for interpretation of the City of Munich (1981), the Bavarian Cultural Award (1984) and the award “Neues Hören” (2001) for the successful conveyance of new music of the International Summer Academy Mozarteum together with the Salzburg Festival. He was the first one ever to receive this prize. Since 1990, he has been an ordinary member of the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts where he has even been Director of the music department since 2002.
As soloist and chamber musician he played concerts all over the world, especially in the important music metropolises Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Vienna, London, Paris, Moscow, Beijing and Tokyo as well as in the US (New York, Washington and Los Angeles among others). Siegfried Mauser is regular guest at renowned festivals such as the Biennale Munich, the Piano Festival Ruhr and the Salzburg Festival. As soloist he played with famous orchestras, such as the Bavarian Broadcast Symphonic Orchestra, the Munich Chamber Orchestra, the Radio Symphonic Orchestra, the German Symphonic Orchestra Berlin and many others. The world premiers of many contemporary compositions were played by Siegfried Mauser such as the piano music and concerts of Wolfgang Rihm, Wilhelm Killmayer, Hans Werner Henze and Jörg Widmann. The list of his widely noticed CD recordings is long: in addition to the complete piano works of Paul Hindemith, Alexander Zemlinsky and Karl Amadeus Hartmann productions with piano music (Debussy, Rihm, Killmayer a.o.) and chamber music (by Bialas and Hindemith among others), as well as many songs, e.g. by Gustav Mahler (with Siegfried Jerusalem), are available. Next project (in prep.): all piano sonatas of W. A. Mozart.

Siegfried Mauser writes and initiates numerous publications on musical analysis, musical aesthetics and history of music in the 19 and 20 century and is editor of the Encyclopaedia on Music Genres –„Handbuch der musikalischen Gattungen“, the Studies on Musical Hermeneutics - „Studien zur musikalischen Hermeneutik“ (Laaber) and Beck Knowledge of Music - „Beck Wissen Musik“ (C.H. Beck). More recent publications: „Beethoven’s piano sonatas“ (Munich 2001), „Lexicon of the piano“ (Kammertöns/ Mauser, Laaber 2006).

Born in 1933 in Cracow, Kazimierz Michalik studied cello at the Music Academy in Katowice (Upper Silesia), where he was a pupil of Professor Jozef Drohomirecki, and at the Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in Prague, where he was a pupil of Karel P. Sadlo and Milos Sadlo. He graduated with distinction. Later encounters with Mstislav Rostropovitch and Andre Navarra also had a great influence on his artistic development.

He started his professional career in 1951 in the Great Symphony Orchestra of the Polish Radio in Katowice. From 1965 he played in the National Philharmonic Orchestra in Warsaw. In both orchestras he was a principal. He has also performed a great deal of chamber music, in the Silesian Trio, and later in Ensemble of Soloist from National Philharmonic in Warsaw. This ensemble toured and recorded extensively. As a soloist he has played with many orchestras and conductors, among them Jan Krenz, Zygmunt Latoszewski, Vaclav Neuman, Marek Pijarowski, Boguslaw Madey. Kazimierz Michalik began teaching in 1974.

He is a professor of cello at the the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. He was also Vice President of the Academy with special responsibility for artistic productions. He also held the post of chair of string studies. He is often invited to teach abroad as visiting professor. He has taught at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki (Finland) in 1989-91 and at Keimyumg University w Daegu (South Korea) in 1995 and 2000-2002. He has taught many master classes in Finland, Germany, Yugoslavia, Spain and Korea. For the last 19 years he has taught at the Summer Academy in Zagan (Poland) of which he is co-founder.

Kazimierz Michalik is also often invited to be a member or chairman of the jury for national and international competitions. Apart from numerous Polish competitions he has been a jury member for Bach Competition in Leipzig, The Prague Spring Festival Competition, the Competition in Markneukirchen, and three times in the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. He is also a co-founder and juror of the Witold Lutosławski International Cello Competition in Warsaw. Many of his past and present pupils have won prizes in national and international competitions, many of them now play important roles in musical life in Poland and abroad.

Frederic Chopin Music University - Warsaw

Philippe Muller was born in 1946 in Alsace, and raised in both the French and German musical traditions characteristic of this region. His unusual background has made him especially appreciative and open to different cultures, which is reflected in his multi-faceted career.

Well-known for his solo appearances, Philippe Muller is also a much sought-after performer of chamber music in a repertoire that ranges from baroque to contemporary music. His career spans several continents, and he performs regularly in the major capitals of Europe, the Americas, and Asia. The trio he founded in 1970 with Jean-Jacques Kantorow and Jacques Rouvier performed widely to enthusiastic public and critical acclaim.

In 1979, Philippe Muller was appointed Professor of Cello at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, succeeding his teacher, Andre Navarra. He has taught an impressive number of young cellists, many of whom already have remarkable careers of their own. He is regularly invited to give masterclasses in the most prestigious institutions around the world.

Philippe Muller has recorded extensively for some of the world's premier labels with a variety of ensembles. His discography is a reflection of his personality, and he is equally at home in a variety of styles and repertoires, ranging from Vivaldi, Bach (6 suites recorded in 2007), and Beethoven, to Fauré, Ravel, Martinů, and Malec.

Conservatori Superior de Música de les Illes Balears - Palma de Mallorca

Hubert Salwarowski belongs to the group of distinguishing young Polish artists. He is an honors graduate of the Karol Szymanowski Secondary School of Music in Katowice and the Academy of Music in Katowice (under guidance of prof. Andrzej Jasinski). He studied at the mastercourses in Duszniki and at The Chigiana Academy in Siena - 1997/1999 as a winner of a scholarship of the Italian goverment. In 2000 he won a scholarship of the German govermnent and studied in Buckow and Puigcerda, both with prof. Oxana Yablonskaya. He also gratuated the „Master of Music” Program in The Juilliard School of Music in New York. He received several scholarships of the F. Chopin Society, the Polish Children's Fund, the Ministry of Culture and Art. (four times), and the Mayor of the Town of Katowice. He is a laureate of some major national and international competitions, including first prizes at the Maria Canals International Piano Competition in Barcelona, Festival of Polish Pianism in Słupsk, International Piano Competition for Piano & Orchestra in Cantu (Italy) and International Piano Competition in Puigcerda (Spain).

At the age of seventeen he made his debut as a soloist, and since that time he gives concerts with Poland’s major symphonic orchestras. As a soloist he performs concerts and recitals in Poland, Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, Sverige, Egypt, Belgium, Austria, Germany, Syria, USA and received favourable reviews. He appears with recitals on many music festivals, including: the "Talents' Week in Tarnow" (Polska), "Music and Architecture" (Thorn), Festival of Polish Pianism in Slupsk, Chopin Festivals (Duszniki Zdroj and Marianske Lazne) and on the summer festivals in Toledo, Gandia, Puigcerda (Spain) and also Van Vlaanderen Festival (Belgium).

He records for the Radio and TV. In 2002 he recorded for DUX company CD including J.Brahms Piano Concerto #1 and S. Prokofiev Piano Concerto #3 together with the orchestras of National Radio Katowice and Szczecin Philharmonic, conducted by Jerzy Salwarowski. This CD has been nominated to the prestigious „Fryderyk” Critics' Prize.

Together with soloist career Hubert Salwarowski focuses on teaching assignments during music workshops and his work at the Piano Chair of Music Academy in Katowice. Currently he is the Vicechairman of „Pro Bono Musicae” Association.

Jerzy Salwarowski is a distinguished Polish conductor. He was born in Cracow, where he graduated with honours from the Academy of Music – composition under Tadeusz Machl and Krzysztof Penderecki, conducting under Henryk Czyz and Krzysztof Missona. He perfected his conducting skills at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena under Franco Ferrara. He is winner of national and international competitions: the 1st and 2nd Grzegorz Fitelberg Competition for Conductors – the Music Critics’ Prize and Second Prize, International Conductors’ Competition in Siena - First Prize; International Conductors’ Competition in Budapest - Second Prize. He conducted chamber and symphony orchestras, as well as opera performances in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America.

Since 1996 he has served as the Artistic Director of the “Toruń – Music and Architecture” Festival. He is also (from 2002) a Professor at the Music Academy in Poznań, where he is the head of The Orchestra and Opera Conductorship Department. In September 2005, he was appointed by the president of Czestochowa to the post of Artistic Director at the Czestochowa Philharmonic; simultaneously, he reassumed the post of Artistic Director in the Toruń Chamber Orchestra. Salwarowski toured a lot in Europe with Polish orchestras. He performed at many international festivals: “Warszawska Jesień”, Flanders Festival, “Millenium Pace” in Spain and “Prague Spring”. He made numerous archival recordings with Polish Radio Orchestras.
 
His contribution includes many CDs for foreign (Amreco, Adda, Thorofon) and Polish (Tonpress, Selene, Wifon, DUX, Polish Recordings) record labels. With A. Ratusinski and Silesian Philharmonic, he recorded an album of G. Gershwin’s music, for which, in 1993 he received the Gold Record Award. With the Silesian Philharmonic Orchestra, Jerzy Salwarowski recorded M.Karlowicz’s Symphony Poems. In 1999, the album was remastered on two CDs and was nominated for the Fryderyk 1999 Award. Recently, he recorded two CDs with the Chamber Orchestra of Torun (a selection of “Famous Miniatures” and Mendelssohn’s music), and with the Szczecin Philharmonic Orchestra – “Famous Caprices” (the first CD in the history of the Szczecin Philharmonic, contained pieces of Tchaikovsky, Lutoslawski, Rachmaninov and Rimski-Korsakov, nominated for the “Fryderyk” Prize in 1998). In the spring of 2002, together with his son Hubert, he recorded a new CD, which contains Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 (assisted by the Szczecin Philharmonic), and Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1 (assisted by the National Radio Orchestra), also nominated to the Fryderyk 2002 Prize.

An important area of Jerzy Salwarowski’s activity is the annual Summer Course for Young Conductors and the International Festival "Toruń: Music and Architecture". Each event is the conductor’s brainchild. Recent foreign engagements have taken him to Hamburg, Cairo, Osaka, Skopje, Porto, Luxembourg, Lucca, Everett (Washington), La Crosse (Wisconsin), Kiev, Berlin, Essen, Bergamo, Milan, Barcelona, Valencia and Copenhagen. He lately led numerous lectures and masterclasses in Towson University of Baltimore (MA) and Central Washington University of Ellensburg (WA), as well as conducted a number of concerts in Ukraine, in part of the Polish Culture Days event.

Hansjörg Schellenberger was born in Munich, Germany, in 1948 and grew up near Regensburg. His early musical exercises on the practically obligatory recorder were followed by his initial instruction in oboe with the solo oboist of the Regensburg City Theater. Only four years later, in 1965, the young musician was victorious at the Jugend musiziert German national competition. This success was followed by a summer stay at the international music camp in Interlochen, Michigan, where Schellenberger participated in a competition for young talents and immediately also won the first prize.

After his Abitur school-leaving examination in 1967 Hansjörg Schellenberger initially pursued two educational paths with his concurrent study of oboe and mathematics. Two years later music had gained the upper hand. By now twenty-one years old, Schellenberger became an oboe pupil of Manfred Clement and was instructed in conducting by Jan Koetsier. After concluding his training and a one-year master class Schellenberger became an oboist in the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra on 1 September 1971 and subsequently advanced to the post of its solo oboist in 1975. He concurrently pursued further studies under Helmut Winschermann (oboe) and Martin Stefani (conducting) at the Detmold College of Music. In September 1977 Schellenberger regularly began assisting in the series of the Berlin Philharmonic, which made him its solo oboist three years later.

During all these early years Hansjörg Schellenberger had already distinguished himself on the national and international level with numerous awards and activities. He was the winner in oboe at the German Music College Competition in 1971, and the second prize at the ARD Competition in Munich followed in 1972. Various Bavarian and North Rhine-Westphalian culture prizes were also bestowed on him. He began ten years of teaching at the Berlin College of the Arts in 1981, and from 1985 to 1998 he organized summer courses at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena on an annual basis.

In 1983 he was among the founders of the Ensemble Wien-Berlin, and in 1991 he founded the Berlin Haydn Ensemble. During all his “philharmonic years” in Berlin (1980-2001) he was active as an oboe teacher at the orchestra academy of "his" Berliner Philharmoniker orchestra, which he also served in a managerial capacity in the field of sound and television productions from 1983 to 1997.

While Hansjörg Schellenberger continued to appear both as a chamber musician and a soloist with many outstanding colleagues and conductors of the rank of Herbert von Karajan, Carlo Maria Giulini, Riccardo Muti, Zubin Mehta, and Claudio Abbado, his own orchestral conducting gradually returned to the foreground. After a concert series with the Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto in 1995 he received constant new conducting offers: the Orquesta de la Comunidad de Madrid, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta de Valencia, and Orchestra of the Florentine Maggio Musicale were among the ensembles with which he performed so successfully during the following years that his departure from the ranks of the Berlin Philharmonic was evidently only a matter of time – and also a proper question to consider, as developments of the most recent past have shown. The Camerata Salzburg, Spanish National Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra of Tokyo, Orchestra Verdi from Milan, German Radio Philharmonic of Saarbrücken-Kaiserslautern, and many other top-quality orchestras have regularly welcomed Hansjörg Schellenberger as their guest conductor.

Since the 2000-2001 academic year Hansjörg Schellenberger is Head Professor of the Oboe Chair, at the Reina Sofía Higher School of Music in Madrid. He is at present Profesor/Department Head, Wind Quintets, of the International Institute of Chamber Music of Madrid. Additionally, Schellenberger is an “international instructor of wind music” at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, where he also appears regularly as a conductor and gives conducting seminars. Together with his wife, Margit-Ann Süß, an excellent harpist, he directs the international master-classes at Sachrang (Bavaria) as well as regularly giving a wide variety of oboe and conducting master-classes all over the world.

Professor Nataliya Shakhovskaya is one of most significant Russian cellists. She studied at the Gnessin School of Music and later at the Moscow Conservatory under the tutorship of S. Kosolupov. She finished her education at that center with Mstislav Rostropovich.

Winner at the most important cello competitions in Russia and abroad – she won the First Prize and Gold Medal at the Tchaikovsky Competition – Natalia Shakhovskaya has pursued an active career as soloist in recitals and with the best orchestras and conductors worldwide.

She taught at the Moscow Conservatory (as Head of the Cello Chair and Director of Double Bass Department) from 1974 to 1995, after Rostropovich relinquished the post on his departure from Russia. More than forty of her students have won international competitions.

Nataliya Shakhovskaya gives masterclasses around the world and has been a jury member at many international competitions. Currently she is the principal teacher at the Cello Chair of Escuela Superior de Musica Reina Sofía in Madrid.

Tatiana Shebanova was one of the most eminent pianists of the present time. She graduated with a gold medal from Moscow Conservatory, after studies with Victor Merzhanov. For the next ten years, she collaborated with Merzhanov as assistant lecturer, thus continuing the tradition that the professor himself associated with the influence of Rachmaninoff’s aesthetics, and identified with the heyday of Romantic style and virtuosity of the highest standard.

Tatiana Shebanova was the winner of international competitions in Prague (1969 - Grand Prix), Geneva (1976 - Grand Prix and two special awards) and Brussels (1990 - Grand Prix and three special awards), among others. The Polish audience remembers her performances during the 10th International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1980, when she received the 2nd prize and the special prizes for the best performances of a polonaise and of a concerto.

Tatiana Shebanova gave performances at Europe’s greatest music centres. She also held concerts in the Philippines, Canada, the USA and South Africa, and appeared in almost all the major concert halls in Japan during 22 concert tours. She made numerous recordings for the radio and television, and made records under more than 40 labels: Melodia, Muza, Victor, Panton, CBS-Sony, Pony-Canyon, GHP Classical, and others. For Polish Radio and DUX, she recorded complete solo works by Chopin. As a soloist, she performed great cycles by Bach (Das Wohltemperierte Klavier, Partitas), Mozart (Sonatas), Rachmaninoff (Preludes), Mendelssohn (48 Songs without Words), most compositions by Beethoven, Schumann, Schubert, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Debussy, Ravel, Prokofiev, and Scriabin. She was also the first performer of new compositions by Jevgeny Golubev, Yuri Aleksandrov and Boris Bloch. She worked with the greatest Polish conductors, and with orchestras from Europe, South Africa and Japan.

Tatiana Shebanova taught masterclasses and postgraduate courses in Japan and in Duszniki Zdrój. She was a professor at the Music Academy in Bydgoszcz.

Tatiana Shebanova died on 1st of March, 2011 in Warsaw.

Born in Munich, Margit-Anna Suess studied the harp with Ragnhild Kopp at the Richard Strauss Conservatoire and with Prof. Ursula Lentrodt at the Music Academy in Munich and successfully completed her Masters degree.

As a scholarship-holder of the “Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes” and the DAAD she spent two formative years in Paris with Pierre Jamet who, as a young harpist, had been introduced to the music of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel by the composers themselves. At the age of 20 she became principal harp of the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra in Hamburg and was among the young soloists selected nationwide by the Deutsche Musikrat, which brought her numerous concert engagements.

She also played as a guest for many years with the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and for more than 10 years with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (at that time under the direction of Herbert von Karajan and Claudio Abbado), where she played under all the great conductors, and participated on numerous CD recordings. For more than 20 years, she has performed with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra during the Salzburg Easter Festival.

Concert tours have taken her from Europe to Japan, South-East Asia, South America and the USA. As a soloist, she has performed in festivals such as the Salzburg Festival, the Schleswig Holstein Festival, the Rheingau Festival, the Jerusalem Festival and at the World Harp Congresses in Maastricht, Strasbourg and Prague.

As a concerto soloist she has performed with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Claudio Abbado, the National Orchestra of Lyon under Emanuel Krivine, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra under David Shallon, the English Chamber Orchestra, the Prague Chamber Orchestra, the Heilbronn Chamber Orchestra, the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra, the North German Radio Orchestra Hanover among others.

She has played with partners such as Hansjörg Schellenberger, Wolfgang Schulz, Wolfram Christ, Emmanuel Pahud, James Galway, A. Adorjan, Albrecht Mayer, Klaus Stoll, Stephanie Hamburger, the Ensemble Wien-Berlin, the Jerusalem String Quartet, the Haydn Ensemble Berlin and many more.

CD recordings are available on Deutsche Grammophon, Sony Classical, Denon and Campanella Musica, including the following prize-winning recordings: "Grand Prix du Disque" for French Chamber Music with Ensemble Wien-Berlin and the actress Catherine Deneuve on Deutsche Grammophon. "Quarterly list of the Deutsche Schallplattenpreis 1999" for Double Concertos by W. Lutoslawski and Frank Martin on Campanella Musica.

As a teacher she continues to be invited nationally and internationally to give master classes at various music academies such as the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, the Petersburg Conservatoire, the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, the University of Tokyo and others. She also teaches at the Wolfgang Sawallisch Foundation, an institution for talented musicians im Chiemgau, Bavaria; in 2007 she coached the 7 harpists in Wagners “Ring” at the Tyrol Festival in Erl.

Margit-Anna Süß has also dedicated herself to the Baroque harp and for many years has played Louis Seize harps by Beat-Wolff and singles-pedal harps by J. Fischer and A. Schroll. She lives with her husband Hansjörg Schellenberger and their 4 children in the Chiemgau mountains.

Tomasz Tomaszewski is one of the most eminent violinists of Polish origin. Alumnus of Music School in Opole, the pupil of D. Sujata. He studied at the Warsaw Music Academy under famous Professor Tadeusz Wronski. After graduating with distinction he continued his studies at the Leningrad Conservatory under Professor Gutnikov as well as in Freiburg under Professor Marschner and attended master courses under the supervision of Druzhnin, Krysa, Fournier, Liebermann, Hiller and Szerny.

With the Polish String Quartet he went on extensive concert tours across Europe and Australia. As a soloist of the Polish Camber Orchestra he also gave concerts in many different countries. Tomasz Tomaszewski has won numerous international competitions, has been first concert master of the Orchestra of the German Opera Berlin since 1982 and held a teaching position at the University of the Arts in Berlin since 1983. Tomaszewski is the founder and director of the chamber orchestra Chamber Soloists of the German Opera Berlin which has been very busy giving concerts since 1988. He has also been in charge of the music summer courses in Głuchołazy supported by the Polish Ministry for Cultural Affairs since 1988 He is a much sought-after soloist with concerts in many European countries, Japan, China and the USA and his many recordings for radio and on compact disc show his great talent, ability and versatility.

Since 2001 he has been a violin professor at the Universität der Künste Berlin.

Daniel Veis has been recognized as the finest Czech cellist since winning the First Prize at 1976 Prague Spring Competition and the Silver Medal at 1978 Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.

Born in Prague he studied there and five years at the Moscow Conservatory with N.Shakhovskaya. Since 1979 he has performed regularly as a reliable soloist with the most of major orchestras in such centers like Avery Fisher Hall and Carnegie Hall N.Y., Royal Albert Hall London, Orchard Hall Tokyo, Auditori de Barcelona and Auditorio Nacional de Madrid, with V.Neumann, Ch.Mackerras, S.Baudo, L.Pesek, J.Belohlavek, G.Delogu, J.P.Saraste, Y.P.Tortelier etc.

His repertoir is substantial and includes a lot of contemporary compostitions. He has recorded works by Dvorak, Brahms, Schumann, Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Tchaikovsky, Saint-Saens, Martinu, Shostakovich, Kabelac, Hanus, Sommer. In 1989 he became a guest-soloist of Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. In addtition to his solo career he is a member of international Rosamunde Trio (with M.Tirimo and B.Sayevich).

He is a professor of cello and currently vice-dean at the Music Faculty of Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. He frequently gives masterclasses and works in juries of international competitions.

Hochschule für Musik und Tanz - Cologne

Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía - Madrid

Zürcher Hochschule der Künste - Zurich

Yuri Vladimirovitch Volguin was born in Russia. Yuri studied and trained at the State Superior Conservatoire in Novosibirsk under the tuition of Zakhar Bron. Yuri graduated from the Conservatoire as “Cum Laude”.

In 1978 Yuri joined the State Philharmonic Orchestra as a soloist combining the work with an activity as a teacher at a Specialised Music School for gifted children. At the same time Yuri carried out an outstanding concert activity as a concert violinist on recital tours, in solo-concerts as well as a member of camera orchestras such as “The Urals Trio” whose program throughout the Soviet Union was mapped out by the famous concert producing agency “Philharmonia”. Those artist performances brought Yuri opportunities to become a Prize Winner of several National Competitions.

In 1981 Yuri Volguin started his teaching activity at the High School of Music run by the Superior Conservatoire in Novosibirsk. At the same time, between 1984 and 1995, Yuri conducted the work as a Head Coordinator and a teacher on the Professional Advancement Course for the Music teaching staff in the Urals region. Yuri was carrying out a teaching activity at the Music School for gifted children in Yekaterinburg when his was awarded with the honorable title of Professor of Violin at the Violin Department of the State Music Conservatoire in Chelyabinsk. In 1996 Yuri was offered by Zakhar Bron to join the Department of Violin as an Assistant Professor at the Superior Music School named after Queen Sofia in Madrid, Spain. Yuri settled down in Madrid. Since 2006 Yuri has also worked as a teacher of violin at the High Music School in Catalonia (Barcelona), combining the work at these two the most important Music Tuition Centres in Spain with violin performances in Spain, the Russian Federation, Sweden, Portugal, and France as well as participating in International Festivals and Competitions as a Jury Member and a Guest Musician.

Professor Yuri Volguin’s distinguished 36-year experience as a teacher and a mentor is broadly acknowledged in the world thorough his students’ outstanding professional skills. Besides, Yuri Volguin’s prominent work as a teacher has become World-known which allows him to maintain a permanent cooperation with European Music Teaching Centres where Professor Volguin gives Master Classes of violin: Summer Courses in the Albeniz Foundation in Santander (1997-2001), “Music training Courses of Eduardo Ocon” in Malaga (2006-2010); Music International Festival of Zumaya (2005); Courses of Violinist Performance of Madrid (2004-2008); Master Classes, Superior Conservatoire of Tallin (2005); “Recontres Musicales internacionales de Graves” (2007-2010); “Curso Internacional de Musica Agora Portals” “Ils Balears” (2009-2010); Master Classes Hochschulle, Lubek (1997); "International Masterclass Centre «Pro Bono Musicae»" in Bielsko-Biala (Poland, 2010). For his distinguished pedagogical and artistic work Yuri Volguin was awarded with the Prize of Arts, by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.

Ludmila Volguina was born in Russia. Ludmila studied and trained as a pianist at the Superior Conservatoire of Music in Novosibirsk. After graduating from the Conservatoire Ludmila became a member of the teaching staff of the Conservatoire as well as a member of the teaching staff at the High School/Institute of Arts and Culture where she worked at the Department of Piano combining pedagogical work with the activities as a soloist-pianist, accompaniment- pianist at the Violin and Vocalist Departments.

Ludmila participated in several National and International Violin Competitions as an accompaniment-pianist (Diagilev Competition in Moscow, Competitions of Violinists of Russia, Competition of Demiadov in Yekaterinburg and others) where her performance was highly evaluated by awarding her with the Acknowledgement Diplomas.

Since 1996 Ludmila has lived in Madrid where her main professional activity is as a pianist. She has been an accompaniment-pianist to the distinguished vocal and music instruments soloists: Reconres musicales Internacionales de Graves - in France, Concurso internacional de Musica Agora Portals - the Balearean Islands, Curso de interpretación violinistica de Madrid.

Currently Ludmila is a member of a Duo together with her husband Yuri Volguin, a violinist. Ludmila combines concert activity with the pedagogical work at a Music School “San Petersburgo” in Mostoles as well as at another Music School “Aula de Músicas” in Madrid.

Tilmann Wick began to play the cello at the age of six. At sixteen, he made his debut as soloist with the Osnabruck Symphony Orchestra, performing Saint-Saens' Cello Concerto in A minor. By the age of 26 he was giving 80 concerts a year aIl over the world, and when he turned 36 he was offered a cello professorship at the Music and Theatre Academy in Hannover, Germany.
Tilmann Wick is a soloist. He draws on concert experience gained with Claudio Abbado, Herbert von Karajan, Sir Georg Solti, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Rudolf Buchbinder, Bernd Glemser, Pascal Devoyon, Christian Zacharias, Shlomo Mintz, Dong-Suk Kang and Frank Peter Zimmermann.

Highlights in his career include Dvorak' s Cello Concerto with the HaIle Orchestra of Manchester, Tchaikovsky' s Rococo Variations with the Bavarian State Orchestra of Munich, the world premiere of Ernst Helmuth Flammer's cello concerto Capriccio with the MDR Symphony Orchestra of Leipzig.
Further focal points include performances in New York's Carnegie Hall, in Boston, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Montreal, Santiago de Chile, in Melbourne, Seoul, Pretoria, Tunis, Casablanca, Alger, London, Brussels, Paris, San Sebastian, Novosibirsk, Krasnojarsk, Tomsk, Lucerne, in Zurich's Tonhalle, Berlin's Schauspielhaus, Frankfurt's Alte Oper, Munich's Herculessaal, and Cologne's Philharmonie. His debuts were also memorable occasions, as at the Salzburg Festival, the Berlin Festival (at the invitation of Claudio Abbado), the Ludwigsburg Castle Festival, the Schleswig -Holstein Music Festival, the "Musiktreffen St. Moritz", the Portogruaro Music Festival, the Dartington International Festival of Music, and Spain's Festival Quincena Musical.

Tilmann Wick is a perfectionist. His CD recordings produced by EMI classics, MD+G, audite and ambitus, are treasured by connoisseurs the world over. His technique is a modern, innovative one that he takes still further in order to demonstrate the complete scope of the spacious sound spectrum of the violoncello. His ambitus CD of Britten's complete works for cello solo documents bis pronounced sense of tone colour and tonal resource.

Tilmann Wick is distinguished in the sense that he has received many awards in his career, ranging from a Concert Artist Diploma examination passed "with distinction" in the early days, to two renowned first prizes gained later on in Spain and New York.

Tilmann Wick has remained a person with a deep concern for other people, despite his impressive career. Thus it is only logical that he teaches, both in master classes in the USA, Canada, Korea, Australia, Italy, England, France and Germany, and at the Hanover Music Academy, where he assumed the cello professorship in 1998.

His cello is a 1692 Grancino from Milan.

First official symphonic concert took place on 2nd March 1945 in The Częstochowa City Theatre. Soon the orchestra became independent and got its own seat placed Dąbrowski Street for twenty years. Since 1954 starts attempts to build a brand new concert hall. It was created a building (30% of money derived from people of Częstochowa). This building is a great merit of Dionizy Krzepczak – director of the orchestra in 1950s. In 1965 the orchestra moved in its new seat – Konkielów Street (today: Wilson Street) named The House of Culture “Philharmonic Hall”. From this time to Częstochowa have come renowned musicians, conductors and foreign orchestras, for example Chamber Music Orchestra from Lausanne and The Symphonic Orchestra of Moscow.

Besides symphonic concerts, chamber music concerts, education ones, the orchestra was a host and an organizer of three music festivals: Jeunesses Musicales "Pro Musica", The Polish Violin Festival and The Youth Music Festival. First two of them was continued for years.

Artistic Directors of The Philharmonic Hall was a most renowned conductors as prof. Krzysztof Missona and Zygmunt Szczepański. Since 1972 for 14 years Zygmunt Hassa has been director of The State Symphonic Orchestra. He near Leon Jelonek has been working with the orchestra for the longest time. In 1976 when The Voivodeship of Częstochowa started exist and the orchestra got name The Philharmonic then there was more number and forms of concerts. Almost every kind of music was played (symphonic, popular, chamber music, recitals). Musicians of the orchestra played also in small esembles.
Very important question for The Częstochowa Philharmonic - now and before - is education by music. We organize concerts for children and young people in our concert halls and beyond The Philharmonic in schools. For the youngest we used to organize “Happy Music Mornings” from 2006 named “Symphonic Music Mornings”.The Orchestra have toured to European countries: Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Italy, France and Germany.In 1984 started a new festival “Ars Chori” which has changed in a few years into International Festival of Sacred Music “Gaude Mater” (1991).

From 1990 Jerzy Kosek had been director and artistic director of The Philharmonic. For the first time number of musicians of the orchestra grown up to 74 persons and instrumentalists was masters of art. In 1996 Leszek F. Hadrian became director of The Philharmonic. Since January 2006 Beata Młynarczyk has replaced him. In 1998 Jerzy Swoboda became artistic director. September 1st 2005 he has been replaced by Jerzy Salwarowski. Thanks to Leszek F. Hadrian came to existence Bronisław Huberman Violin Festival and Częstochowa Guitar Meeting. Violin festival is still being continued. To give more attractions from January 1998 to December 2002 existed “Opera and Operetta Stage” where took place following spectacles: “Don Pasquale” by Donizetti, St. Moniuszko’s “Halka” and “The Haunted Manor” and “Le nozze di Figaro” by Mozart. On April 2001 The Philharmonic did first performance in “Stage Experiment” project where the theatre and music was connected – “Miss Julie” by A. Strindberg. The Częstochowa Philharmonic was also coorganizer of The International Song’s Festival “May Note”. And since 2002 we have organized Hot Jazz Spring Częstochowa.

Thanks to Mrs. director Beata Młynarczyk The Częstochowa Philharmonic has a brand new successful education project named “School on Parnassus” and thanks to Mo. Salwarowski Częstochowa has organized its first Conducting Course. Besides our activity in concerting in our concert halls the orchestra is also invited to many festivals concert tours in Poland and abroad to: Italy, Spain, Austria, France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden and South Korea.

The Częstochowa Philharmonic Orchestra played during the great religion celebrations such as: The Congress of Mariology (1990) and The World Day of Youth with John Paul II (1991). The orchestra of The Częstochowa Philharmonic has recorded several CDs and take a part in TV and radio recordings. The long list of renowned conductors and soloists who have performed with The Częstochowa Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra includes polish and foreign artists: Tomasz Bugaj, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Marek Pijarowski, Jerzy Salwarowski, Tadeusz Strugała, Karol Stryja, Stanisław Gałoński, Luciano Acocella (Italy), Zelman Boxer (USA), Vladyslav Czarnecki (Germany), Cindy Egolf (USA), Volker Hempfiling (Germany), Michi Hayashi (Japan), Vladimir Kiradjiev (Bulgaria), Olaf Koch (Germany), Arild Remmeril (Norway), Makoto Suehiro (Japan), Joel Zuben (USA), Tsung Yeh (USA), Torsten Ostergen (Sweden), Georg Mais (Germany), Tilo Lehmann (Germany), Antoine Mitchell (Great Britain), Volker Schmidt-Gertenbach (Germany), Stefania Toczyska, Grażyna Brodzińska, Zofia Kilanowicz, Wiesław Ochman, Ewa Podleś, Bogdan Paprocki, Krzysztof Szmyt, Bogusław Morka, Adam Zdunikowski, Kazimierz Kowalski, Dariusz Stachura, Vadim Brodski, Kaja Danczowska, Krzysztof Jakowicz, Konstanty Andrzej Kulka, Tomasz Strahl, Michał Urbaniak, Wanda Wiłkomirska, Piotr Pławner, Kevin Kenner (USA), Janusz Olejniczak, Piotr Paleczny, Krystian Zimmerman, Waldemar Malicki, Jadwiga Rappe, Krzysztof Jabłoński, Eric i Marc Franceries (France), Barbara Górzyńska, Andrzej Bauer, Menahem Breuer (Israel), Pablo de la Cruz (Spain), Christian Wetzel (Germany).

Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra has a history dating back to 1945, when Stefan Rachon, a violinist and conductor, established an orchestra which was to fulfil a wide range of tasks.

In addition to its main goal of making archival recordings for Polish Radio and Polish Television, the orchestra performed at special concerts and festivals. As of the mid-1970s, the orchestra worked under several conductors, who also acted as its Artistic Directors. They included Wlodzimierz Kamirski (1975-1980), Jan Pruszak (1980-1988) and Mieczyslaw Nowakowski (1988-1990). During the tenure of Tadeusz Strugala (1990-1993), the ensemble was given its present name and moved to the brand-new Polish Radio Concert Hall, which was soon named after the great composer Witold Lutoslawski.

Wojciech Rajski, who served as the orchestra’s Artistic Director in 1993-2006, organized a series of auditions and tests for prospective members in the wake of which he rejuvenated the orchestra by engaging many up-and-coming enthusiastic musicians. The day-to-day activity of the orchestra comprises recordings for Polish Radio and public concerts in the Witold Lutosławski Concert Hall. Its foreign tours - to France, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Austria, Spain, the Czech Republic and Latvia - have been met with both critical acclaim and enthusiastic reception among audiences. They have included performances in such prestigious venues as Milan’s La Scala, the Lingotto Auditorium in Turin, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the Alte Oper in Frankfurt. It has also taken part in numerous events promoting Polish culture abroad, such as the gala concert during the MIDEM Fair in Cannes and the ceremony of presenting Wojciech Kilar with the ‘Golden Spectre’ Prize of the Foundation of Polish Culture. In March 2007 Lukasz Borowicz, who had performed and made recordings with the orchestra for some time, was appointed its Artistic Director.

The orchestra began its artistic activity with a concert on the 26th of May 1945 as the State Philharmonic in Katowice. Since that event, its level of performance and numerous achievements have assured it a leading position among Polish symphonic ensembles. It has also become an unchanging reason for the participation of the philharmonic's artists in many international, renown festivals. The orchestra's vast repertoire encompasses the classics of orchestral music, and contemporary pieces alike.

Our musicians have participated, on numerous occasions, in the international Warsaw Autumn Festival, which is more than 50 years old. Their first appearance at the La Chaise-Dieu festival was made twenty five years ago, and they have also performed at Wrocław's Vratislavia Cantans, the great oratorio-cantata festival. The incessant invitations from the most acknowledged concert halls (both in Poland and abroad) are a living proof of the high esteem the Silesian Philharmonic enjoys.

The high class and artism of the Silesian Philharmonic Orchestra is known across Europe. In July of 2000, along with the Silesian Philharmonic Choir led by Mirosław Jacek Błaszczyk, the Orchestra performed for Pope John Paul the 2nd during the celebration of the year 2000 jubilee in Rome. Since its first tours around the former Czechoslovakia in 1958, the orchestra has given concerts in all Europe. The orchestra has also promoted Polish culture outside of its home continent, in such places as Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. The Symphonic Orchestra gave almost 550 concerts in 25 countries outside Poland.

Since its very foundation, the Silesian Philharmonic has been hosting such top artists from Leopold Stokowski, Gennady Rozdyestwiensky or Fou Ts’onga, to Krystian Zimerman, Ida Haendel, Victoria de los Angeles, or Montserrat Caballé. All these names are yet another proof of the philharmonic's well established position and high prestige it enjoys in its country.

The Silesian Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, led by Karol Stryja, has been the first ensemble to record and publish the complete vocal-orchestral works by Karol Szymanowski (which are still availble from the Naxos label). When it comes to recordings, the Philharmonic's musicians have been among the most prolific ensembles in Poland. Their album containing George Gershwin's works under the baton of Jerzy Salwarowski has achieved the Gold Record Award, and the recording of Karłowicz's complete Symphonic Poems (with the same conductor) has proved to be monumental. In November 2007, the first ever recording of Wojciech Kilar's Magnificat was released, performed by the Silesian Symphony Orchestra and Choir under the baton of Mirosław Jacek Błaszczyk (featuring solo appearances by Izabela Kłosińska, Tomasz Krzysica, and Piotr Nowacki). Later, musicians of the Silesian Philharmonic realized premere recordings of such works as: Festive Overture, Advent Symphony no. 5 and Paschal Hymn by Wojciech Kilar and two pieces by Alexander Tansman. Previous CDs, including works by Witold Lutosławski, Bolesław Szabelski, Henryk Mikołaj Górecki and Eugeniusz Knapik, have a very good opinion.

The Silesian Philharmonic and Mirosław Jacek Błaszczyk were the first to perform Nocturne by Mikołaj Górecki dedicated to his father, performed to commemorate the fact of granting the Silesian Philharmonic with the name of Henryk Mikołaj Górecki.