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4th edition
2014
Conductor, founder and artistic director of the Polish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Sopot. He was born in Warsaw, where he studied at the Higher State School of Music in the class of Bogusław Madey (diploma with honours). Thanks to a scholarship, he was able to study at the Hochschule für Musik Köln in Cologne and participate in masterclasses in Vienna.
He began his career as a conductor in 1971 at the Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera in Warsaw with the ballet Giselle by Adam. At the same time, from 1974 to 1978, he was the conductor and artistic director of the Grand Theatre in Poznań. From 1978 to 1980, he was the first conductor of the Orchester der Beethovenhalle Bonn. In 1982, he established the Polish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Sopot and has been performing with it ever since in the greatest concert halls all over the world. In 1993–2006, Wojciech Rajski was the artistic director of the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra (now Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Warsaw), with which he actively performed and registered many recordings for the Polish Radio.
In 1993, he launched his pedagogical career at the Hochschule für Musik in Karlsruhe, where he received the title of professor. In 1998–2014, he was a conducting professor at the Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst Frankfurt am Main; in 2008–2020, he ran a conducting class at the Academy of Music in Gdańsk.
In addition to his regular co-operation with Polish orchestras, Wojciech Rajski has performed as a guest conductor with numerous orchestras in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Mexico, England, Sweden, Greece, Spain and Germany, e.g. the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (Geneva), the NDR Radiophilharmonie (Hannover) or the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Munich). He has led many world-renowned soloists, including Mstislav Rostropovich, Henryk Szeryng, Sabine Meyer, Ivo Pogorelić, Aleksandra Kurzak, Roberto Alagna, Piotr Beczała or Krystian Zimerman, with whom he has toured Germany twice.
Mr Rajski has participated in such international festivals as the Prague Spring, the Flanders Festival, the Gran Canaria Festival, the Festspiele Europäische Wochen Passau, the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival as well as in festivals in Evian, Montpellier, La Chaise-Dieu and Copenhagen. Originator and artistic director of the Sopot Classic International Music Festival.
Wojciech Rajski’s recording output includes over 80 albums released by such labels as Sony Classical, DUX, EMI, Universal Music, Le Chant du Monde, Claves, Thorofon, Tacet, Midas, Bis, Wifon, Koch and many others. He records for radio and television both in Poland and abroad. He has received many distinctions and decorations, e.g. the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (2002), the Silver Medal for Merit to Culture ‘Gloria Artis’ (2005) or the Pomeranian Artistic Award (2008); in 2022, he was awarded the Gold Medal for Merit to Culture ‘Gloria Artis.’
comes from Seville, Spain. He studied conducting and piano in Seville, Paris, and at the Higher Musical School in Frankfurt, from which he graduated with distinction. He assisted Lothar Zagroski in Berlin State Opera, Yakov Kreizberg in Comical Opera in Berlin, Markus Stenz in Cologne Opera, and Paolo Carignani in Frankfurt Opera.
In 2007-2017, Rodrigo Tomillo was employed as a conductor at Pfalztheater, Kaiserslautern. In the 2016/2017 season, he was appointed the first conductor and the deputy General Music Director there. In Pfalztheater, he directed more than 50 works from the musical theatre repertoire, including Verdi’s Rigoletto and Un ballo in maschera, Puccini’s La Bohème, Janačka’s The Cunning Little Vixen and ballets: Swan Lake, Snow White and Romeo and Juliet. His German premiere of El Gato Montés by Manuel Penelli was nominated to the 2018 International Opera Awards as the discovery of the year.
Rodrigo Tomillo performed as a guest conductor at Staatstheater, Mainz (La Traviata), Theater in Münster (Tosca), Tiroler Landestheater, Innsbruck (Hansel and Gretel) and Mecklenburgisches Staatstheater (Otello). In addition, he directed the following orchestras as a guest conductor: Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla, Orquesta de Valencia, Orquestra Filarmónica de Gran Canaria, Osnabrücker Symphoniker, Philharmonie Südwestfalen, and Hofer Symphoniker. Rodrigo Tomillo accompanied international soloists, such as pianists Elisabeth Leonskaja and Alexander Krichel, trumpeter Mathias Höfs and cellist, Peter Bruns. He regularly performs at international festivals, including Saar Music Festival, Sopot Classic, Music Festival in Gstaad, Switzerland, and Boluda Fest, Gran Canaria.
Since the concert season 2017/2018, Rodrigo Tomillo has been the first conductor and Deputy Director General of the Musical Theatre in Hagen, where he conducted Tosca, Aida and Simona Boccanegra, Dvořák’s Marmaid and Dido and Aeneas, Cindirella and Handel’s Water Music. In the 2019/2020 season, he will direct at the Theatre in Hagen, including Verdi’s Trubadurem; moreover, he will perform the new staging of Lortzing’s Zar und Zimmermann.
In the 2018/2019 season, Rodrigo Tomillo was a resident conductor at the Theatre in Chemnitz, where he conducted Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera and Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. During the 2019/2010 season, he will continue to work with the Theatre in Chemnitz, conducting Magic Flute and Swan Lake.
Marcin Nałęcz-Niesiołowski was born in 1972 in Gdynia, Poland.
In 1996 he graduated with honours in symphonic and opera conducting under Professor Bogusław Madey at the Frederic Chopin Music Academy in Warsaw. In 2010 he gained a post-doctoral award and was granted the title of Doctor Habilitatus at the same Academy. From January 1997 till April 2011 he was Artistic and Managing Director of the Białystok Philharmonic. In September 2005 he was appointed Artistic and Managing Director of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic. He has been involved in concerts in several countries around the world, including the USA, the United Kingdom, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Russia, Byelorussia, Germany, Sweden, France and Belgium The artist often includes pieces by Polish composers to his repertoire.
Among them are many pieces by lesser known composers, especially those working abroad. His recordings of works by Aleksander Tansman and Zygmunt Stojowski were acclaimed in Poland (the “Fryderyki” nominations) and abroad (a record with pieces by Stojowski was awarded the prestigious Editor’s Choice Gramophone prize).
Marcin Nałęcz-Niesiołowski is a laureate of several awards and distinctions; he was granted the Ad Astraaward by the Minister of Culture founded for young, talented creators of culture (2001), a Silver Cross of Merit for his contributions in the development of cultural and professional achievements (2004) and a Silver Medal, Gloria Artis Merit to Culture (2006).
Born in Poland, Gabriel Chmura grew up in Israel , where he studied piano and composition at the Music Academy of Tel Aviv. He then studied conducting with Pierre Dervaux in Paris, Hans Swarowsky in Vienna and with Franco Ferrara in Siena, Italy. Mr. Chmura was appointed Music Director of the opera house in Aachen, Germany, in 1974 and retained this position until his appointment as Music Director of the Bochumer Philharmonic in 1983.
In 1987, he was appointed Music director of the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, Canada. With this orchestra he made extensive tours in North America, including Carnegie Hall in New York. In 2001, Gabriel Chmura was appointed as Music Director of the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra Katowice, and in August 2012, he became the artistic director of the Poznan Opera in Poland.
He made his Munich debut in 1974 with “Othello” and was immediately re-engaged for “Carmen”. Further he conducted a highly successful “Samson et Dalila” in Barcelona, a critically acclaimed “Werther” at the Paris Opera and “Coq d’Or” at the Chatelet Theatre, Paris. With the National Arts Centre Orchestra of Canada he completed the “Da Ponte Cycle” (Figaro, Don Giovanni, Cosi fan tutte) , Faust (staging Robert Wilson) with the State Opera in Warsaw and lots more.
His recent productions include the two Weinberg operas “The Passenger” (in Warsaw) and “The Portrait” (in Nancy) both staged by David Pountney.
Paweł Przytocki is one of the most talented and exciting Polish conductors of his generation.He studied at the Academy of Music in Kraków, where he graduated with honors in the Faculty of Conducting (1985) under Professor Jerzy Katlewicz. He perfected his skills at the Bartok International Seminar with Peter Eötvös, the Master Conducting Course within the Oregon Bach Festival in Eugene with Helmuth Rilling .
From 1987 to 1988 Przytocki collaborated with the Grand Opera Theatre in Lodz.
From 1988 to 1991 he was the conductor and Music Director of the Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra in Gdansk.
In May 1990 he made his debut with the National Philharmonic in Warsaw. From 1995 to 1997 Przytocki was Music Director of the Artur Rubinstein Philharmonic Orchestra in Łódz.
Przytocki is a regular guest conductor with orchestras throughout Poland as well as with Budapest Concert Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica de Xalapa in Mexico, Real Filharmonia de Galicia in Spain, Capella Istropolitana in Bratislava, Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Halle, Neue Philharmonie Westfalen, Bilkent Symphony Orchestra Ankara,Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra Ostrava, National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Slovak Philharmonic in Bratislava, Santiago Philharmonic in Chile,Zagreb Philharmonic ,New Haifa Symphony Orchesta and Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.
Paweł Przytocki has participated in numerous international music festivas, including the Athens Festival 1987, the Musikfest Stuttgart 1988, the Flanders Festival 1989, La Chaise- Dieu Festival 1996, Kissinger Sommer 1998, Bratislava Music Festival 1999, Prague Spring 2001,Wratislavia Cantans/2005.
Hs guest performances and concerts tours have led throughout Europe at a great numer of venues, including the Musikverein in Vienna , the Konzerhaus in Berlin,the Bela Bartok National Concert Hall in Budapest, the Teatro Municipal in Santiago, the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, Palais des Beaux in Brussels , the Musikhalle in Hamburg and Beethovenhalle in Bonn.
From 2005 Przytocki was the conductor of the National Opera in Warsaw.Highlights of his time at the National Opera included conducting Aram Khachaturian’s ballet Spartacus; Tchaikovsky’s opera “Eugene Oniegin”; Verdi’s “La Traviata” ;Puccini’s “La Boheme” and the ballet based on “Eugene Oniegin”- choreographed by John Cranko
He has made archival recordings for Polish Radio and CD for DUX,Aurophon and Point Classic. His recording of Rachmaninoff`s First Symphony in 1991 has been appreciated by the american” La Folia Music Review Magazine” in a very special way.The magazin put it to the world`s five best recordings and compared it to those of Carlos Kleiber and Svjatoslav Richter.
From 2008 to 2012, Pawel Przytocki was the Chairman and Artistic Director of the Philharmonic in Krakow.
Carolina Ullrich was born in Chile in 1982. She studied at the papal Catholic University in Santiago de Chile, graduating with a summa cum laude degree. In February 2005 she came to Augsburg, where she continued her studies under prof. Edith Wiens. In October 2005 she was admitted to prof. Wiens’s class at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich.
Today, Carolina Ullrich has been conducting master classes in concert singing and musical at the same university. She studied in Germany owing to one of the most important South American grants, provided by Fundación Andes. In 2006 she was granted the second prize and the audience prize in the ARD competition (the first prize was not awarded). She won the national German competition Gesang Berlin 2006 and was also awarded with a prize for the best interpretation of a contemporary piece of music. Her concert performances include the most beautiful operas of W.A. Mozart, F. Poulenc, J. Strauss, C. Weber, A. Lortzing.
She particularly enjoys performing songs and oratorios; she sang e.g. Bach’s Mass in H-minor, Christmas Oratorio, St. Matthew Passion, and St. John Passion, as well as Haendel’s Messiah, Haydn’s The Creation, Mozart’s Requiem, Waisenhausmesse and Exsultate Jubilate, and Brahms’ A German Requiem.
Wolfgang Meyer was born in Crailsheim, and studied under Otto Hermann in Stuttgart, and under Hans Deinzer in Hanover.
As early as in 1969, and again in 1971 and 1973, he won the first prizes in the national German competition Jugend musiziert. In 1974 he was awarded with the Kranichsteiner Musikpreis, and in 1975, together with the Syrinx Quintet, won the ARD International Music Competition in Munich. The following year Wolfgang received the first prize in the competition for German music universities, and in 1977, the first prize in German Music Competition in Bonn. Since 1989, Wolfgang Meyer has been lecturing at the University of Music in Karlsruhe, where he fulfilled the function of the university head from 2001 until 2007.
Wolfgang conducted master classes in Brazil, Italy, Japan, Canada, and Finland. As a soloist, he has been particularly interested in contemporary works, and gave the first public performances of music by Tiberiu Olah, Jean Francaix, Hubert Stuppner, and Edison Denissov. In February 2008, during Festival de Música de Canarias in Las Palmas, Wolfgang Meyer and his sister Sabine performed the world premiere of Peter Eötvöszur’s Levitation – a new work for two clarinets, string instruments, and accordion, which the artist composed especially for the two of them. Together with Sabine Meyer and Reiner Wehle, Wolfgang Meyer plays in Trio di Clarone. Apart from clarinet, the musicians-members of the formation play the basset horn in order to add interesting sound to Mozart’s original compositions and contemporary music.
Tareq Nazmi was born 1983 in Kuwait, grew up in Munich and studied at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich with Edith Wiens and Christian Gerhaher and had private lessons with Hartmut Ebert. While studying Tareq Nazmi also attended master classes of Matthias Goerne, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Malcolm Martineau, Brian Zeger, Rudolf Piernay, Margot Garret, Denise Massé and Stephan King. In 2009 he was rewarded first prize of the Walter and Charlotte Hamel Foundation and He was a prize winner at the National Song Contest in 2008. Further awards include a scholarship of the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes and of the Steans Institute in Ravinia near Chicago.
The young bass gained first stage experience at the Bavarian Theatre Academy, for example in 2008 in several performances of DieNacht, a Mozart project based on an idea of Einar Schleef under Christoph Hammer (directed by A. Viebrock) in Munich´s Prinzregententheater. With this production he was guest at the Ruhr Triennale. In the Theatre of Augsburg he had guest Appearances as Lord Syndham in the new production of Lortzing´s ZarundZimmermann and as Sarastro in Mozart´s MagicFlute. Already as a member of the Opera Studio of the Bavarian State Opera he managed to draw attention in various productions for instance in the Fidelio production of Calixto Bieito, in Lacenerentola and in RobertoDevereux with Edita Gruberova. Tareq Nazmi was frequently invited to guest perform in various operatic concert performances of the Munich Radio Orchestra, for instance in Macbeth by Giuseppe Verdi under the baton of Friedrich Haider, in Silvana by Carl Maria von Weber and OrpheusinderUnterwelt by Carl Orff, in LaBohčme as Colline, all directed by principal conductor Ulf Schirmer. In the concert field Tareq Nazmi has a wide variety of repertoire reaching from Bach to Beethoven, from Haydn to Brahms and from Mozart to Dvorak. A close artistic cooperation connects him with Enoch zu Guttenberg and he sang under his direction in summer of 2012 at the Herrenchiemseefestival Beethoven´s 9th Symphony and as recently as November 2013 as Sarastro in 6 scenical stage performances of TheMagicFlute in Munich’s Prinzregententheater. He made a most successful debut at the Schleswig Holstein Music Festival with a Goethe evening together with Christiane Karg, Michael Nagy and Gerold Huber.„TheyoungbassTareqNazmi–asensationaldiscovery!“, announced Hamburger Abendblatt. Important milestones in the recent past were tours with the Munich Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Alexander Liebreich (Mozart–‐Requiem in the Berlin Philharmonie, Weingarten and Munich), with the Orchestre des Champs Elysées under Philippe Herreweghe (with Bruckner´s Te Deum in Edinburgh, Grafenegg and Lucerne), his first cooperation with Manfred Honeck at the Wolfegg Festival as well as his debut at the Washington National Symphony Orchestra under Christoph Eschenbach again with Mozart´sRequiem. Nazmi´s future engagements include for instance, Mozart’s CMinorMass at the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne in April 2014, again under Christoph Eschenbach and also Brahm´s Requiem with the Symphony Orchestra St. Gallen in February 2015. Since the season of 2012/2013 Tareq Nazmi has been a permanent member of the Bavarian State Opera and stands out with his execeptional artistic performance in numerous roles: Minister (Fidelio), Masetto (DonGiovanni), Sprecher (TheMagicFlute), Colline(Labohčme), Silvano (LaCalisto), Mitjucha (Boris Godunow), First Nazarene (Salome), Zuniga (Carmen), Truffaldin (AriadneaufNaxos), Obrist (DieSoldaten), Astolfo (LucreziaBorgia). In the second new production of Munich´s General Music Diretor Kirill Petrenko in February 2014 – Mozart´s LaclemenzadiTito– Tareq Nazmi sings the role of Publio; director of the production is Jan Bosse.
Matthias Kirschnereit is currently one of the most interesting and sought-after German pianists of his generation. Born in Westphalia, Kirschnereit grew up in the Namibian desert and began studying piano at the Detmold Music Academy with Professor Renate Kretschmar-Fischer. Many years of cooperation with Claudio Arrau, Bruno Leonardo Gelber, Murray Perahia, Oleg Maisenberg and Sandor Végh left an indelible artistic impression on him.
His great successes at the German Music Competition in Bonn, the International Concours Géza Anda in Zurich and the Australian International Piano Competition in Sydney marked the beginning of his international concert career, which has since then taken him to all five continents. He has appeared as a soloist with such renowned orchestras as the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, the Residentie Orkest Den Haag, the Bamberg Symphoniker, the Radio Symphony Orchestras of Stuttgart and Leipzig, the Sinfonia Varsovia, the Camerata Academica Salzburg, the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra Budapest, the Zurich and Cologne Chamber Orchestras as well as the Festival Strings Lucerne.
One of the most celebrated high points of 2003 was Matthias Kirschnereit’s performance of Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic under Yuri Temirkanov for the 300th anniversary of the city of St. Petersburg. But his intensive collaboration with Sandor Végh and the Camerata Academica Salzburg have been of major significance for his understanding of Mozart as well. During recent months, work with such conductors as Anthony Bramall, Matthias Foremny, Howard Griffiths, Leonid Grin, Hartmut Haenchen, Norichika Iimori, Daniel Klajner, Hannu Koivula and Eiji Oue have provided important stimulation.
Matthias Kirschnereit is a regular guest at the Piano Festival Ruhr, the Berlin Festwochen, the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, the Schubertiade Feldkirch and the Gilmore Festival in Michigan/USA. He has a deep affinity for chamber music, which has resulted in musical partnerships with Ulrike-Anima Mathé, Christian Tetzlaff and the Artemis Quartet. He recently founded the Trio Mirabeau with Nicola Jürgensen (clarinet) and Volker Jacobsen (viola), which had its successful debut at the 2004 Dresden Festival.
The pianist’s successful cooperation with ARTE NOVA/BMG is documented by his recording of W.A. Mozart’s complete piano concertos with the Bamberg Symphoniker under Frank Beermann. This cycle, begun in 1999, immediately received the highest praise from the press; the Süddeutsche Zeitung called Kirschnereit a “high-ranking Mozart interpreter”. A CD with piano works by Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (2000) was described by Fono Forum as “one of the most beautiful Mendelssohn recordings ever”, and the recording of early piano compositions by Johannes Brahms (2002) was judged by Rondo Magazine as “almost frighteningly flawless, highly inspired and refreshingly unpretentious – pure passion and devotion!” The Neue Zürcher Zeitung praised his newest recording of Robert Schumann’s Fantasie op. 17 and Bunte Blätter op. 99 (2004), noting Kirschnereit’s “notable technical assuredness” and “great transparency”.
Since 1997, Matthias Kirschnereit has been a professor at the newly founded Academy of Music and Theater in Rostock. In 1998 he became the artistic director of the Landow Chamber Music Festival on the island of Rügen.
He lives in Hamburg and devotes his spare time to painting, architecture, Italian food and soccer.
Graduated from clarinet class of prof. Henryk Kierski. He mastered his skills under the guidance of prof. Guy Deplus. He won the 1st place at the Polish Competition of Woodwind Instruments in Koszalin and the 1st place at the Polish Competition of Chamber Orchestras in Wrocław. As a chamber instrumentalist he took part in numerous festivals in Austria, Germany, Poland and Scotland.
He cooperates with many outstanding artists, including Andrzej Bauer, Krzysztof Broya, Maciej Grzybowski, Kuba Jakowicz, Jadwiga Rappe. Since 1995 he has been a clarinet concertmaster of the Orchestra of The Grand Theatre – National Opera in Warsaw. He has recorded many longplays and radio and television performance albums. Together with the Orchestra of Polish Radio he recorded the Dance Preludes by W. Lutosławski, with the “Amadeus” Chamber Orchestra of Polish Radio he recorded Concerto for Clarinetto a Archi by E. Sielicki.
For the first time in the history of Polish phonography he has recorded Premiére Rhapsodie by C. Debussy with the Silesian Philharmony Orchestra. As a soloist he has performed with orchestras conducted by Agnieszka Duczmal, Krzysztof Penderecki, Wojciech Rajski, Jerzy Swoboda and many others. His solo repertoire includes pieces by W. A. Mozart, C. M. Weber, G. Rossini, F. Danzi, F. Mendelssohn, L. Spohr, C. Debussy, R. Strauss, K. Kurpiński, W. Lutosławski, K. Penderecki and E. Sielicki.
István Várdai, the 28 year old Hungarian cellist was honoured with several prestigious international prizes: in 2008 he won the 63th Geneva International Music Competition, and additional special prizes as well: Audience Prize, “Pierre Fournier” Prize, “Coup de Coeur Breguet” Prize. He took the third prize of the International Tchaikovsky Music Competition, Moscow in 2007. In 2006 he was awarded with the special prize of the Emanuel Feuermann Cello Competition at the Kronberg Academy and received first prize at the 13th International Brahms Competition in Austria. He was winner of the David Popper International Music Competition three times, in 2000, 2003 and 2004.
Since his debut concert in 1997, in The Hague, he has performed in New York, London, Paris, Prague, Vienna, Frankfurt, Munich, Geneva, Dublin, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Florence, Tokyo, Kobe, Beijing with great success. Along his starting career, he played with world-famous musicians and orchestras: Ádám Fischer, Zoltán Kocsis, Howard Griffiths, Simon Gaudenz, Gilbert Varga, St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, Geneva Chamber Orchestra, Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra, Irish Chamber Orchestra. He has been invited to Santander Festival, the Gergiev Festival in St. Petersburg, the Pablo Casals Festival in El Vendrell (Spain), the Festival of Radio France in Montpellier, the Bellerive Festival (Switzerland), the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, the Schwetzingen Festival and the Budapest Spring Festival. In 2010 he made his debut, among others, in Carnegie Hall and the Wiener Konzerthaus and performed with Gidon Kremer, András Schiff and Yuri Bashmet in the frame of „Chamber Music Connects the World 2010” at Kronberg Academy. In 2011 his engagements included performances with the Suisse Romande Orchestra.
From 2004 István studied in the Class of Special Talents at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest (professor: László Mező), from 2005 at the Music Academy of Vienna (professor: Reinhard Latzko). Between 2010 and 2013 he continued his studies at the Kronberg Academy with Professor Frans Helmerson. From 2013 he is on the staff of the Academy. In the past years he attended masterclasses of Natalia Gutman, Natalia Shakhovskaya, András Schiff and János Starker. In 2009 he was awarded the Junior Prima Prize as best young artist of the year, in 2012 he received the highly prestigious Prix Montblanc awarded to the world’s most promising young musician. His first CD containing pieces of Janáček, Prokofiev and the Elgar cello concerto was released in October 2009 by Ysaye Records. In 2010 he recorded the cello concerto of Johann Baptist Vanhal. On his recent CD released by he Hännsler label in 2013 he plays works by Mendelssohn, Martinu, Paganini, Beethoven and Popper.
Since graduating the Music High School to the end of his studies at the Musical Academy in Gdansk he worked under guidance of prof. Stefan Herman.On 26 March 1971 he graduated the Academy with the highest posiible Distinction.
In September 1966 he won the first prize at the International Music Competition of German Radiophonics in Munich and ever since has pursued his international career. Since 1967 he has performed over 2000 symphonical concerts and recitals worldwide (Europe, Asia, Japan, Australia, North and South America). He performed alongside such orchestras as Berlin Philharmony, Chicago Symphony, Minneapolis, London Symphony, Konzertgebau Amsterdam, English Chamber and others. He received a special award of the Polish Radio for having recorded all existing pieces by Karol Szymanowski. He frequently plays pieces of Polish composers while abroad.
He directly cooperates with Polish National Philharmony, where he has been a soloist since 1984. Since 1994 he has been a professor at the Music Academy in Warsaw. He has been awarded many prizes and honours, including the Award of Polish Ministry of Culture and Arts, the Award of Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs for promoting Polish culture abroad, the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, numerous honorary and commemorative titles, including golden orders for his work for the cities of Cracow and Gdansk.
The career of tenor Emilio Pons has taken him across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America.
Since his professional debut in 2006 at the Mariinsky Theater in Saint Petersburg, Russia, he has performed internationally at the Grand Théâtre de Genève, Switzerland; the Royal Opera House, Copenhagen, Denmark; the Vlaamse Opera, Ghent & Antwerp, Belgium; the Sankt Margarethen Opera Festival, and the Wiener Kammeroper in Austria; and the Prinzregenten Theater, the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Düsseldorf, the Magravial Opera House in Bayreuth, Theater Freiburg and Theater Heidelberg, in Germany; Vilnius City Opera, in Lithuania; as well as Compañía Nacional de Ópera de Bellas Artes, Mexico City, and the Teatro Municipal de Santiago, in Chile and Theatro Municipal of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
His operatic repertoire encompasses more than thirty roles, including: staples of the light lyric Fach such as Tamino (Mozart-Die Zauberflöte), Ferrando (Mozart-Così fan Tutte), Don Ottavio (Mozart-Don Giovanni), Il Conte d’Almaviva (Rossini-Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Nemorino (Donizetti-L’elisir d’amore), Narraboth (Strauss-Salome), Le Chevalier de la Force (Poulenc-Dialogues des Carmélites), Trouffaldino (Prokofiev-L’amour des trois oranges) and Lensky (Tchaikovsky-Yevgenij Onegin); a myriad of leading roles in lesser known works, including the title role in Porsile’s Spartaco, Mad Woman (Britten-Curlew River), Hypollit (Henze-Phaedra), Egeo and Sole (Cavalli-Il Giasone, commercially released on DVD), Richmond (Battistelli-Richard III), Serge/Adolphe (Martinů-Die Drei Wünsche), Le Commissaire (Martinů-Juliette), Fernando (in the German première of Granados’ Goyescas); and various supporting roles such as Arbace (Mozart-Idomeneo), Arturo (Donizetti-Lucia di Lammermoor), Jaquino (Beethoven-Fidelio), Pong (Puccini-Turandot), Laërtes (Thomas-Mignon), Beppe/Arlecchin (Leoncavallo-Pagliacci) and Malcolm (Verdi-Macbeth) amongst others.
He has sung under the baton of acclaimed conductors such as Mikhail Jurowsky, Daniele Callegari, Jiří Bělohlávek, Ingo Metzmacher, Frédéric Chaslin, Zoltan Pesko, Niksa Bareza, Federico Maria Sardelli, Rodolfo Fischer and Cornelius Meister amongst others; has worked with renowned stage directors such as Robert Carsen, Christof Loy, Guy Joosten, Richard Jones, Pier Francesco Maestrini, Jean-Louis Benôit, Mariame Clément and Benedikt von Peter, and has shared the stage with prominent singers such as Diana Damrau, Jennifer Larmore, Sophie Koch, KS Francisco Araiza, and Franco Vasallo, amongst others.
On the concert and recital stage, he has performed recitals in Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, Russia, and Japan, and has performed in Concert in Israel (with the Jerusalem Camerata and the Be’er Sheva Sinfonietta), Azerbaijan (with the London Philharmonic Orchestra) and France.
Dr. Pons is co-founder and artistic director of the Sankt Goar International Music Festival and Academy. It’s summer program is the only one of its kind in Europe dedicated exclusively to the study and promotion of the international art song genre.
Emilio Pons holds a graduate degree in Piano from the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico and a Juris Doctor Degree from the Universidad Iberoamericana, in addition to Master and Doctor of Music Degrees from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he was a student of Carlos Montané and Andreas Poulimenos. In Europe, he continues to study privately under the tutelage of KS Francisco Araiza and Lyubov Stuchevskaya.
Dr. Pons has been a recipient of numerous scholarships and grants, including Mexico’s prestigious FONCA (National Endowment for the Arts), SIVAM (International Society of Mexican Artistic Values) scholarships (2000-2002), the Olympia Barbera and Culver Miller scholarships at the Indiana University School of Music (2002-2004), and INBA (National Fine Arts Institute of Mexico, as of 2003). He is a prize-winner of the Irma Cooper (2005), Palm Beach Opera (2005) and Pavel Lisitsian (2006) competitions and the RBT-Preis München award at the Hans Gabor “Belvedere” (2007) competition in Vienna.
A skilled polyglot, Dr. Pons speaks English, Spanish, French, Italian, German and Russian –all fluently.
Dr. Pons is a dual citizen of Mexico and Germany.
Andrzej Wojciechowski graduated Music Academy in Gdańsk with Distinction, under the tuition of prof. Bogdan Ocieszak. He has taken part in numerous mastery courses conducted by such names as Andrew Marriner, Jean-Marc Fessard, Walter Vitek, Wojciech Mrozek, Brenno Ambrosini, Joseph Fuster, Nicolas Baldeyrou, Antonio Saiote, Alessando Travaglini, Florent Héau and Joan Enric Lluna.
He has won prizes and honours at: Clarinet Festival in Piotrkow Trybunalski (2003 and 2005), VIII and IX International Competition of Contemporary Chamber Music in Cracow (2005 and 2006),The International Chamber Competition in Olesnica (2006), The International Chamber Competition of K. Bacewicz in Lodz (2010), where he was moreover honoured with a Special Award for the Best Clarinetist.
He was granted a double scholarship of the Ministry of Culture. Together with Slawomir Wilk (piano) he is a co-member of the Inspiro Duo. He is also a member of the unique Mozart Basethorn Band, Gdansk Reed Trio and the Zagan Acoustic quartet.He is the clarinet concertmaster of the Polish Baltic Philharmony. Moreover, he works at the Musical Academy in Gdańsk, where he has succesfully obtained his PhD degree.
Agnieszka Rehlis debuted as Jadwiga in The Haunted Manor of Stanislaw Moniuszko in Wroclaw Opera, with which she cooperated for 11 years. Since 2003 she has regularly acted in the Grand Theatre in Warsaw, where she debuted as Fenena in Verdi’s Nabucco. The artist took part in the first stage realization of The Passenger opera of M. Weinberg, directed by David Poutney and performed at Bregenz Festival.
She has taken part in numerous domestic and foreign concerts directed by Krzysztof Penderecki, performing such pieces, as The Polish Requiem, Te Deum, Credo and The Seven Gates of Jerusalem. Moreover, she has shown in the world premiere of Penderecki’s VIII Symphony entitled Lieder der Vergänglichkeit – The Song of Evanescence. In the artist’s repertoire there are the most breathtakingly beautiful opera pieces of G. Verdi, Ch. Gounod, W.A. Mozart, G. Bizet, Z. Rudziński, A. Ponchielli, S. Moniuszko, G. Donizetti. Besides, Ms. Rehlis performs oratorial pieces and cantatas.
There are well over sixty such pieces in her repertoire, from J.S. Bach to K. Penderecki. Agnieszka Rehlis has performed on plenty European stages, including Germany, the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Italy, the Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Ireland, the United Kingdom, China and Taiwan.
Polish Chamber Choir Schola Cantorum Gedanensis retains a firm place in the narrow global elite of fully professional chamber choirs. It was founded by Ireneusz Łukaszewski in 1978, who handed over to his brother Jan Łukaszewski in 1983. The choir consisted of the 24 professional musicians, constantly strives to achieve performance excellence and explore new musical areas. Hence the countless compositions dedicated to the choir and over 500 of world premiere performances. Polski Chór Kameralny regularly co-operates with many important symphonic and chamber orchestras, with e.g. Sinfonia Varsovia, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra Katowice, Academy of Ancient Music (Great Britain), Divino Sospiro (Portugal), Neue Düsseldorfer Hofmusik (Germany), Concilium Musicum Wien (Austria).
Among the events conceived and organized by Polski Chór Kameralny the most spectacular is the International Mozart Festival Mozartiana held annually in Gdańsk.
Born in 1968. Compere, vocalist and actor. Graduate of The Voice and Acting Studium at The Danuta Baduszkowa Music Theatre in Gdynia and Dirk Snellings baroque vocal class at Lemmensinstituut in Leuven, Belgium. In 1992– 994 actor in the Gombrowicz Municipal Theatre in Gdynia, e. g. as Tadeus in “Pan Tadeusz” directed by A. Hanuszkiewicz. Since 1994 leader and singer in Ancient Music Group „Ad te, Domine”. In 2011–2012 head of the office of Gdynia Film Festival, since 2012 artistic director of Gdynia Classica Nova Festival.
Krzysztof Gosztyła for the last 30 years cooperates with theatres in Warsaw: The Dramatic Theatre, The Polish Theatre, The National Theatre and also since 2000 he is an actor of the Ateneum Theatre. Most important theatrical roles of Krzysztof Gosztyła are:
The Czar – Kordian by J. Słowacki (dir. J. Englert, The Polish Theatre), Don Kichot – musical The Man of La Mancha (dir. J. Gruza, The Dramatic Theatre), The Mayor – The Government Inspector by N. Gogol (dir. K. Zaleski, The Ateneum Theatre), Tevye – musical Fiddler on the Roof (dir. J. Szurmiej, The Jewish Theatre), Tiresias – Oedipus by Sophocles (dir. G. Holoubek, The Ateneum Theatre), Richard Strauss – Collaboration by Harwood (dir. T. Zygadło, The Ateneum Theatre), Caribaldi – The Force of Habit by T. Bernhard (dir. M. Miklasz, The Ateneum Theatre).
Notable films with the artist: Dolina Issy (dir. T. Konwicki), Tragarz Puchu (dir. S. Szlachtycz), Jezioro Bodeńskie (dir. J. Zaorski), Tabu (dir. A. Barański), Chopin – Pragnienie Miłości (dir. J. Antczak/J. Barańska).
His participation in the Television Theatre brought him several significant acts, such as: Bobkowski inSzkice piórkiem monodram (dir. A. Bobkowski/ J. Zalewski) or Creon in Antigone, Sophocles (dir. A. Seweryn).
He is better known to the popular public as the eponymous Dziki from G. Warchoł’s 10-episode series and the veterinary surgeon, Dr. Fus in M. Gronowski’s Blondynka.
The actor often performs in concert halls as well. He has performed such pieces, as: Le Martyre de saint Sébastien by C. Debussy, Lelio by H. Berlioz (dir. A. Wit), A Survivor from Warsaw by Arnold Schönberg (dir. J. Kaspszyk), The Creation by J. Haydn (dir. F. Bruggen), St Luke Passion and Kadisz by K. Penderecki (conducted by himself).
Krzysztof Gosztyła is a voice actor in numerous audiobooks, including S. Larsson’s Millennium and U. Eco’sThe Name of the Rose.
His radio appearances brought him many awards, including the Great Splendor by The Theatre of Polish Radio, the grand prix of the Festival of Radio and Television Two Theatres and the Golden Microphone for his whole artistic performance.
