performers (K)

conductor and teacher; b. 16th April 1960 in Orneta. He graduated with honours from the Academy of Music in Katowice in the conducting class of Karol Stryja. He perfected his skills in Berlin under Olaf Koch and in Vienna under Karl Österreicher and Vaclav Neumann. In 2002 he received his PhD in conducting and in 2011 he obtained the degree of habilitated doctor.

In 1987 he won an honorable mention at the 3rd Grzegorz Fitelberg Competition for Conductors in Katowice, in 1989 he received an honorable mention at the Antal Doráti International Conducting Competition in Budapest, and in 1995 he was a finalist of the 1st International Competition for Conductors in Jerusalem.

He has conducted symphony and chamber orchestras in Poland, as well as in Germany, Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, Yugoslavia, Venezuela, Israel, Portugal, China, the USA (including Carnegie Hall in New York), Hungary and Ukraine. He has recorded several albums as well as music for Polish Radio and Television, Israeli, Yugoslavian and American television. He participated in the recording of music for the film Bitter-Sweet, dir. Władysław Pasikowski (1996).

In the years 1985-1990 he was the conductor of the Silesian Philharmonic in Katowice, in the years 1990-99 the general and artistic director of the Częstochowa Philharmonic, in 1999-2003 the general and artistic director of the Olsztyn Philharmonic, in 2000-2004 the artistic director of the Koszalin Philharmonic, in 2004-2006 the artistic director of the Rzeszów Philharmonic, in 2010-2014 the general and artistic director of the Sudeten Philharmonic, and in 2017-2019 the first guest conductor of the Lower Silesian Philharmonic in Jelenia Góra.

He began his teaching career as an assistant at the Music Academy in Katowice (1985-1988) and at the Pedagogical University in Częstochowa (1994-1998). Then he was employed as an adjunct at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn (1999-2001) and at the Świętokrzyska Academy in Kielce (2004-2005). He was a professor at the University of Rzeszów (2005-2011) and the Metropolitan Organ School in Częstochowa (2006-2011). He worked an associate professor at the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Music Academy in Poznań (2011-2018).

Since 2017 he is the director of the Książ Salon Orchestra which was founded on his initiative and regularly performs at the Książ Castle in Wałbrzych.

updated: 2020 (ac)