Jury

 Honorary member of Jury

Prof. Elżbieta Stefańska (Poland) - Academy of Music in Krakow

 

  Elżbieta Stefańska was born in Cracow, Poland, on September 7, 1943. Her extraordinary musical talent having become aparent already at an early age, she received her first piano lessons from her father Ludwik Stefański, professor at the Music Academy Cracow.

      In 1966 she graduated from the National Music University Cracow in the harpsichord class. Her teacher was the famous German Professor Hans Pischner from Berlin. In the following years she improved her musical proficiency at various international master classes in Siena and Weimar, under the guidance of eminent European harpsichord player - such as Zuzanna Ruzickova or Ruggiero Gerlin. Her first two prizes were awarded to her at the Ancient Music Competition, Łódź, for her piano and harpsichord performance of baroque works. 1965 she won the First Prize at the International Music Competition in Geneva, where she was also honoured with the special Henri Ghez reward as the best harpsichord player. Among her awards and prizes are also the City of Cracow Prize for actistic achievements, awarded to the Baroque Trio of which she was a member and "LAUREL OF CBACOW MUSIC LOVERS" granted to her "in testimony of their gratitude and appreciation for having made classic music widely known".

      Elżbieta Stefańska frequently performs in Poland and abroad in Europe, Asia, America. She regularly plays as a soloist or a chamber music performer at prestigious music festivals, for example in Hanover, Halle (Haendel Festival), Leipzig (Bach Festival), Brno, Bratislava, Shiraz (Iran), Orvieto, Interlaken (Switzerland), Gaming (Austria), Paris etc.

      Her repertoire comprises solo music and chamber music works of the Benaissance, the Baroque and the Classic Epochs as well as the 20th century, including ancient and contemporary Polish composers. The artist has often played for radio and TV recording as well as for Polish and international Centers such as Polskie Nagrania, EMI, ELEKTROLA, DECCA, FONIT CETRA. From 1974 to 1982, she was appointed by contract as soloist with the Polish Broad- casting and TV Centre.

      Elżbieta Stefańska has often been invited to be on the jury of Polish and international music competitions such as the Wanda Landowska 1st Harpsichord Competition Cracow (1985) of which she was both the organizer and a jury member, the International Harpsichord Competition, Munich (1970), the Bach Competition, Leipzig (1992), the International Harpsichord Competition, Warsaw (1993), the Polish National Guitar Competitions (1986-1987) and the Piano Competition in Taipei (Taiwan) in 1990.

      Elżbieta Stefańska is a Professor at the Music University of Cracow where she leads the harpsichord class and where, from 1981-1990, she was Head of the Department of Clavecin and Ancient Instruments. Since 1990 she has frequently been invited to give concerts and to play for TV and radio recording in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. In the Mozart Year she played 18 Mozart sonatas (6 CDs) using an ancient Mozart piano for the Pony Canyon sonographic company in Tokyo. For the same company she also recorded numerous works by J.S. Bach composed for clavecin.

 

Chairman of the Jury

Prof. Alicja Kledzik (Poland) – Head of Piano, Harpsichord and Organ Department in I.J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznan

Members of the Jury

Prof. Tigran Alikhanov (Russia) – Rector of P. Tchaikovsky Conservatoire in Moscow

Prof. Maurizio Barboro (Italy) – Professor of Antonio Vivaldi Conservatoire in Alessandria

Prof. Martin Hughes (Great Britain) – Professor of Univesity of Music and Fine Arts in Vienna

Prof. Bogdan Kułakowski (Poland) – Rector of S. Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdansk

Marcin Nałęcz-Niesiołowski (Poland) – Conductor, Chief and Artistic Director of Opera and Philharmonic in Bialystok

Jan Popis (Poland) – Critic of music, producent and record publisher; Artistic Director of ‘MUZA Polish Recordings’
 

Alicja Kledzik was born in Poznań, where she completed with honours primary school and music secondary school and then graduated from Ignacy Jan Paderewski Academy of Music in the class of the piano run by Professor Waldemar Andrzejewski.

After completing her studies in Poznań, she continued her education with Professor Dubravka Tomsic and Professor Wiktor Mierzanow in Peter Tschaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow.

Professor Kledzik’s artistic and teaching career is related to the Academy of Music in Poznań. Soon after she finished her studies, she began to work there as an assistant professor in the Piano Department and later on she obtained the highest distinctions in academic career: doctoral and postdoctoral degrees. In 1998 she became the Professor of the Academy and in 2003 full professor degree granted to her by the President of the Republic of Poland.

Alicja Kledzik has made a number of recordings for the Polish Radio and TV. She gave concerts in many cities in Poland, among other, at the eminent music festivals such as the Festival of Polish Pianistry in Słupsk and Chopin Festival in Duszniki Zdrój, as well as abroad: in Hungary, Austria, Germany, France and Sweden, to name but a few. 

Since 2005 Professor Alicja Kledzik has been holding the position of the Chief of the Piano, Harpsichord and Organ Department at Ignacy Jan Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań. She is very committed to her intensive teaching work. Apart from the class of the piano at the Academy of Music in Poznań, Professor Kledzik runs the class of the piano in the prestigious Poznań School of Talents.

Her students won over 80 prizes on many national and international piano competitions and they give concerts all over the world, including Japan and the USA. 

Alicja Kledzik sits on the jury panels of many national and international piano competitions and she is the Artistic Director of the European Piano Competition “ Halina Czerny Stefanska in Memoriam” in Poznań. 

 

 

Tigran Alighanov  rector of the Moscow conservatory since 2005 year, head of the Chamber Ensemble and Quartet Department, professor. People’s Artist of Russia (2002). Winner of M. Long and J. Thibaud International competition in Paris (1967), laureate of the Hungarian Author’s Rights Agency for promotion of Hungarian composers’ music (1985). Tigran Alikhanov was born in Moscow in 1943. In 1966 he graduated from the Moscow conservatory, in 1969 finished his training at the post-graduate courses with professor L. Oborin. More than 30 years T. Alikhanov teaches at the Moscow conservatory, for 15 years he heads the department of chamber ensemble and quartet. Since 1992 he also works at the Moscow conservatory Music College. In his class a number of chamber ensembles were formed which later became winners at the international competitions. Tigran Alikhanov holds master-classes in cities of Russia and abroad. Tigran Alikhanov participates in work of many festivals and competitions. He is a jury member of the S. Taneev All-Russia competition of chamber ensembles in Kaluga (1996), the I. Safonov All-Russia competition in Kazan (1997), the International competition of pianists in Cincinnati (USA). As a performer T. Alikhanov gives recitals, plays with symphony orchestras, with leading instrumental chamber ensembles and choral collectives in both cities of Russia, the former Soviet Union and abroad (Spain, USA, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Austria, Algeria, Hungary, Greece, Netherlands, Czechoslovakia, China, Republic of South Africa, etc.). Tigran. Alikhanov is permanent in touch with the Ensemble of soloists of the Bolshoi Theater under guidance of A. Lazarev, People’s artist of Russia, with the Moscow B. Tevlin`s youth and students’ choir, with the Moscow string quartet, with Shostakovich, Prokofiev and Glinka quartets. One of the constant artistic partners of T. Alikhanov is his spouse, organist L. Golub.

In concert programs of T. Alikhanov are compositions for piano and chamber ensemble from various epochs – from J. S. Bach up to music of the 20th century’s composers. He is the Russian first interpreter of many music works, such as "Signes en Blanc" and a piano quintet by Edison Denisov, sonata for violin and a piano trio by Jury Butsko, trio-sonata by G. Banshikov, piano quintet by G. Frid. Tigran. Alikhanov is the author of research-methodical works, dedicated L. Oborin`s artistic heritage.

 

 

Maurizio Barboro  completed his artistical education at the “Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia” in Rome, under the guidance of Lya De Barberiis.Winner of Italian piano competitions, since 1980 he has combined an intense career in Italy as well as in the major cultural centres in Europe,Asia and North America,collaborating with famous conductors and prestigious orchestras.Since 1996 Barboro has been currently “artist in residence” and “permanent soloist” of the “Dumitrescu” Philharmonic Orchestra of Valcea (Romania).

In 1999 he made his debut in the United States, where now he is periodically invited to hold master classes at institutions such as the Boston Conservatory, the Longy School of Music and the Rivers School.In October 2000 he inaugurated the symphonic season of the Berkshire Symphony Orchestra (Massachusetts) with Rachmaninoff’s Second Concert.In April 2001 he played Shostakovich’s Second Concert, accompanied by the prestigious “Enescu” Philharmonic Orchestra at the Bucharest Ateneu Hall. During 2004 and 2005 concert-seasons he played with the Longwood Orchestra at the Jordan Hall in Boston. Barboro also performs in various distinguished chamber music ensembles like “Nuovo Quartetto Pianistico Italiano”(two pianos,eight hands), with the violinists Aiman Musakhodzhaeva and Gernot Winischhofer,the flutists Maxence Larrieu and Giuseppe Nova, the cellist Dario Destefano.He has undertaken several recordings of works by Italian composers for reputed National TV and Radio networks in both Western and Eastern Europe;other notable CD recordings include the complete works for two pianos,eight hands,the works of the Italian contemporary composer Mario Panatero,the complete collection of Shostakovich’s Piano Concertos (with the Belarus National Philharmonic Orchestra),the Brahms,Franck,Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich and Kabalevsky Sonatas for Cello and Piano.Maurizio Barboro is the holder of the Chair of Piano at the “Antonio Vivaldi” State Conservatory in Alessandria and at the International Summer Courses in Bergolo.He is a member of the jury of several prestigious international contests,Art Director of the “Città di Ovada” International Competition and of the “Alfredo Casella” Music Association, and President of the “Città di Racconigi – Schubert Prize” Contest.

 

 

Martin Hughes born in England, Martin Hughes gained his early musical experience as a chorister in Salisbury Cathedral. He made his first appearance at London’s Wigmore Hall at the age of twelve as prizewinner of a national piano competition, and at sixteen entered the Paris Conservatoire in the class of Yvonne Lefébure. One year later he had graduated, and at eighteen made his first appearance at the Salle Gaveau, Paris, performed a Mozart concerto on BBC Radio and won second prize at the Maria Canals International Competition in Barcelona. Further study followed with Benjamin Britten, at the Moscow Conservatory with Lev Oborin, and in Positano with Wilhelm Kempff. At twenty-two he made his debut at the BBC Proms. There followed tours to the USA, the USSR, Europe and Israel, together with invitations to many of Europe’s broadcasting networks, and appearances with the London Symphony, London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic and other major orchestras. A series of seven recitals on London’s South Bank sponsored by the Kirckman Society established his critical reputation.

As soloist and chamber musician Martin Hughes has performed with Simon Rattle, Michael Tilson Thomas, Gyorgy Pauk, Gérard Caussé, Thomas Brandis, Daniel Hope, Wolfgang Boettcher, Michael Sanderling, the Kandinsky Trio, the Bartok Quartet and many other distinguished musicians. He was a founder member of the Kreutzer Piano Trio which commissioned and performed a number of new British works. He founded the Fengate Music Trust in 1985 and was for many years artistic director of the Festival de la Vallée au Loups in Normandie, France.

Formerly professor and director of the Piano Department at the Universität der Künste, Berlin, Martin Hughes has given masterclasses for the University of Cambridge, the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique, Paris, the Sibelius Academy, Helsinki, the Norwegian Musikhochschule, Oslo, as well as in Israel, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, China, Roumania, France, Germany and Austria. In October 2002 he was appointed Ordinarius at the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Wien as successor to Prof. Hans Petermandl.

Martin Hughes’s performances of Beethoven and Schubert have won him critical praise in many countries, and he has performed all the piano sonatas of Beethoven and Schubert in separate cycles. Of his article on the interpretation of Beethoven’s piano music (Interpreting Beethoven ed. Stowell, Cambridge University Press 1994) Paul Badura-Skoda wrote “Every pianist who is seriously interested in rendering the spirit of a Beethoven piano work ought to read it”.

 

 

Bogdan Kułakowski –  started his music education at the age of 7 at the State School of Music of the 1st and 2nd degree in Słupsk. He graduated with honours. In 1977-1982 he studied piano in Gdańsk Academy of Music in the class of Professor Zbigniew Śliwiński. He also completed this school with honours. He improved his skills during numerous courses run by such artists as S.Perticaroli, F. Scala and D. Zehlin, to name but a few. After graduation he got a post at his Alma Mater where he has been working ever since.

He is the winner of TiFC contests for artistic scholarships (1979, 1980), the Scene of Young Artists at the Festival of Polish Pianistry in Słupsk (1992), numerous prizes in the field of chamber music (1986 Nowy Sącz, 1992, 1995 Olsztyn and many others).

During his intensive career he has given concerts both as a soloist and a member of chamber music group. He performed with the symphony orchestras of Słupsk, Gdańsk, Zielona Góra and many others. He has made several concert tours in, among others, Japan and the USA. He has given concerts in Sweden, Norway, Germany, Italy and England. He cooperates with the eminent soloists from Gdańsk (Kwintet Bałtycki, Natalia Stolarska and others) and a great violinist Konstanty Andrzej Kulka. Bogdan Kułakowski has made many recordings for the Polish Radio of Gdańsk and Gdańsk TV.

In his repertoire he has included the music works of all periods, in particular Romantic music, as well as contemporary renditions of jazz works and Scott Joplin’s ragtime. Bogdan Kułakowski’s work also includes first performances (Koncert fortepianowy by Elżbieta Sikora presented during the Festival of Polish Pianistry in Słupsk conducted by Jerzy Maksymiuk) and recordings (together with a violinist Natalia Stolarska he made a record Clair de Lune with music works by Franck and Debussy.

In 2005 he was appointed the President of Gdańsk Academy of Music of the first term. After elections in February 2008 he will hold this position until 2012.

Bogdan Kułakowski cooperates with many cultural institutions of Trójmiasto and Pomeranian District. For many years he has been involved in organizing the Festival of Polish Pianistry and he is the member of the Opinion Committee of the Scene of Young Artists of the said Festival.

As the member of the jury, he took part in many national and international piano competitions, as well as in an accordion competition and two violin competitions! His hobby is music, teaching students and … sports.                                  

 

 

 

Marcin Nałęcz Niesiołowski was born in 1972 in Gdynia. In 1996 he graduated with honours from Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw, where he studied symphonic and opera conducting in the class of professor Bogusław Madey.

Since January 1997 he has served as the Managing and Artistic Director of the Białystok Philharmonic. He is also the Artistic Director and Conductor of the “Filharmonia” Orchestra in Warsaw and a guest conductor of the Grand Theatre – National Opera in Warsaw. In September 2005 he was appointed the Managing and Artistic Director of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic, a newly-established institution set up by the Minister of Culture and the Marshal of the Podlasie Province.

Marcin Nałęcz-Niesiołowski conducts varied concert activities cooperating closely with many symphony orchestras in Poland and abroad and performing at numerous music festivals. He has performed with the Warsaw Philharmonic, Sinfonia Varsovia, the Symphony Orchestra of Polish Radio in Warsaw and the Symphony Orchestra of National Polish Radio in Katowice. Foreign tours have taken him to the United States, Russia, Mexico, Morocco, Spain and Belgium, where he participated in the “Europalia” Festival with the Wrocław “Leopoldinum” Orchestra. In August 2005 he conducted the Białystok Philharmonic with the pianist Stanisław Drzewiecki as a solist in the European Parliament in Brussels, in the concert inaugurating the celebrations commemorating the 25th anniversary of the creation of the Solidarity movement. In June 2006 he conducted the performance of Krzysztof Penderecki's „Jutrznia” in Smolny Sobor in Sankt Petersburg with the participation of Russian soloists and choirs as well as the Białystok Philharmonic Orchestra.

Marcin Nałęcz-Niesiołowski’s discography includes over a dozen CDs, two of which have won nominations for the “Fryderyk” awards of the Polish recording industry, numerous recordings for radio and television, as well as recordings of popular and film music.

He is the winner of music competitions - First Prize at the National Violin and Viola Competition in Elbląg and the F. Platówna 4^th Vocal Competition in Wrocław, where he also won the Grand Prix of the Ministry of Culture and Art.

Another strand of Marcin Nałęcz-Niesiołowski's music interests and artistic activity is found in solo singing - his major at the Music Academy in Łódź, where he studied with Professor Leonard Andrzej Mróz.

In 2001 he received the prestigious “Ad Astra” Award from the Minister of Culture conferred on young, talented artists. In 2004 he was awarded the Silver Cross of Merit for his contribution to the development of culture and for his artistic achievement, while in June 2006 he was presented with the "Gloria Artis - for Services to Culture" Silver Medal.

 

 

Jan Popis  a musicologist, a music critic, a producer and a publisher of the CDs with classical music. One the most eminent experts in Chopin’s music. He graduated from music studies at the University of Warsaw. He specializes in piano music and the rendition of Chopin’s piano works in particular.

For 33 years, since 1974 he worked for the Polish Radio where from the very beginning he prepared and performed his original program, including famous Chopin Wednesday. It is estimated that his program was listened to by c. 1.5 bn music lovers. Since 1975, he commentated on seven subsequent Chopin International Piano Competitions in Warsaw for the Polish Radio and TV.

In 1996, Jan Popis, in accordance with his own project, founded his own record publishing house and released the catalogue with about 400 pieces. A few scores of the pieces were nominated and over a dozen of them received Frederyk and Totus Tuus Prize. Besides, he is a producer – expert of about 350 archival and phonographic recordings made by the Polish Radio, including first Polish DVDs with classical music (Sacred Triptych: Credo byKrzysztof Penderecki, 3^rd  Symphony by Henryk Mikołaj Górecki, Missa pro pace by Wojciech Kilar – all work was honoured in 2007 by the Special Prize of Phonographic Academy “Fryderyk”).

In 1998 he Jan Popis started to cooperate with Krystian Zimerman and his Polish Festival Orchestra. In 1999 he took part in the world tour of Krystian Zimerman and his Orchestra marking 150^th anniversary of Chopin’s death. They gave concerts in the biggest music centers such as Paris, London, Brussels, Amsterdam, New York, Washington, Warsaw, to name but a few.

For over 10 years, Jan Popis has been working with Rafał Blechacz, the winner of Grand Prix in the Fryderyk Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw in 2005, as a adviser.

Jan Blechacz is an author of numerous reviews and articles (since 1975) to music press, mainly to Ruch Muzyczny. He is an editor-in-chief of Gazeta Konkursu Chopinowskiego (2000 – 2005). He takes part in the musicological conferences and gives lectures at music academies in, among others, the USA and Canada as well as international rendition courses. He draws up the entries to the Polish encyclopedias. He is also a member of jury of Vladimir Horowitz International Piano Competitions, Emil Gilels International Piano Competition and Artur Rubinstein International Piano Competition. He is a founder and artistic director of the International Competition for the Young Pianists “Artur Rubinstein in memoriam” in Bydgoszczy, started in 1993.

In 2995 Jan Popis became a programme and artistic consultant of the Chopin International Festival “Chopin the Colours of Autumn” in Antonin. 

In September 2007, he was appointed the Artistic Director of Polish phonographic publishing house “MUZA Polskie Nagrania” by open competition.