Gdańsk Music Festival 2023

Alim Beisembayev won First Prize at The Leeds International Piano Competition in September 2021, performing Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Andrew Manze. He also took home the medici.tv Audience Prize and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society Prize for contemporary performance, with The Guardian praising him as a “worthy winner” with a “real musical personality”.

Highlights of the 2021/22 season include debuts with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic (under Case Scaglione), BBC Symphony Orchestra (Clemens Schuldt), RCM Symphony Orchestra (Sir Antonio Pappano) and SWR Symphonieorchester Stuttgart (Yi-Chen Lin). Recent and forthcoming recitals include the Wigmore Hall, Southbank Centre, Oxford Piano Festival, Bath Mozartfest, St George’s Bristol, and Gdansk Music Festival, in addition to a tour of Europe, in association with the Steinway Prizewinner Concerts Network, and Korea, with the World Culture Network. His debut release with Warner Classics was released in September 2021 — an EP featuring Scarlatti, Ligeti and Ravel.

Born in Kazakhstan in 1998, Alim has already performed with the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia “Evgeny Svetlanov”, Moscow State Symphony and Fort-Worth Symphony, and at Royal Festival Hall and Wigmore Hall. During his time at the Purcell School he won several awards, including First Prize at the Junior Cliburn International Competition. Alim was taught by Tessa Nicholson at school and continued his studies with her at the Royal Academy of Music. He is currently completing his master’s degree at the Royal College of Music with Professor Vanessa Latarche. He is generously supported by numerous scholarships such as the ABRSM, the Countess of Munster, Hattori Foundation, the Drake Calleja Fund trusts, and belongs to the Talent Unlimited charity scheme.

"His art of phrasing, his lyricism, the nuances and the perfect control of dynamics, the transparency and, if necessary, the stupendous virtuosity are outstanding. His playing thus always emanates the aura of the highest artistic goal and finest sensitivity." - Pizzicato “Rare is the musician with so natural a feeling for rubato, the expressive give and take of pace, as well as color and texture.”

After two and half weeks of high-level competition and exceptional music-making, Dmytro Choni won the Bronze Medal of the 16th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in June 2022. Previously he already garnered international attention by winning numerous top prizes and awards at among others the Paloma O'Shea Santander International Piano Competition (Spain, 2018), the Leeds International Piano Competition ((Great Britain, 2021) and the Bösendorfer USASU (USA, 2019). Notwithstanding these achievements, Dmytro says: "Being successful for me means to continuously grow as a musician and as a person, and not to stop searching for the truth in music. In my opinion, the most important aspect would be to love the music with all your heart.” Forthcoming highlights include recital and chamber music debuts in Vienna (Konzerthaus and Musikverein), his recital debut at the Lucerne Festival in August 2022, numerous recitals in the USA, debuts with the Polish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra and the Badische Philharmonie Pforzheim, as well as a residency series in Ede, The Netherlands, with a solo recital and duo recitals with violinist Josef Špaček and cellist Julian Steckel.

His debut album was released by Naxos in 2020, containing works from the 20th century by Debussy, Ginastera, Ligeti and Prokofiev. The CD received a "Supersonic Award" by Pizzicato magazine and was highly acclaimed by the international press saying that "Dmytro Choni’s thoroughbred playing already possesses real greatness and ingenious breath” (Pizzicato); "The young man could be one of the 21st century's most outstanding pianists." (David’s Review Corner).

Dmytro regularly appears as soloist with renowned orchestras, such as the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Phoenix Symphony, RTVE Symphony, Ensemble Esperanza, Ukraine National Symphony, Youth Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Castilla y León Symphony, Liechtenstein Symphony, Hamburger Camerata, Silesian Philharmonic and Dominican Republic National Symphony, working with conductors such as Andrew Manze, Marin Alsop, Nicholas McGegan, Yaron Traub, Baldur Brönnimann, Pablo González, Oksana Lyniv and Lucas Macías Navarro. He appears at the Kissinger Sommer, Verbier Festival, Beethovenfest Bonn, Chopin Duszniki International Piano Festival, New Ross Piano Festival, Dubrovnik Summer Festival, Stars and Rising Stars Munich and MiTo Settembre Musica and performs in such venues as the Wigmore Hall London, Carnegie Hall New York, Salle Cortot Paris, Musikverein Vienna, Minato Mirai Hall Yokohama, Flagey Brussels, Palau de la Música Barcelona, Auditorio Nacional de Música Madrid and the Teatro Colón Buenos Aires, all making a lasting impression on his musical development. Chamber music also forms an important part of Dmytro's musical activities. He has collaborated with the Cuarteto Quiroga, Quartetto di Cremona, Calidore String Quartet and with violinists Rudens Turku, Jack Liebeck, Andrej Bielow and Mari Samuelsen, clarinettist Sharon Kam and violist Nils Mönkemeyer.

Dmytro Choni was born in Kyiv, Ukraine in 1993. He was four when he received his first piano lesson from Galina Zaslavets. Later, he went on to study in Kyiv with Nina Naiditch and Prof. Yuri Kot. He is currently studying with Prof. Dr. Milana Chernyavska at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz.

Anna Geniushene’s fresh, layered, and powerful interpretations defined her participation at the 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition—and won her the coveted silver medal and the adoration of fans around the globe. And the critics couldn’t get enough: “powerhouse sound, forceful musical personality, and sheer virtuosity…had this critic on the edge of his seat” (Musical America); “a performance of rare devotion and insight” (Onstage NTX); “a fresh version…that had this listener hanging on every bar” (La Scena).

And when Anna closed the Cliburn Competition with a momentous performance of the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1, Gramophone likened it to the contest’s revered namesake, “I couldn’t help but equate Anna Geniushene’s seasoned pianism to Cliburn at his best.” Highlights of the upcoming 2022–2023 season include recital appearances at the Grand Teton Music Festival, Festival International de la Roque d'Anthéron, and across the United States; a tour of Japan with pianist Andrey Gugnin; piano duo concerts with Wu Han and Dmytro Choni at Wolf Trap and La Musica Festival; engagements with the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra and Taipei Symphony Orchestra; and the birth of her second child.

Born in Moscow on New Year’s Day in 1991, Anna made her recital debut just seven years later in the small hall of the Berlin Philharmonic. She has since developed a diverse and versatile career as an artist: performances in major world venues such as the Town Hall in Leeds, National Concert Hall in Dublin, Museum of Arts in Tel Aviv, Teatro Carlo Felice in Genova, Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory, and Sala Greppi in Bergamo; appearances with famed conductors, including Marin Alsop, Edward Gardner, Nicholas McGegan, Arvo Volmer, Gintaras Rinkevičius, and Valentin Uryupin; a dedication to chamber music, including duo piano repertoire with her husband, Lukas Geniušas, and close collaboration with Quartetto di Cremona; and the creation of her own festival of collaborative music-making (NikoFest).

During the pandemic, Anna’s penchant for creativity manifested in online projects, such as a series of online recitals for the Vancouver Chopin Society, participation in the “Armchairs Season” of the Moscow Philharmonic, and recording sessions for the ConSpirito music channel on YouTube. Her debut CD was released on LINN Records in March 2020. A laureate of major international piano contests, she previously had strong finishes at the Leeds (finalist), Tchaikovsky (semifinalist) and Busoni (third prize) Competitions.

Anna Geniushene graduated from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory in 2015, where she studied with professor Elena Kuznetsova, and completed her Master’s with Distinction and Advanced Diploma from the Royal Academy of Music (London) in 2018 under the tutelage of Professor Emeritus Christopher Elton. She currently resides in Lithuania with her husband and their sons, Tomas and Mark.

Tobias Koch’s musical credo is to trace the essence of sound with the joy of discovery and open-minded versatility. One of the most versatile and distinguished musicians of his generation, he is fascinated by the expressive possibilities of period keyboard instruments. Both unorthodox and spirited in his performances, he plays the harpsichord, clavichord, tangent piano, early fortepiano, orphica, organ, piano-pédalier, and romantic grand piano. He is considered one of the foremost specialists in the field of historical informed performance practice. Especially for his pioneering efforts in the interpretation of the complete piano music by Robert Schumann he earned widespread international acclaim and recognition: “Inspired and inspiring from the first second: Tobias Koch plays Schumann the way it should be played in order to do him justice: revolutionary, Romantic, with technical brilliance, emotion and no trace of cloying sweetness or pretense. Koch’s playing conjures up musical images that emerge in the wink of an eye, only to fade away again. The playing carries you away, turning each measure into an experience.” (German Radio MDR Figaro).

But still Tobias Koch tries to be a most unspecialised specialist, constantly striving to lend the music he performs vivid colour on the keyboard instruments best suited for the repertoire in question, extending from Orlando Gibbons to Karlheinz Stockhausen. His performing career has taken him as soloist, devoted chamber musician and Lieder accompanist all over Europe. He appears as a guest artist at leading festivals including the Schleswig-Holstein Festival, Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele, Verbier Festival, Chopin Festival Warsaw, Rheingau Music Festival, the Beethoven Festival Bonn, Schumannfestivals in Düsseldorf, Zwickau, Leipzig, Bonn, and the Leipzig Mendelssohn Festival.

Tobias Koch has gained valuable artistic inspiration while studying in master classes by David Levine, Roberto Szidon, Walter Kamper, and Jos van Immerseel, in Germany, Austria and Belgium. He was awarded the music endowment award of the state capital of Düsseldorf. Important musical partners include Andreas Staier, Gottfried von der Goltz, Joshua Bell, Steven Isserlis, Markus Schäfer, Concerto Köln, and Hofkapelle Stuttgart with Frieder Bernius. He collaborates closely with instrument makers and restoration specialists, as well as with renowned collections and major musical instruments museums. He is on the faculty of the Robert Schumann Hochschule Düsseldorf, academies in Verbier and Montepulciano, and has been featured in over 200 productions for radio and television. In addition to more than 20 CD recordings of works by Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Burgmüller, Schumann, Chopin, Liszt, Hiller, Wagner, and Brahms, a wide range of publications round out his work in the field of music. Drawn as if by magic to the irresistible sound of period keyboard instruments, Tobias Koch devotes himself to performing exclusively on authentic period instruments. He has been invited to sit on the jury of the 1st International Chopin Competition on Period Instrument in Warsaw (2 to 14 September 2018).

JAN ŁUKASZEWSKI has come to be accepted as one of Europe’s most accomplished choral music specialists.

He is conductor and director of Polski Chór Kameralny. Much in demand as a guest conductor, he e.g. regularly worked with the Polish Radio Choir and works with the Philharmonic Choir Cracow and the Philharmonic Choir Wroclaw as well as guest conducting abroad. As an orchestral conductor he enjoys cooperating with such ensembles as, for examle, the Polish Chamber Philharmonic Sopot, the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, The Academy of Ancient Music, or Venice Baroque Orchestra.

His main artistic interests lie in the fields of romantic and of contemporary music, and, especially in connection with Polski Chór Kameralny he has gained a reputation of being able to make possible the impossible and prepare musically valid interpretations of even the most complex of works in a very short time, indeed. Hence the number of premier performances directed by him is vast.

He regularly receives invitations worldwide to hold master classes and seminars for choral conductors (in Japan, for example or as a lecturer at the 'World Symposium on Choral Music'). Jan Łukaszewski holds the title of Professor of Musical Arts. Taking an educational interest in amateur singing, he frequently works in the juries of internationally renowned choral contests, among others in Japan [Takarazuka, Karuizawa], Wales [Llangollen], Lithuania, Italy, Switzerland, and of composers’ competitions in Poland, England [Cambridge], and in France [Rouen]. While advertising abroad the musical heritage of his nation and of his home town of Gdansk (e.g. the choral works of Andrzej Hakenberger), in Poland, Jan Łukaszewski is regarded as one of the few that propagate the music of such composers as Schönberg, Messiaen, Xenakis, Globokar, Castiglioni, Takemitsu, R. Strauss, Pepping, Tippett, Ives, and Barber. His abundant recordings for Polish Radio, Dutch Radio, Sender Freies Berlin, Bayrischer Rundfunk, Südwestrundfunk, and Westdeutscher Rundfunk and for Polish and German Television as well as his numerous CD-, MC-, LP- and video recordings reflect the quality of his work, for which, in addition, he has received countless prestigious awards. The high artistic level of Polski Chór Kameralny under his direction time and again inspires composers to write works for unaccompanied choir and world premiere performances conducted by Jan Łukaszewski are counted in their many hundreds.

Apart from all that, always keen to share his unique knowledge and appreciation of music with the public, Jan Łukaszewski has given many a stimulus to musical life in general. In Gdansk alone, to date he initiated and directed, among others, 10 International Symposia on Choral Music, the “Bach Days”, the “Chopin Festival”, and last but not least is founder and director of the hugely popular annual International Mozart Festival “Mozartiana” which attracts thousands of visitors every year.

--   Fotis/Ireneusz Skąpski --

Graduated with honours the Warsaw Music Academy under Prof. Bogusław Madey and at the Cologne College of Music and attended master classes with Witold Rowicki in Vienna. In the course of his musical career, he was Conductor at the Great Theatre in Warsaw (1971 – 1978) and at the Poznan Philharmonic (1974 - 1980), where he also became the Artistic Director (1978 - 1980). In 1978 – 1981he was the first Conductor of the Theater der Stadt Bonn and of the Orchestra of the Beethoven Halle.

In 1982 he fixed his live with the Tricity, he founded the Polish Chamber Philharmonic Sopot. In 1993 he started also to teach as a professor in The Hochschule für Musik w Karlsruhe, and he became Professor of Conducting an Orchestra Training at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Frankfurt am Main until now.

Since 2008 he also teaches conducting at the Music Academy of Gdansk.

In years 1993-2006 he was the Artistic Director of the Polish Radio Orchestra in Warsaw. With this orchestra he took concerts in Poland and abroad and recorded for Polish Radio. He also took part at many festivals i.e. Prague Spring, Flandreau Festival, Gran Canaria Festival, Festspiele Europäische Wochen Passau, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Evian, Montpellier, La Chaise Dieu.

Wojciech Rajski has in his phonographic work over 60 Cds for such recorders as: EMI, Chant du Monde, Claves, Thorofon, Tacet, Midas, Bis Wifon, KOCH, DUX and many others. It takes also recordings for Polish Radio and TV, also for German SAT 1, 3 SAT and ARD.

Capella Bydgostiensis Pro Musica Antiqua group was established in 1962 by the founder of the Philharmonic and its long-term director, Andrzej Szwalbe.

Capella instantly became one of the leading early music chamber orchestras in Poland. From its beginning until the 90s the musicians were accompanied by the octet of madrigal singers who also performed as soloists.

Concert activities of the chamber music group distinguish the Pomeranian Philharmonic from other similar institutions in the country.

Cultivating early music of Polish and foreign masters of the Renaissance and Baroque, reminiscent of the bands of the 16th-18th centuries, has been a creative goal of Capella. Currently, the repertoire of Capella Bydgostiensis includes chamber music ranging from the Baroque to modern times.

The group has performed for Polish Radio and Television, recorded dozens of albums and films and performed in numerous European countries.

Between 1962 and 1970 Capella Bydgostiensis was led by Stanisław Gałoński. Later, until 1990, the baton was held by Włodzimierz Szymański. The following artistic directors were: Karol Teutsch, Daniel Stabrawa, Mirosław Jacek Błaszczyk, Wiesław Kwaśny, José Maria Florêncio and Kai Bumann.

Capella Bydgostiensis has carried out recordings for Polish, Dutch, and Spanish labels, as well as for radio and television. In recent years, just to name a few: "Ave Maria" songs by ten composers of various eras with soprano Barbara Kubiak, "Symphony for String Orchestra" by Grażyna Bacewicz (Ewa Kupiec – piano, Mariusz Smolij – conductor) – the album recorded for the world-renowned record company, Naxos, received the "Fryderyk" award in the category of the best Polish album abroad in 2015.

In 2017, Capella Bydgostiensis celebrated its 55th anniversary and recorded the album with classical music hits "Capella Bydgostiensis. Przeboje 55-lecia" ("Capella Bydgostiensis. Hits of the 55th Anniversary").

In 2019 the ensamble performed the world premiere of Paderewski’s Six Songs op. 18 (to poems by Adam Mickiewicz) and Douze melodies op. 22 (to poems by Catulle Mendès) in an interpretation by composer Marcin Gumiela.

The Academic Chamber Orchestra was established in 1999 on the initiative of the then authorities of the University. In the interests of comprehensive education of students in the field of orchestral music, a band was established to pursue didactic and artistic goals. The ensemble consists of several outstanding instrumentalists - students of the Department of String Instruments. Initially, constant substantive care was entrusted to the assistants of the violin class at that time: Andrzej Kacprzak and Paweł Kuklinski. Since 2007, the orchestra has been led by Andrzej Kacprzak, who has been successfully performing the functions of concertmaster and conductor until now.

The ensemble performs regularly both in the concert hall of its alma mater and many other stages in Poland and abroad. In 2002, the orchestra, conducted by Jan Stanienda, performed with great success at the Mozart Festival in Lucerne (Switzerland), and in 2005, conducted by Thuring Bram, it repeated its success, taking part in the concert project of the local Music Conservatory in one of the largest halls in Europe - Konzertsaal KKL Lucerne.

The academic chamber orchestra boldly enters the music stages of Pomerania and beyond its borders, gaining more and more circles of loyal listeners. It takes part in significant musical events throughout the region. The band performs compositions from the Baroque to the present, and does not shy away from film, jazz or popular music. It aims to cooperate with cultural institutions, bands and individual artists in order to create joint ventures combining music with poetry, theater or painting. The orchestra is open to all kinds of artistic activities, supporting and promoting music, in particular Polish music.

The chamber orchestra of the Academy of Music in Gdańsk has completed original and interesting phonographic projects. These include the released albums: "Works of Gdańsk composers" /DUX/, "Sturm und Drang" /DUX/, "Radosław Łuczkowski - Instrumental music" /Wydawnictwo AM Gdańsk/, "Baczewski Guza Copland" /DUX/, Recording of Hymns of the Gdańsk University of Technology /Wydawnictwo PG/, "Between heaven and earth - aMusic caroling" /Wydawnictwo AM Gdańsk/. Since the academic year 2019/2020, the team has been operating under the name Camerata Gedania.

Bonded by a musical consensus and shared vision, the Heathcliff Trio was founded in late 2020. Emanated from a decade long collaboration between childhood friends Ashley Tong and Sebastian Kolin, who studied together at the Yehudi Menuhin School, they encountered Danish pianist, Jonathan Siahaan, upon completing their studies, whose resonating philosophy pronounced himself the final choice of a long-lasting search.

Despite their short existence, the trio brings together their extensive individual experiences in chamber music, which include collaborations with artists such as Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider, Kathryn Stott, Enrico Pace, and Barnabas Kelemen, and continues to strive towards the discovery of their own expression, which has brought them to perform in countries such as Denmark, Austria, Germany, France, Netherlands, Lithuania, Spain, Norway, England, and Switzerland.

The Heathcliff Trio recently won 1st prize in The 9th International Johannes Brahms Chamber Music Competition (2022) with two additional special prizes including the best interpretation of a piece by Brahms. In season 2021/2022, The trio made their debut at Wigmore Hall for the final concert of The Parkhouse Award international competition for chamber music and at 22 Mansfield Street in London. In season 2022/2023, Heathcliff Trio gave various concerts in England and Europe including recitals at The Harrogate International Festival, K&M Festival Stavanger, Hobro Musikforening, Kammermusik Odense, and they will make their debut in Poland at the Polish Baltic Philharmonic as part of The Gdansk Music Festival 2023 in May.

The Heathcliff Trio is currently based in Copenhagen under the guidance of Tim Frederiksen at The Royal Danish Academy of Music on the Advance Postgraduate Program and is also a member of the European Chamber Music Academy where they receive further tutelage from Johannes Meissl, Avedis Kouyoumdjian, Hatto Beyerle (Alban Berg Quartet), Patrick Jüdt and Cyril Huve.

Yehuda Prokopowicz (2005) and Eryk Koszela (2006) are piano students at the Władysław Żeleński State Secondary Music School in Krakow. Yehuda is educated under the guidance of prof. Stefan Wojtas, Eryk under the supervision of prof. Olga Łazarska. Their cooperation in a piano duo began in 2019 in the chamber music class of prof. Anna Boczar.

ProKosz Piano Duo has been awarded many times at competitions: 1st prize - 2nd International Chamber Music Competition Instrumental Music Performancein Toronto (2021); Grand Prix - 1st KraCamera International Chamber Music Competition (2021); Grand Prix - National Competition of Piano Duos in Zamość Let's play together (2022); 1st prize and special prize - Warsaw Chamber Music Forum (2022); 1st prize -Duettissimo International Piano Duo Competition (2022). In 2022, they became Waldorff Award Winners at Polish Piano Festival 2022

The Polish Chamber Choir Schola Cantorum Gedanensis is a full-time professional chamber choir of international standing. Founded in Gdansk in 1978 and since 1983 under the direction of Jan Łukaszewski it keeps going from strength to strength. 

The declared aim of the 24 professional musicians making up the ensemble is to work at an instrumental, ‘orchestral’ level, which besides other skills requires total control of the vocal instrument, thus allowing all musical and technical demands of a score to be met.  They 'specialise in variety' performing music from all genres and periods, a cappella or accompanied, sacred or profane,  Gregorian chant, motets, opera, oratorio, film music, jazz, pop, etc. from medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music through Romantic and late Romantic to 20th and 21st century compositions. The world premiere performances sung by them are about to top the 620 mark  and include works by such composers as Henryk Mikołaj Górecki and Krzysztof Penderecki, Wojciech Kilar, Augustyn Bloch, Krzysztof Meyer, Andrzej Koszewski, or Paweł Łukaszewski, and many more who have dedicated  compositions to Polski Chór Kameralny. Frequent guests at some of the most renowned of international festivals they perform at events like the Warsaw Autumn, Ruhr-Festival, or TENSO Days.  The number of their CD recordings, several winning awards like Orphée d’Or or Fryderyk (plus many more nominations) by 2016 had well exceeded 80. Countless radio and TV recordings in Poland, Europe (additionally some concerts as EBU live broadcasts), and North America complete the picture.

The Polish Chamber Choir prepares around 40 different programmes a year and co-operates with orchestras like NOSPR (Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra), the Polish Baltic Philharmonic, The Polish Chamber Philharmonic Sopot, Sinfonia Varsovia, the Polish Radio Chamber Orchestra “Amadeus”, The Academy of Ancient Music, Venice Baroque Orchestra, the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, and many more as well as with some of the cream of international choral conductors like Eric Ericson, Uwe Gronostay, Frieder Bernius, and Stephen Layton to name but a few.

Polski Chór Kameralny also organises its own music festivals, most notably, since 2006 they have been running their own annual 7-Day “Mozartiana” International Festival presenting Mozart’s Music in various guises and every year drawing thousands of visitors to the historic city centre of Gdansk, to Oliva Park, the Abbots’ Palace, and to Oliva Archcathedral.

Formed in 1974, the Gdansk Symphony Orchestra changed its name the next year to The Symphony Orchestra of Polish Philharmonic Hall. The founder, and for many years the artistic director, was Zygmunt Rychert. The work of the young conductor and the orchestra quickly won recognition among critics and music lovers not only in Poland but also abroad.

Artistic direction has been under the auspices of:
- Zygmunt Rychert ( do 1981 i 1998-2003),
- Bogusław Madey (1981-1983),
- Jerzy Salwarowski (1983-1984 an artistic consultant),
- Wojciech Czepiel (1984-1986),
- Wojciech Rajski (1987-1989),
- Paweł Przytocki (1989-1991),
- Janusz Przybylski (1992-1993),
- Roman Perucki (1993-1998),
- Michał Nesterowicz (2004-2008),
- Kai Bumann ( 2008- 2012),
- Ernst van Tiel ( 2012-2017),
- George Tchitchinadze ( from 2017).

  Many superb conductors have been invited to work with the Baltic Philharmonic Hall Orchestra - mention has to be made of work conducted by: Witold Rowicki, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Kazimierz Kord, Krzysztof Missona, Karol Teutsch, Jerzy Katlewicz, Andrzej Markowski, Jerzy Salwarowski, Wojciech Michniewski, Tadeusz Wojciechowski, Tadeusz Strugała, Marek Pijarowski, José Mario Florencio, Mirosław Błaszczyk, Tomasz Bugaj, Kai Bumann, Franco Ferrara, Enoch von zu Gutenberg, Carlo Zecchi and Felix Carrasco. The Baltic Philharmonic Hall boasts a host of guest performers, including among the others: Ewa Pobłocka, Konstanty Andrzej Kulka, Krystian Zimerman, Krzysztof Jakowicz, Piotr Paleczny, Janusz Olejniczak, Leszek Możdżer, Piotr Pławner, Kaia Danczowska, Andrzej Bauer, Krzysztof Jabłoński, Bożena Harasimowicz, Leonard Andrzej Mróz, Jadwiga Rappé, Elżbieta Towarnicka, Vadim Brodski, Valery Oistrach, Edward Auer, Barbara Hendricks, Nigel Kennedy, Ann Murray, Lucia Aliberti and Helen Bickers.

The musicians from the Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra have been guests at many festivals in Poland and in Europe, such as Poznan Spring, Vratislavia Cantans, Warsaw Autumn, Oratorio Festival in Denmark, Scandinavian festival "Nordteile", or famous "Aspekte" in Salzburg. They have been invited to tour in Germany, France, Switzerland and Italy, and to Concert Halls in Vienna, Salzburg, Paris, Berlin, Bremen, Frankfurt and St Petersburgh.

During the 11th Music Biennale in Berlin (1987) the Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Wojciech Michniewski won the critics prize for the best Orchestra for the performance of Krzysztof Penderecki's 1st Symphony. In 1989 during a European tour, the orchestra gave aco ncert with a choir "Cecilien Verein" from Fankfurt in Munich Philharmonic Hall, Alte Oper in Frankfurt and Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. In 1991 thet performed Verdi's Requiem inTours, Marseille, in Switzerland - Zurich, Basel, Lausanne, Bern and concerts in Italy crowned by a performance for His Holiness Pope John Paul II. In 1988 the orchestra represented Poland at the world exhibition Expo in Lisbon. For a couple of years the orchestra has given concerts In many German cities, including Schleswig, Bayreuth, Bremen and Berlin.

The Polish Philharmonic Hall and its musicians often initiate and create many cultural events in Gdansk and along the coast. On the 1000th anniversary of the City of Gdansk in 1997, in cooperation with other Gdansk artists, they prepared music for the mass in Rome celebrated by John Paul II, which opened the celebration of the city's millennium. During a cycle of concerts organized with the Polish-German Foundation "Millennium Musical Meetings" the president of Germany Roman Herzog and president of Poland Aleksander Kwasniewski were present .

During the celebration of 25 years of Solidarity and the Events of August '80 in Gdańsk Polish Philharmonic Hall took an active part in the biggest artistic events. The musicians conducted by Michal Nesterowicz took part in two spectacular events- Jean Michael Jarre's concert " Space of Freedom" (26.08.05) and the world's first performance of J. A. P. Kaczmarek's "Cantata of Freedom" at the Solidarity Square next to the Monument of the killed shipyard workers.

In February 1982, Wojciech Rajski brought together a group of talented Polish string players to found an orchestra which he called the „Polish Chamber Philharmonic”. After meticulous rehearsals, the string orchestra made its début at the Musical Theatre Gdynia and abroad at the opening of Schliessheimer Summer in Munich and 37th Summer Music Days Hitzacker. The young ensemble has delighted the public and critics and it brought him the invitations to all German festivals and to most important concert venues like Berlin Philharmonic, Gasteig in Munich, Gewandthaus in Leipzig, Musikhalle in Hamburg, Pleyel House in Paris, Musikverein in Wien and Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Since 1984 the orchestra has performed also in extended formation as a classical full orchestra and also since that year it carries the name of Polish Chamber Philharmonic Sopot.

At the end of 80-ies the orchestra has given about hundred concerts every year especially in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland, the USA, China, Japan, Belgium, Denmark, Luxemburg, Great Britain and other countries. In 1987 the orchestra has given 33 concerts in United States playing i.e. in J. F. Kennedy Centre in Washington and MetropolitanMuseum in New York. It has visited US for the second time in 1999. The ensemble was also to Asia in 1990 inChina and to Japan in 1997. Philharmonic has concerted with worldwide famous soloists i.e. Mscislaw Roztropowicz, Borys Pergamentschikow, Natalia Gutman, Irene Grafenauer, Sabine i Wolfgang Meyer, Guy Touvron, Misha Maisky, Raphael Oleg, Gil Shaham, David Geringas, Gary Karr and Ivo Pogorelić. The Best Polish soloists concert continually with the orchestra in Poland and abroad.

The ensemble takes part at most important famous European festivals i.e. Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Rheingau Festival, Prague Spring, Weilburger Schlosskonzerte, Festival van Vlaanderen, La Chaise-Dieu and many others. Over 10 times the orchestra has attended the Musical Festival in Łańcut and at National Philharmonic in Warsaw for many Times. According to Chopin’s Year it has also given Chopin’s piano concerts in Genf. The Polish Chamber Philharmonic has recorded more than 60 CDs since the beginning. First analogue long plays have been recorded in 1983 for Wifon and Thorofon and since 1986 Philharmonic recorded also for EMI, Midas, Claves, Sonomaster, Opus, Mediaphon, DUX and many others.

The recording of “Piano concert e-moll” of this CD is the first one recorded in version for piano and strings orchestra.

Since 1997 after 15 years waiting thanks Sopot’s authorities’ and Baltic Artistic Agency BART’s efforts the Polish Chamber Philharmonic lived to its own seat in Sopot on the space of Forest Opera. The Polish Chamber Philharmonic is culture institution of The Pomeranian Voivodeship’s Local Government.

Mykola Diadiura, Ukrainian conductor born in Kyiv.

Mykola Diadiura is Chief conductor of the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine (since 1996), Music Director of the National Opera of Ukraine (since 2011) and Chief conductor of the Pomeranian Philharmonic Orchestra in Poland (since 2022).

One year after his graduation from the Kyiv National Conservatory, he became Laureate of the “Min-On” International Conductors Competition and won the Special Prize of the Japan Conductors Association in Tokyo.

In 1988 in Budapest he was awarded by the International Conductors Competition “J. Ferencsik” and was personally invited by M° Seiji Ozawa to Tanglwood Art Center in the USA, where he had a chance to study also with M° Leonard Bernstein and M° André Previn.

Mykola Diadiura first appointment as chief conductor was with Omsk Philharmonic Orchestra in Russia in 1986. Chief Conductor of the Seoul Symphony Orchestra in South Korea (1989 – 1996) and Szczecin Philharmonic in Poland (2010-2013), he is invited as guest conductor all over Europe and Asia.

Mykola Diadiura is Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (France), Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia and the People’s Artist of Ukraine.

Professor at the Music Academy in Gdąńsk, certified teacher at OSM in Gdańsk.With honours he graduated from the Music Academy in Gdańsk after studies with professor Krystyna Jurecka. He has performed solo and chamber recitals in Poland and abroad.

Concertmaster and soloist with numerous orchestras: Baltic Philharmonic, Chamber Philharmonic in Sopot, Symphonic Orchestra in Płock, Chamber Orchestra of the Music Academy in Gdańsk, Symphonic Orchestra of the Music Academy in Gdańsk, Chamber Orchestra ‘Progress’, ‘Luzern Music Festival Orchestra’, and ‘Camerata Musica’. He has lectured at music courses in Bałoszyce, Kudowa Zdrój, Gdansk, Sopot and Vught (Netherlands).

Author of numerous scientific and phonographic publications. He has received multiple awards for his pedagogical work, as well as popularizing and artistic activities.

Winner of the 2nd prize at the International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition 2022 In 2012, began studies at Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory which she completed in 2017.
In 2018, became resident at Queen Elizabeth Music Chapel.
Has received numerous awards, incl. 1st prize at International Violin Competition in Kazakhstan (2008), L. van Beethoven International Violin Competition in Austria (2010), European Music Games Competition in Kazakhstan and International Violin and Cello Competition Riga Classic Strings in Latvia.

--    Megane Fontaine --

George Tchitchinadze started his career as an opera conductor in 1998, when he conducted the Gala Concert at the International Opera Festival in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Since the artistic season 2017/18, he holds a position as chief conductor and artistic director of the Polish Baltyc Filharmonic in Gdansk. He is now widely recognized as being responsible for the increasing popularity and quality of the concerts by the Baltyc Filharmonic Orchestra.

In April 2022 he made his successful debut in Aida with the Opera Baltycka Gdansk. He is a professor at the Tbilisi State Conservatory and head of the Opera Department. Tchichinadze has been successfully conducting several Polish orchestras, such as the Polish Sinfonia Iuventus Orchestra, Sinfonia Varsovia and the Wroclaw Philharmonic Orchestra, where he is a regular guest. He toured Israel with the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Theatre, performing in Jerusalem, Quiriat Haim, Herzelia and Rishon LeZion. He also conducted the Netherlands Radio Filharmonic Orchestra, the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Orchestra in Vilnius, the Lithuanian National Chamber Orchestra and the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Syrian National Symphony Orchestra in Damascus. He conducted operas for the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Theatre, including performances of Verdi’s Aida, Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci and Mozart’s Don Giovanni.

He conducted Saint Christopher Chamber Orchestra at the International Music Festival “Alternative” in Vilnius, Lithuania.

George Tchitchinadze was a Music Director of the International Music Festival in Saga, Japan.

He has won both public and critical acclaim thanks to his brilliant music skills coupled with personal charisma and his warm and sensitive way of communicating with musicians and audience.

--   Gela Megrelidze --

Born in Japan, raised on both sides of the Pacific and now based in Europe, Eugene Tzigane has a diverse background both culturally and musically. From an early age, he was surrounded by music of vastly different origins from Jazz (his first love) to orchestral music both classical and cinematic, and folk music and dance of Eastern European.

Eugene started studying music relatively late but was fortunate to be surrounded by inspiring mentors and teachers. He studied conducting at Juilliard School with James DePreist, earning a Masters in Conducting. Later, he studied with Jorma Panula at the Royal Music School, Stockholm, earning a Post Graduate Diploma. During this time, Eugene won several conducting prizes including at the Gzegorsz Fitelberg, Georg Solti and Lovro von Matačić competitions. Soon after, he was elected Chefdirigent of the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie (Herford) as the youngest chief in Germany at the time.

Since then, he’s been hailed as “a poised orchestral leader” (Berliner Morgenpost) with an “almost fanatical precision… along the lines of the young Carlos Kleiber” (Neues Volksblatt). His engagements have taken him all across the globe including the Bruckner Orchester Linz, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Netherlands Philharmonic, Orchestre National d'Ile de France, Tonkunstler Orchestra, Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, Sinfonia Lahti, and the Symphony-Orchestra of the MDR Radio, Tokyo Metropolitan, Frankfurt Radio, Norwegian Radio, Adelaide, West Australian SO, Basel, Helsingborg, Gavle, Aarhus and Tampere to name a few.

In 22/23 Eugene will make his debut with the Philharmonia Prague Orchestra, as well as returning to Prague Symphony, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Finland and Sweden. Collaborations include with soloists such as Isabelle Faust, Ronald Brautigam and Oliver Triendl. Eugene has been fortunate to work with some of the great soloists of our times including Mischa Maisky, Alban Gerhardt, Leif Ove Andsnes, Vilde Frang, Hyeyoon Park, Baiba Skrida, Hakan Hardenberger, Roland Pontinen, Lucas Debargue, Alessio Bax, Inon Barnatan, Arabella Steinbacher, and Lise de la Salle.

Eugene Tzigane is designated chief conductor and artistic director of the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra in Finland.

--   Neda Navaee --

The Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1946 and after years found its home in the building of the Pomeranian Philharmonic.

The orchestra was co-created and conducted by Robert Satanowski, Zbigniew Chwedczuk, Witold Krzemieński, Antoni Wit, Tomasz Bugaj, Mieczysław Nowakowski, Jerzy Salwarowski, Michael Zilm, Roman Kofman, Marek Pijarowski, Tadeusz Wojciechowski, Kai Bumann and Mykola Diadiura.

Concerts with outstanding conductors and composers are the testimony of the position of the musicians. The performances have featured: Ernest Ansermet, Roberto Benzi, Benjamin Britten, Aram Chaczaturian, Riccardo Chailly, Juozas Domarkas, Jerzy Katlewicz, Kazimierz Kord, Jan Krenz, Witold Lutosławski, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Krzysztof Penderecki, Kurt Redel, Witold Rowicki, Jerzy Semkow, Stanisław Skrowaczewski, Saulius Sondeckis, Leopold Stokowski, Tadeusz Strugała, and Carlo Zecchi.

The performances in Italy, Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Spain, Scotland, Switzerland, Russia, South Korea and Cyprus have also met with applause and appreciative reviews. The orchestra has performed in the renowned concert halls of the Berlin Philharmonic, the Konzerthaus Berlin and the Golden Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna. It has numerously appeared at national and international music festivals such as Wratislavia Cantans, Warsaw Autumn, Berliner Festwochen, International Summer Festival Ljubljana, Schweriner Musiktage, Frankfurter Festtage der Musik.

The musicians of the orchestra have recorded the following pieces for Polish and international record companies: Yun’s symphonies (for Bild-Kunst, Bonn), Lutosławski’s "Chain 2" (awarded Diapason d’Or, Thorofon), Szymanowski’s works (for DUX), albums for Polskie Nagrania, Veriton, CPO Osnabrück and Naxos.

In 2013, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Pomeranian Philharmonic the Orchestra, conducted by Jerzy Maksymiuk, recorded the Symphony in B minor "Polonia" by Ignacy Jan Paderewski (DUX).

On 29 June 2018, as part of the celebration of 100 years of Polish Independence, Mozart's "Requiem" was performed and dedicated to the Patron of the Philharmonic on the 77th anniversary of his death. The performance included the Orchestra of The Pomeranian Philharmonic, leading Polish soloists and the Chamber Choir of the I. J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań conducted by Kai Bumann. The concert was held in Archcathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Warsaw where the patron of the Philharmonic and Poznań University rests. An important event was the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of the World War II with three concerts of the Pomeranian Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra with the participation of soloists and the Singakademie Frankfurt (Oder) Choir in Potsdam, Bydgoszcz and Toruń in 2019. The large audience listened to Wojciech Kilar - Missa pro pace, conducted by Rudolf Tiersch.

In February 2020, the Pomeranian Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra together with the Berliner Cappella Choir, conducted by Sergi Gili Solé, gave a concert at the Berlin Philharmonic. The program included such compositions as Brahms - Schicksalslied Op. 54, Nänie Op. 82 and Gija Kantscheli - "Styx" for viola, choir and orchestra.