XXIX International Chopin Festival
"Lato z Chopinem"
named after Barbara Hesse-Bukowska
Busko-Zdrój, July 17-21, 2024
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dr. Krystian Tkaczewski, Poland
Hailed as “Polish Virtuoso,” Krystian Tkaczewski is pursuing his splendid piano career in USA, Asia and Europe. He had his triumph in having Carnegie Hall Debut in April 2007. Anthony Aibel (critic of New York Concert Review) wrote among others: Tkaczewski was elegant, showed in-depth knowledge, played with passion, showed power-house technic. Reading of Rachmaninov and of Prokofiev was excellent. Szymanowski was exquisitely shaped, showing lovely shadings and contrasts of dynamics. He showed devotion and natural affinity for music of his homeland.
Krystian Tkaczewski was born in 1980 in Tarnów, Poland. In 2000 Krystian became a student of Olga Rusina at the Academy of Music in Wrocław, from which he graduated in 2004 with a Master of Arts degree. In 2007 Krystian received a graduate diploma. In 2014, Krystian Tkaczewski received Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The Hartt School, University of Hartford in the studio of professor Oxana Yablonskaya. Krystian was also awarded The Honor Regents Award, for the best graduating doctoral candidate of the Hartt School and prestigious induction to Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honor Society.
Krystian has been a laureate of over 20 international piano competitions in such countries as: Greece (Athens), Italy, Spain (Madrid), Macedonia, Czech Republic and USA (i.e. Iturbi, Artists International, Bradshaw and Buono, 5 Towns, Joyce Dutka, American Protégé, Web Concert Hall).
Dr. Krystian Tkaczewski was invited to take part in various festivals such as: Chopin Festival in Marienbad, Paderewski Festival, Chopin Festival in Gaming, Austria, Chopin Festival in Antonin, Poland, Festival of Polish Pianists in Słupsk, Lato
z Chopinem Festival in Busko-Zdrój, Chopin Forum in Wrocław, Inter-Fest Bitola in Macedonia, El Paso Chopin Festival, Chopin Festival in Budapest and recitals at the Chopin House in Żelazowa Wola. In the June 2006 Krystian featured as a soloist with Polish Radio Orchestra during 50th Anniversary of Society of Polish Artist Musicians gala in Royal Castle in Warsaw.
Dr. Tkaczewski has been frequently invited to adjudicate at international piano competitions: Chopin International Piano Competition in Hartford, Golden Key Festival in New Jersey, Debut International Piano Competition in Carnegie Hall, Solhi Al Wadi Piano Competition in Damascus, Rosario Marciano Piano Competition in Vienna, Chopin International Piano Competition in Budapest, Osaka International Music Competition, American Liszt Piano Competition in Los Angeles , Ragusa-Ibla Piano Competition in Ragusa, International Russian Music Piano Competition in San Jose, International Piano Competition in Troisdorf, Germany, Princess Lalla Meryem International Piano Competition in Rabat, Western Australia International Piano Competition in Perth.
Krystian has concertized on five continents and 28 countries: USA, Canada, Panama, Mexico, China, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia. Vietnam, Syria, Jordan, Azerbaijan, Morocco, Australia, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, The Netherlands, France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Andorra, Hungary and Macedonia. He featured with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, Polish Radio Orchestra, Wroclaw Philharmonic Orchestra, the Leopoldinum Orchestra, Connecticut Virtuosi, Tarnów Chamber Orchestra and the Wroclaw Chamber Orchestra, conducted by E. Cumming, Ł. Borowicz, Z.Graca, M. Gawroński, K. Górski, M. Kolaska, A. Mackiewicz.
Krystian is also highly regarded as the clinician, serving as a guest artist to the Universities and as the lecturer of many master classes in such countries as: USA, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, Vietnam, Japan, Indonesia, China and Poland. His unique presentation on the interpretation of Chopin’s Mazurkas attracted numerous music institutions around the world.
Recipient of several scholarships and awards including the Chopin scholarship in 1995, Wroclaw Music Academy Academic Scholarship for 2001-2004, the Polish Minister of Culture Scholarship in 2002,2005, 2007 (Mloda Polska), City of Tarnów President's Scholarship for 2001- 2002, Musical Club of Hartford 's E.B.Storrs Scholarship and Tadeusz Sendzimir Memorial Fund. He was awarded for his contribution to the cultural heritage of the State of Connecticut during Immigrant Day at State Capitol in Hartford in 2012. Krystian received proclamations for his achievements from Governor of Connecticut, Secretary of State of Connecticut, Mayor of Hartford. Krystian Tkaczewski received the prestigious Congressional Recognition in honor of “inspiring pianists throughout the world with the music of Chopin.” by US Congressman John Larson.
Krystian Tkaczewski is an active member of the Society of Polish Musical Artists SPAM since 2004. Krystian is a founder and artistic director of Chopin International Piano Competition in Hartford and the artistic director of Connecticut Chopin Foundation. Krystian Tkaczewski became a new artistic director of International Chopin Festival “Lato z Chopinem” – Barbara Hesse Bukowska in memoriam in 2014, as nominated by deceased Barbara Hesse- Bukowska.
Dr. Tkaczewski has received the prestigious “Extraordinary Ability in Arts” permanent residency in United States of America as one of a small percentage of those who have risen to the top in their field of endeavor.
Krystian Tkaczewski
M.Balakirev Islamey
Yuri Didenko, Russia
Internationally acclaimed Russian pianist Yuri Didenko has performed recitals and with orchestras in the best concert halls of Moscow, including Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory and Moscow International House of Music, cities of the former Soviet Union and abroad: Belgium, Italy, Germany, Great Britain, Sweden, Norway, Japan, USA, Poland, Malta, Greece, Chile, China, countries of Western Africa, Turkey, Cyprus, South Korea.
The British magazine Pianoforte referred to his performances as "bold, open, powerful, and technically accomplished old-school virtuosity".
The Belgian newspaper La Semaine d'Anvers wrote of him as a "brilliant pianist" and mentioned his "large and bright sonority" as well as dynamism.
His concerts in USA were highly appraised by the press. "Didenko captured the hearts of the audience when he performed several selections by Sergei Rachmaninov";
– a critic wrote about one of his recitals.
"Immortal works by Schubert, Liszt, and Rachmaninov sounded with an incredible force of conviction, emotional power and brightness under the magic hands of Yuri Didenko, the chairman of the Jury of Dimitrios Vikelas International competition. When the music finds its ideal interpreter, he enchants his listeners, fillings their hearts with beauty, passion, and harmony. Yuri Didenko proved to be this ideal performer".
– a Greek newspaper "Epikaira" wrote about his performance.
Didenko's wide and diverse repertoire includes works of different styles - from Bach to Messiaen and avant-garde music of the twentieth century.
Mr. Didenko studied piano at the Central Music School affiliated with the Moscow Conservatory with Alexander Mndoyants and then at the Moscow Conservatory with Professor Merzhanov. Since 1994, he has been on the piano faculty of the Moscow Conservatory.
Mr. Didenko is a prizewinner of numerous competitions in Italy, USA, Belgium, his is the winner of the International Concert Artists Competition in Royal Tunbridge Wells (Great Britain). In 2003, Mr. Didenko received the Russian Federation Ministry of Culture Award "For Special Achievements in Culture".
Yuri Didenko recorded several compact disks with various romantic and XX century works.
He made numerous recordings on the Russian State Radio.
Mr. Didenko is in demand for master classes in Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Greece, Kazakhstan, UAE, Germany, Malta, Spain, Italy, USA, South Korea, and China. He has also served on piano juries of several international piano competitions (as a member and as a chairman of the jury) in Russia, Poland, USA, Greece, Malta, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, UAE, Turkey, Spain. From 1996 to 2002, Mr. Didenko was an active member and secretary of the Rachmaninov Society of Russia. He is also member of the Presidium of the Scriabin Foundation. In 2014 he was appointed a Vice-president of the International Rachmaninov society (Germany).