Prof. Teodoro Anzellotti

Teodoro Anzellotti was born in Italy and grew up and lives in Germany. As a soloist, he performs worldwide at the most prestigious music festivals and concert halls. He has performed with orchestras such as the Staatskapelle Berlin, Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, Bamberg Symphony, Orchestre National de Belgique, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, and all the major radio orchestras in Germany, Austria, France, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Switzerland, and Italy.

More than 400 works have been written especially for him – both solo and in various ensemble configurations – by the most prominent composers of our time, including Georges Aperghis, Luciano Berio, Péter Eötvös, Luca Francesconi, Heinz Holliger, Toshio Hosokawa, Mauricio Kagel, Isabel Mundry, Matthias Pintscher, Wolfgang Rihm, Rebecca Saunders, Salvatore Sciarrino, Michael Jarrell, Marco Stroppa, Jörg Widmann, and Hans Zender.

He is a professor at the University of Music in Freiburg. His artistic mastery is documented on numerous CDs, which regularly receive prestigious awards.

Prof. Klaudiusz Baran

A versatile artist with exceptional musical sensitivity. His artistic achievements have changed the perception of the accordion in Poland, elevating it to the position of a full-fledged instrument that shapes the real musical world. In his interpretations, he combines humility towards the musical work with a wealth of invention, a personal understanding of time in music, exceptional stage charisma, and natural expression. The value of his musical creations has been repeatedly appreciated in enthusiastic reviews, awards at instrumental competitions, nominations, and artistic prizes. In 2003, as the first accordionist, he received the FRYDERYK Award in the category Album of the Year – Chamber Music for the album “Astor Piazzolla – Tango” released by Sony Classical, and in 2020 two more statuettes in the categories: Album of the Year – Symphonic Music and Most Outstanding Recording of Polish Music for the album “100 for 100. Musical Decades of Freedom”.

He moves freely in a diverse repertoire from many eras, but his interpretations of contemporary music, including 50 world premieres of solo, chamber, and orchestral works – most of which were dedicated to him or created at his inspiration – enjoy the greatest recognition. His great passion is Argentine tango, especially Astor Piazzolla’s tango nuevo, virtuosically performed on the bandoneon, which he was the first Polish instrumentalist to introduce to concert halls. He co-founded and led the most famous tango ensembles such as Tangata Quintet and Machina del Tango, shaping Polish tango culture.

As the first accordionist, he performed as a soloist with the National Philharmonic Orchestra and most of the most important Polish orchestras. Among his many chamber music partners are such masters as Ivan Monighetti, Roby Lakatos, Julius Berger, Konstanty Andrzej Kulka, and many others. As a musical chameleon, he finds and draws inspiration from other musical worlds; he creates a world music group, works as a session musician recording film and entertainment music, and accompanies acting song.

In his own unique way, he combines artistic activity with pedagogical and organizational work. He is a professor at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. In 2016 he was elected its Rector, and in June 2020 again for the 2020–2024 term. On 4 June 2024 he was honoured by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage with the Gold Medal “Zasłużony Kulturze Gloria Artis” for his entire artistic output.

Prof. Vladimir Blagojević

Vladimir Blagojević was born in 1980 in Kragujevac, where he completed primary and secondary music school in the classes of Slobodan Stanić and Vojin Vasović. He completed his accordion studies in 2004 and in 2007 obtained a master’s degree at the University of the Arts in Bern in the class of Teodoro Anzellotti, one of the most renowned accordion artists in the world.

Besides numerous first and special prizes at national competitions, Vladimir Blagojević was a laureate of many international accordion competitions, the most important of which are: “Premio di Citta di Castelfidardo” in Italy (1995), World Cup in Switzerland (1996), “Grand Prix” in France (1997), “Premio di Citta di Castelfidardo” in Italy (1997 and 1998), World Trophy in Andorra (1997), and World Trophy in Italy (1998). He was a finalist of the “Chain” competition for all instruments in Warsaw in 2003.

For his outstanding artistic work as a soloist and promoter of contemporary music, he received the “All-Fellows” foundation award in Basel, and in 2004 he was awarded a scholarship from the “Friedl-Wald” foundation in Zurich. He has been a jury member of several renowned international accordion competitions and since 2004 has been a permanent jury member of the international composition competition “Pre-Art” in Zurich. He has conducted numerous workshops and lectures at home and abroad on topics including accordion interpretation and the role of performers in contemporary compositional practices. Since 2015 Vladimir Blagojević has been working as a professor at the Faculty of Philology and Arts at the University of Kragujevac. He also holds a guest professorship at the Academy of Music in East Sarajevo, the Estonian Academy of Music in Tallinn, and the Academy of Music in Santiago de Chile.

Over the last 20 years he has performed in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Portugal, Argentina, Austria, Spain, Armenia, Georgia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, etc., both as a soloist and a member of various chamber ensembles. He has performed in the world’s most important concert halls, such as the Berlin Philharmonic, Wigmore Hall in London, Opern- und Schauspielhaus Frankfurt, Zurich Opera, Teatro “Colon” in Buenos Aires, KKL in Lucerne, “Concertgebouw” in Amsterdam, and Munich Opera. He has collaborated with many high-class instrumentalists (including Petru Luga, Tomas Demenga, Ernesto Molinari, Stefan Hussong) and conductors such as Pierre Boulez, Matthias Pintscher, Sylvain Camberling, and others.

For many years he has been a member of several chamber ensembles of significant international reputation. His longest collaboration is with the “Modern” ensemble from Frankfurt, with whom he has been performing for over fifteen years. He is one of the co-founders of the “Studio 6” collective (2012). As a promoter of contemporary music, he has given over 100 world premieres of new works.

Prof. Marcin Bortnowski

Born on 1 March 1972 in Żary (Poland). In 1997 he graduated from the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław in the composition class of Grażyna Pstrokońska-Nawratil (diploma with distinction). During his studies he perfected his skills by participating in the II International Meeting of Young Composers in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands, organised by the Gaudeamus Foundation (1996) and in workshops on experimental and computer music at the University of Ghent (1997).

Since 1998 he has been professionally associated with the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław. In 2003 he obtained the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in composition, and in 2012 the degree of Doctor of Habilitation. In 2020 he received the title of Professor of Arts from the President of the Republic of Poland. He currently teaches composition and computer music at his alma mater.

Marcin Bortnowski’s compositional output forms the core of his activity. It encompasses various forms and genres: symphonic, chamber, electroacoustic, choral, and solo music. His works have been performed by ensembles such as the National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice, the National Philharmonic in Warsaw, the Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester in Berlin, the Wrocław Philharmonic, the New Music Orchestra, Aukso – Tychy Chamber Orchestra, the Polish Radio Amadeus Chamber Orchestra, Orkest de Ereprijs, oh-tone Ensemble, the Silesian Quartet, the Camerata Silesia Choir of the City of Katowice, and the NFM Boys’ Choir. He also collaborates with outstanding soloists: Marek Andrysek, Klaudiusz Baran, Andrzej Bauer, Maciej Frąckiewicz, Geir Draugsvoll, Jakub Jakowicz, Christine Pryn, Aleksandra Rupocińska, and Marcin Zdunik.

Marcin Bortnowski’s works have been presented at festivals in Poland and abroad, including the International Festival of Contemporary Music “Warsaw Autumn”, Ultraschall (Berlin), Kiev Music Fest (Kyiv), Aksamitna Kurtyna (Lviv), Audio Art Festival (Kraków), Musica Polonica Nova (Wrocław), the Festival of Premieres (Katowice), and the Autumn Music Festival “Alkagran”. His compositions have also been performed in Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Belarus, Ukraine, Luxembourg, and China. They have been broadcast by radio stations associated with the European Broadcasting Union and Polish Television.

Marcin Bortnowski’s compositions have been awarded at national and international composition competitions. He is a laureate of the Tadeusz Baird Young Composers’ Competition, where in 1995 he received the 1st prize for “String Quartet No. 2” and the 2nd prize for “String Quartet No. 1”, and in 1997 the 2nd prize for “Music for…” for two percussionists and two accordions. In 1997 he also won the 3rd prize at the National Composition Competition in Gdańsk for “Symphony No. 1”, and in 2000 the 1st prize at the International PanAccordion 2000 Composition Competition for “Music in Lent”. In 2011 his work “And There Shall Be No More Night” represented Polish Radio at the 54th International Rostrum of Composers UNESCO in Paris. Together with Stanisław Krupowicz and Marcin Rupociński he forms the “Tonus Finalis Ensemble”.

Prof. Geir Draugsvoll

Geir Draugsvoll is a Norwegian accordionist recognised internationally both as a soloist and chamber musician, particularly for promoting the accordion as a solo instrument with symphony orchestras. He has collaborated with leading composers such as Sofia Gubaidulina, Anatolijus Senderovas, Aziza Sadikova, Staffan Mossenmark, Bent Lorentzen, and Martin Lohse, and has given world premieres of numerous new works. Among them is “Fachwerk” by Gubaidulina, written for Draugsvoll and widely regarded as one of her most important compositions.

He has performed as a soloist in the most important concert halls and festivals around the world, including Concertgebouw, Barbican Hall, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Mariinsky Hall, and Gewandhaus Leipzig, and with leading orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, Münchener Philharmonic, Staatskapelle Dresden, Mariinsky Orchestra, and Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra.

Draugsvoll has released around 25 recordings on labels such as EMI, BIS, Naxos, and Simax. A new recording with the London Symphony Orchestra will be released in 2026. He currently lives in Copenhagen and is a professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Music.

Prof. Maciej Frąckiewicz

Winner of one of the world’s most important accordion competitions – the Certamen Internacional de Acordeón “Arrasate Hiria” in Spain (2012), and also the recipient of the Polityka Passport “for very mature and distinctive interpretations of contemporary repertoire. For courage, risk, and consistency. For building a repertoire. For concert creations, stimulating our imagination, and the power of persuasion” (2013). The artist has won awards at many international accordion competitions in Poland, Germany, Slovakia, Italy, and Spain, including the main prize and the audience prize at the Deutscher Musikwettbewerb (Bonn, 2018), the Folkwang Preis (Essen, 2017), the GWK-Förderpreise für Musik (Münster, 2015), and the 2nd prize at the Internationaler Akkordeonwettbewerb (Klingenthal, 2008).

He regularly performs as a soloist with symphony orchestras, including the National Philharmonic, NOSPR, Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Mainz, Beethoven Orchester Bonn, and Bochumer Symphoniker, under conductors such as Jacek Kaspszyk, José Maria Florêncio, Krzysztof Penderecki, Łukasz Borowicz, Rasmus Baumann, and Bassem Akiki.

He has performed at festivals in Poland and abroad, including Warsaw Autumn, La Folle Journée, the Festival of Polish Music, Musica Polonica Nova, the Łańcut Music Festival, Neue Horizonten, Klangbrücke, Two Days and Two Nights of New Music (Odessa), Contrasts (Lviv), Farinelli Festival, Krzysztof Penderecki Days (Yerevan), Auksodrone, Musique au Leman, Latvian New Music Days, Folefest, Daegu International Contemporary Music Festival (South Korea), and the Moscow Autumn (Russia). He regularly tours China, performing at venues such as the Tianjin Grand Theatre, Harbin Grand Opera, and Forbidden City Concert Hall.

Maciej Frąckiewicz has over 100 world premieres to his credit – most of these works were also dedicated to him. In November 2016 he recorded “Under the Sign of Scorpio” by Gubaidulina, and in January 2018 he took part in the world premiere of Krzysztof Penderecki’s Accordion Concerto, which he recorded under the composer’s baton with the Polish Sinfonia Iuventus Orchestra (the album received a Fryderyk Award). To date he has recorded 8 solo albums and appeared as a guest on over 10 others. The album with Andrzej Krzanowski’s “Reliefs” received the Fryderyk Award in 2023.

Since 2024 he has been a professor of accordion at the Hochschule für Musik in Nuremberg, and since 2018 he has also taught at Detmold and is a visiting professor at the University in Shenzhen, China. He plays a Pigini Nova instrument.

Grażyna Krzanowska

GRAŻYNA KRZANOWSKA, born 1 March 1952 in Legnica. Between 1971 and 1976 she studied composition under Tadeusz Natanson at the State Higher School of Music in Wrocław, graduating with distinction.

Grażyna Krzanowska is involved in pedagogical, compositional, and artistic event organisation activities. She has been teaching theoretical music subjects since 1976 (1976–86 at the M. Karłowicz State Music School in Katowice, from 1986 at the St. Moniuszko State Comprehensive Music School in Bielsko-Biała, and from 2006 at the Diocesan Organist School in Bielsko-Biała). At the POSM (now ZPSM) in Bielsko-Biała she serves as head of the general music subjects section. The section under her direction has achieved a high level of teaching and significant successes, evidenced by competition results, entrance exams to music academies, and nationwide research on outcomes. Grażyna Krzanowska is the initiator and main originator of the National Solfege Competition for students of II-degree music schools, which has met with a very large response and high evaluation due to its innovative curriculum. She is a juror of this competition, as well as of the Listening Olympiad in Wrocław (now the Festival of Musical Imagination mYear), the Harmony Competition in Łódź, and the Competition as part of the Festival of Polish Composers in Bielsko-Biała. She is invited to music schools for lectures and consultations, mainly in the field of ear training and 20th-century harmony. She also conducts regional methodological meetings for harmony teachers. She is co-author of macro-regional harmony tests. Her students have won numerous awards and distinctions, including at the National Harmony Competition in Łódź, the National Solfege Competition in Bielsko-Biała, the National Composition Competition Patris Patriae in Katowice, the National Composition Competition “Students’ Young Forum” in Warsaw, “My Minute” in Łódź, and the International “In modo di Lutosławski” Competition in 2013 and 2014. She is the initiator of many school activities influencing students’ artistic development, including harmony, Moniuszko, and Chopin competitions combined with ear training, improvisation, a general school music test, and performances by the general music section and thematic concerts. She created the curriculum foundations for: ear training for II-degree music schools (together with Grażyna Draus and Grzegorz Kos), harmony (together with Ewelina Wilburg-Marzec), and ear training for the eight-year school.

Since 1992 she has been the artistic director of the Autumn Music Festival “Alkagran” in Czechowice-Dziedzice, within which the Andrzej Krzanowski Accordion Competition is also organised. In 1993 she founded the Small Academy of Music – an educational and cultural institution.

Grażyna Krzanowska is a laureate of many composition competitions, including the Young Composers’ Competition of the Polish Composers’ Union (1978, 2nd prize for “Symphony with Timpani Stroke for Orchestra”), the Polish Radio and Television Music Editorial Competition (1979, 3rd prize for “Polanowe Ognie” for soprano, alto, and instrumental ensemble), the Okanagan Music Festival for Composers in Canada (1983, distinction for “String Quartet No. 2”), and the IX International Competition for Women Composers in Mannheim (1989, 2nd prize for “Silver Line” for fifteen string instruments). Her works, especially for children, have been published by PWM. For her activities she has been honoured with, among others, the “Promotio Urbis” Award twice (1998, 2010), the Silver Cross of Merit (2005), the “Distinguished for Polish Culture” badge (2009), the Gold Medal for Long Service (2010), the Medal of the Commission of National Education (2015), the II-degree Award of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage (2018), and the Award of the Polish Composers’ Union (2023).

dr Janusz Pater

Janusz Pater (born in Gdańsk) graduated from the State Higher School of Music in Poznań (accordion class of H. Krzemiński, 1978) and the Academy of Music in Kraków (music theory, 1982). As a soloist and chamber musician, he has participated in numerous music and theatre festivals in Poland, including Warszawska Jesień, Poznańska Wiosna Muzyczna, Wratislavia Cantans, Muzyka w Starym Krakowie, Dni Muzyki Kompozytorów Krakowskich and Alkagran in Czechowice-Dziedzice, as well as abroad (Musik Biennale Berlin, Zeitfluss Salzburg, Aterforum Ferrara, Dresdner Tage der zeitgenössischen Musik, Internationale Studienwoche für zeitgenössische Musik in Lüneburg, Kontrasty in Lviv, PAN Music Festival in Seoul).

He has been an inspirer and often the first performer of numerous accordion works or compositions involving accordion by composers such as E. Bogusławski, B. Buczek, Z. Bujarski, H. Derus, M. Długosz, Guy Olivier Ferla, M. Krzyżanowski, K. Pyzik, B. Schaeffer, K. Stępniewska, K. Szwajgier, S. Tesarowicz, W. Widłak and A. Zawadzka-Gołosz.

Between 1978 and 2021, he led the accordion class at the Academy of Music in Kraków, working with exceptionally talented students, many of whom have become distinguished instrumentalists and prizewinners of national and international competitions, now performing on major concert stages worldwide.

He has organised masterclasses and artistic-scientific sessions at the Department of Wind Instruments, Percussion and Accordion of the Academy of Music in Kraków, collaborating with outstanding composers, instrumentalists and artists, including Teodoro Anzellotti, Geir Draugsvoll, Friedrich Lips and many others.

Since 1980, he has also been a teacher at the Fryderyk Chopin Secondary Music School in Kraków, where he teaches accordion, chamber music and music theory. From the earliest editions, he has served as artistic supervisor of the Andrzej Krzanowski Accordion Competition in Czechowice-Dziedzice as well as the Gorlice Accordion Confrontations.

He has given lectures at Myongji University and the University of Suwon in South Korea, and has led interpretation courses within the Summer Music Academy in Kraków. His artistic output includes recordings for radio, television, film and theatre.

He is a long-standing member of the Polish Accordionists Association and the “Muzyka Centrum” Artistic Association. He is regularly invited to serve as a juror at prestigious international and national competitions. Since 2001, he has also been an expert of the Polish Ministry of Education in the field of accordion performance and music theory.