PIOTR PALECZNY (Poland)

One of the most eminent Polish pianists. Graduated from the F. Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw, where he studied with professor Jan Ekier. Prize winner at five international piano competitions: Sofia (1968), Munich (1969), Warsaw (1970), Pleven (1972) and Bordeaux (1972). Since his success at the 8th International F. Chopin Competition Mr. Paleczny has been giving concerts on all continents.

The artist has been playing as a soloist with such renowned orchestras as Warsaw National Philharmonic, National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, American Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, Concertgebouw, Gewandhaus, BBC London, Yomiuri Nippon, Tonhalle Zurich, RAI Roma, Santa Cecilia, Mexico National, Buenos Aires National, National Orchestra Madrid. He has performed in prestigious concert halls, such as Carnegu Hall, Avery Fisher Hall and Alice Tully Hall in New York, Orchestra Hall in Chicago, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Gewandhaus in Leipzig, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Musikverein and Konzerthaus in Vienna, Royal Festival Hall in London, Festspielhaus in Salzburg.

Piotr Paleczny has given master classes in Bordeaux, Paris, Amsterdam, Tokyo, Hamamatsu, Sydney, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Toronto, Copenhagen, Mexico City, Lugano, Warsaw and others. Several times he has been a jury member at international piano competitions in Warsaw, Paris, London, Cleveland, Toronto, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis, Tel Aviv, Santander, Leeds, Tokyo, Kitzingen, Casablanca, Hamamatsu, Prague, Taipei, Geneve, Shenzen, Los Angeles, Hilton Head, Takamatsu and Moscow. July 2007 Mr. Paleczny has been the jury chairman at the prestigious Cleveland Piano Competition. He has been the first polish artist invited to lead a jury of an American piano competition.

The pianist has recorded for Polskie Nagrania, EMI, BBC Classic, Pony Canyon, Naxos, BeArTon, DUX, CD Accord, Olimpia, Sound, Wifon.

Piano concertos by Polish composers – Chopin, Paderewski, Szymanowski – play an important role in the pianist’s concert repertory. The artists plays also the Piano Concerto by Witold Lutosławski, which he has performed under the direction of the composer himself. This work has been recorded by Mr. Paleczny for Naxos with the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Antoni Witt. Two CDs released by BeArTon – one with Chopin’s Ballades and another one with Chopin’s concertos, recorded with Sinfonia Varsovia under the direction of Jerzy Maksymiuk – reached the “Golden Disc” status in the year 2001. “The best of Chopin” recorded with the “Prima Vista” quartet for DUX has been awarded the Frederick ’99 Prize by the Polish Phonographic Academy and has received the “Platinum Disc” status in December 2002. November 5th 2001 Piotr Paleczny has appeared as a soloist at the Gala Concert organized for the 100th anniversary of the National Philharmonic in Warsaw. The pianist performed the A Minor Concerto by Paderewski.

Since 1993 Piotr Paleczny has been the artistic director of the oldest music festival held in Poland – The International Chopin Festival in Duszniki Zdrój. He is also the artistic director of the International Paderewski Piano Competition in Bydgoszcz. 1998 the President of Poland conferred Mr. Paleczny the title of Professor. The artist conducts a piano class at the F. Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw. He’s a recipient of numerous prestigious distinctions, both Polish and foreign, including the Commander’s Cross of the Order of the Rebirth of Poland and the Mexican Aguila Azteca Order. In the year 2005 he received the Golden Medal of Great Merit in the Service to Culture – “Gloria Artis”.

...back