Krzysztof Bąkowski

Born in Warsaw, Poland, he studied with his father Zenon Bąkowski as well as with Tadeusz Wroński and Josef Gingold at the Frederic Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw and at Indiana University in Bloomington, USA. First prize-winner of the Wronski Solo Violin Competition in Warsaw in 1990. Now he is himself a professor at the Frederic Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw and concertmaster of the Warsaw Philharmonics.

Krzysztof Bąkowski is also a soloist and chamber player. He has appeared at the music festivals in Louisville, Rotterdam, Warsaw, Cracow, Lerchenborg, Odense, Minsk, Wrocław, Puebla, Arnhem, Moscow, Gdańsk, Poznań, Hinterzarten, Apeldoorn, Katowice, Berlin.

The artist collaborates closely with the leading composers of young generation. In his career has had a few dozen world and polish premiers of violin pieces, among others by Arvo Pärt, Henryk Mikołaj Górecki, Conlon Nancarrow, Arne Nordheim, Theo Loevendie, Bogusław Schaeffer, Michael Finnissy. Many of the pieces were dedicated to the artist.

Krzysztof Bąkowski made over 50 recordings for CDs and radio & TV broadcast stations in Poland, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands. His recordings of violin concertos by Aleksander Lasoń and Tadeusz Wielecki represented Polish Radio and were distinguished at the International Composers Rostrum in Paris in 1997 and 1999. Among his other recordings are violin concertos by Mendelssohn, Shostakovich, solo sonatas and partitas by Bach, Ysaye, Bartók, showpieces by Wieniawski, Szymanowski, Kreisler, Bloch and over 20 premiere recordings of violin pieces by living composers.

The CD recorded and issued by NAXOS of Witold Lutosławski complete works for violin and orchestra with National Polish Radio Symphony and Antoni Wit received enthusiastic reviews by German, Dutch and British critics. The CD was awarded by the French critics with the prestigious Diapason d´Or, with the title Disc of the year 1996 by Warsaw Daily “Rzeczpospolita” and received nominations for the best CD in 1997 by british “Classic CD” and polish “Studio”.