Chopin Effect: Piotr Pawlak

MASTER RECITALS OF THE FINALISTS AND LAUREATES OF THE CHOPIN COMPETITIONS

The Castle of the Dukes of Pomerania in Szczecin, in cooperation with the Fryderyk Chopin Institute, invites you to the concert series “Chopin Effect” — a unique proposal for lovers of piano music and Fryderyk Chopin's work. On November 14, Piotr Pawlak — one of the most versatile pianists of the young generation, laureate of the numerator, will perform in the Bogusław X Hall international piano and improvisation competitions, as well as organist, conductor and mathematician.

The artist is a winner of, among others, the 5th Maj Lind International Piano Competition in Helsinki (2022) and the 11th International Chopin Competition in Darmstadt (2017). He also won laurels at Chopin competitions in Beijing (2016), Budapest (2018) and Krakow (2019), as well as the Stanisław Moniuszko International Competition of Polish Music in Rzeszów (2019), the Ignacy Jan Paderewski International Piano Competition in Bydgoszcz (2022) and the International Chopin Competition for Instruments Historical Studies in Warsaw (2023). During the XIX International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 2025, he won special recognition from the public, becoming its favorite.

Piotr Pawlak has toured in many European countries, as well as in the United States, China and Japan. He has collaborated with numerous orchestras, including the National Philharmonic Orchestra, the Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra, the Świętokrzyska Philharmonic Orchestra, the Lower Silesian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and {oh!} The orchestra. He has performed on prestigious stages such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, the National Philharmonic, the Verdi Hall in Milan or the Teatro alla Scala, as well as at renowned festivals such as Kissinger Sommer in Bad Kissingen and “Chopin and his Europe” in Warsaw.

In the 2024/2025 artistic season, the pianist performed in Canada, Japan, Venezuela, Germany, Switzerland, Finland, Great Britain, France, Hungary and Poland. At that time he collaborated with, among others, the Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra, the Polish Radio Orchestra in Warsaw and the Polish Philharmonic Orchestra Sinfonia Baltica.

The artist is also actively developing phonographic activities. In January 2025, an album with chamber music by Józef Elsner was released, recorded together with the musicians of the Wrocław Baroque Orchestra — the first recording of this repertoire on historical instruments. A month later, the Fryderyk Chopin Institute released Piotr Pawlak's debut solo album with music by Fryderyk Chopin, containing recordings of his performances during the 2nd International Chopin Competition on Historical Instruments.

He began his music education at the age of six at the Feliks Nowowiejski General School of Music in Gdańsk, where he studied under the guidance of Ewa Włodarczyk, and then Professor Waldemar Wojtal, whose class he graduated in 2021. In parallel, he developed his organ skills in the class of Dr. Hanna Dys. In 2026 he also completed his studies in conducting in the class of Prof. Zygmunt Rychert

In addition to his career as a pianist, he is also a laureate of organ competitions and mathematical olympiads. After defending his master's thesis in mathematics in 2020, he continues his studies at the doctoral school of the University of Gdańsk.

“Chopin Effect” is a nationwide cultural and educational project whose protagonists are excellent young pianists — finalists and laureates of Chopin competitions. In the historic space of the Castle, in the Bogusława X Hall, the audience has the opportunity to meet outstanding representatives of contemporary Chopin pianism, representing different generations of artists: Zuzanna Sejbuk, from Szczecin, finalist of the 53rd National Chopin Competition (2026 September); Mateusz Krzyżowski, one of the most interesting representatives young generation of Polish pianists (October 2026) and Piotr Pawlak, winner of numerous international piano and improvisation competitions (November 2026).

Concert as part of the Chopin Effect concert series, realized by the Fryderyk Chopin Institute.