Symphony concert — Piotr Pawlak

Piotr Pawlak, photo by Agnieszka Wira

PFB OrchestraDaniel Smith — conductor Piotr Pawlak — piano

Hosted by: Konrad Mielnik

John Adams — Short Ride in a Fast Machine [4'] Sergei Rachmaninov — Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor Op. 18 [33']

Break [20']

Mieczysław Karłowicz — Stanisław and Anna Oświęcim op. 12 [23']

Piotr PawlakOne of the most versatile Polish pianists of the young generation. Winner of many international competitions, including the 5th Maj Lind International Piano Competition in Helsinki (2022) and the 11th International Chopin Competition in Darmstadt (2017), laureate of the Chopin competitions in Beijing (2016), Budapest (2018) and Krakow (2019), winner of 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 on Historical Instruments in Warsaw (2023), as well as three-time participant of the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw (2015, 2021, 2025) .He began his music education at the age of six at the Felix Nowowiejski General School of Music in Gdańsk under the direction of Ewa Włodarczyk, and then continued his studies with Prof. Waldemar Wojtal until the end of his studies in 2021. He also graduated from the music school in the organ class of Dr. Hanna Dys, and is currently studying conducting at the Stanisław Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdańsk in the class of Prof. Zygmunt Rychert. This year he is also a student of the prestigious International Piano Academy Lake Como.The pianist is engaged in bringing improvisation back to the world of classical music. He is inspired in this regard by historical performance practice, for example by performing improvised cadences in Mozart concerts. At the Chopin Competition in Darmstadt, in addition to the 1st prize, he also won the prize for the best improvisation on themes from Weber's “Free Rifle”. In 2020 he received the second prize in the piano improvisation competition “Transatlantyk Instant Composition Contest” as part of the International Film Festival in Katowice.

piotrpawlak.eu

Daniel SmithDaniel Smith's passion for music is unbridled. He is the only conductor to have received the title of Laureate in four major international conducting competitions, including the UNESCO Grzegorz Fitelberg International Conducting Competition (where he was also honoured with the Golden Baton and the Orchestra Award), and in the Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition. He was the first Australian to lead the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra and was subsequently honoured at TIME International. Soon after, he became Principal Conductor at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa. On the symphony stage, Smith is appreciated for his clarity of form, rhythmic clarity and sophisticated orchestral timbre. He has conducted guest conductors such as the Polish Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic, Israel Philharmonic, Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, Frankfurt Radio Symphony and New Japan Philharmonic. He has also performed at festivals such as Mozarteum Festspiele, Estate Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Aspen Music Festival and Stars of the White Nights. Smith, winner of the Mancinelli International Opera Conducting Competition, specializes in the tradition of Italian opera, drawing on a five-year collaboration with Franco Zeffirelli and Alberto Zedda. In Poland he collaborated with the Wrocław Opera. He has also performed at the Rossini Opera Festival, Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Teatro di San Carlo, Den Norske Opera & Ballett, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Greek National Opera and Opera Australia, including productions by Damian Michielett. Premieres (world and national) include: Alfredo Caselli's Symphony No. 2, Bedřich Smetana's Má vlast (in the new critical edition), Giorgio Battistelli's Ötzi, Fazıl Say's Flute Concerto and John Adams's Violin Concerto.

Smith's unique current of activity is his long-term involvement with the figure of Niccolò Paganini in Genoa, including the opening programs of the seasons and performances of Paganini's violin concertos on the instrument of the composer himself, Il Cannone. Smith, who has lived in Italy for more than two decades, studied at the Universität Mozarteum in Salzburg and at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, and was educated at Trinity College London, the Bratislava University of Music, the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and the American Academy of Conducting in Aspen. He regularly appears on prime-time television programs, combining media activities with practical educational programs for young musicians and audiences taking their first steps in the world of music.Smith, recognized in Italy as an Australian Cultural Ambassador, promotes Australian and Indigenous music through a long-standing collaboration with didgeridoo virtuoso William Barton Em. He is also the founder of The Daniel Smith Gift of Music Foundation, a foundation that provides concert tickets to people experiencing financial difficulties or barriers to accessing culture.