Szczepan Kończal

Szczepan Kończal (Polish pronunciation:

ʂtʂɛpan kɔɲtʂal) (born on 27 May 1985, in Katowice, Poland) is a Polish classical pianist who has won prizes in many international music competitions held in more than a dozen different countries.^[1]

Education

Kończal graduated with the highest distinction (Primus inter pares medal) from the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, where he studied under Prof. Józef Stompel's guidance. He has participated in masterclasses with such artists as

Dang Thai Son, Alexander Korsantia, Joan Havill, Bernard Ringeissen, John Perry, Andrzej Jasiński, Lee Kum-Sing, Victor Merzhanov

.

Competitions

Kończal has been a prize-winner of several piano competitions: 16th

International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw (2005; WFIMC).^[4]

Earlier, he was awarded 1st prizes in seven international and national piano competitions for youth, as well as 2nd prize in the 7th Takasaki International Art and Music Competition (Japan, 2001).

Festivals

Kończal participated in the 60th International Chopin Festival in

Oeiras (Portugal, 2009), Festival La Grande Musica a Maso Spilzi in Folgaria (Italy, 2010) and in concert seasons: at the Boğaziçi University in Istanbul (Turkey, 2009),^[5] Serate Musicali^[6]

and Rassegna Musicali – both in Milan (Italy, 2010).

Scholarships

Kończal has received scholarships from: the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage on six occasions (1998, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008), the Prime Minister of Poland (2002), the Hugo Kołłątaj Foundation (2003), the International Frederick Chopin Foundation (2003). During 1998-2004 he was supported by the Polish Children's Fund. In 2010 he became a laureate of the national program Młoda Polska (prestigious scholarship given by the Minister of Culture).

Performances

Kończal has performed with such orchestras as: Sinfonia Varsovia, Silesian Philharmonic, Toruń Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven Academy Orchestra, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Gulbenkian, Turkish Presidential Symphony Orchestra,^[7] Banatul Philharmonic of Timișoara, Chamber Orchestra of South Africa and such conductors as: Antoni Wit, Tadeusz Strugała, Michał Klauza, Szymon Bywalec, Jerzy Swoboda, Marcin Nałęcz-Niesiołowski, Andres Mustonen, Mitsuyoshi Oikawa, Jüri Alperten, Heiko Mathias Förster, Per Sigmund Thorp, Péter Csaba, Gheorghe Costin, Arjan Tien.

He has appeared at many venues in Poland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, Germany, Belgium, England, Norway, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Estonia, Romania, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, South Africa, Japan and Canada.

In 2010 he toured Turkey (May) and England (June).

References

External links

[1] Szczepan Konczal : Young Polish star to play Chopin in Sunderland – Tuesday 13 September 2011

[2] Finalists for the 11th UNISA International Piano Competition

[3] The Results of the Fourth Tbilisi International Piano Competition

[4] The 15th Frederick Chopin International Piano Competition

[5] "Powerful Polish pianist commemorates Chopin" Archived 18 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine

[6] Serate Musicali Calendario 2010-2011

[7] CSO programme

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