Piotr Tomasz Szczepanik
Polish pianist Piotr Tomasz Szczepanik had his New York debut recital in February 2008 in Paul Hall at Lincoln Center. Acclaimed “Rare and inspiring Chopinist” by a famous music critic David Dubal, Mr. Szczepanik is a frequent guest in prestigious festivals in Poland and abroad, winner of national piano competitions. Mr. Szczepanik has toured his native country Poland and performed at major concert halls abroad such as Paul Hall in New York, Concert Hall in Shanghai, Hôtel des Invalides in Paris, and many others in Spain, Italy, U.S.A and China.
Mr. Szczepanik is an active ambassador of Polish music abroad. His concerts in Paris, New York and Shanghai presenting works of F. Chopin, K. Szymanowski and W. Lutosławski have always been well received. He was a co-organizer of the series of four recitals with music of K. Szymanowski hosted by the Kościuszko Foundation in New York. He is an author of the large project of a concert tour in southern China 2009 presenting works by F. Chopin, in collaboration with Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Shanghai.
Mr. Szczepanik enthusiastically supports music events in Cracow, his native city. The series of the complete Ravel piano solo music dedicated to the 130th anniversary of Ravel in 2005 was the first time that Cracow, Poland, had such an event. In the same year, he gave three concerts of the Ravel’s Piano Concerto for the Left Hand with the Cracow Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Stanisław Welanyk. In 2007 he was invited again by Cracow Philharmonic Orchestra to perform Schumann’s Piano Concerto. Mr. Szczepanik’s repertoire ranges from earliest keyboard music to the most recent works by young composers. He gave the world premiere of two piano pieces by John Slover, at Paul Hall in New York and Shanghai Concert Hall. After winning the high honor of the Contemporary Music Competition in Warsaw, Szczepanik recorded Bartok’s Sonata for the Polish Radio and TV Network. However, the keyboard music of J.S. Bach has always been in the center of his repertoires, including Goldberg Variations, complete Preludes and Fugues book II, Toccatas and Partitas, coached by acclaimed Bach expert Angela Hewitt.
Mr. Szczepanik earned two masters degrees from Juilliard School of Music in New York and Academy of Music in Cracow, where he studied with Jerome Lowenthal and Andrzej Pikul.