dr Katarzyna Vernet
Katarzyna Vernet was born in Cracow. She began piano lessons at the age of five. She played her first, one hour long recital, including a piano concerto as the second part of the recital, at the age of nine. During that time she also performed concerts at the Cracow Philharmonic as well as at the Association of Polish Artists – Musicians. In the same period she began to receive the most acclaimed awards at nationwide piano competitions.
After the death of her tutor, director Lesław Grzyb, who was a student of a renowned pianist and educator Tadeusz Żmudziński, she made further progress in Katowice, in professor Józef Stompel’s class. She frequently performed with her professor in ”Master and Student” – a cycle of concerts which took place at the F. Chopin Association and in concerts aimed at showcasing the skills of exceptionally gifted young pianists in Polish Radio – Katowice Branch and TVS. After receiving her maturity certificate at the age of 16 she commenced studies at the Academy of Music in Katowice. She completed her studies with distinction under the guidance of Prof. Andrzej Jasiński and Prof. Beata Bilińska.
Thanks to her willingness to hone her piano skills, in the year 2007 she pursued further education by undertaking postgraduate studies in prof. M. Herbowski’s class at the Academy of Music in Cracow, where she has established an inseparable connection. Furthemore, she has broadened her scope of competence by completing studies representing yet another discipline – European Cultural Management.
She continued her pursuits on the musical path by additionally undertaking doctoral studies at the Academy of Music in Cracow, under the guidance of prof. dr hab. M. Herbowski (Ph.D. hab.), her supervisor.
In her doctoral dissertation she focused on exploring the oeuvre of a renowned pianist, composer and educator Maurycy Moszkowski, whose compositions, virtuosity-wise, were held in high esteem by his contemporaries. Her dissertation was devoted to piano virtuosity themes and based on selected piano pieces encompassing the broad realm of the composer’s oeuvre, primarily world premieres of M. Moszkowski’s works.
She has given concerts in the following concert halls: Cracow Philharmonic, National Philharmonic, Podlaska Philharmonic, Warmińsko- Mazurska Philharmonic, Dolnośląska Philharmonic, Śląska Philharmonic, Podkarpacka Philharmonic, she also performed in Żelazowa Wola, Lazienki Królewskie, Duszniki Zdrój, Penderecki European Music Centre, Royal Castle in Warsaw, F.Chopin Museum in Warsaw and Nohant, amongst other venues. She has also participated in international music competitions and projects organised under the auspices of the Piano Department at the Academy of Music in Cracow, just to mention the following: ,”Internationalle Musikdagar”, ,”Talàlkozók Liszttel”, ,”December Impressions”, ,”Randez vous with Mozart”, ,,Musical Korzkiew”, ,”Chopin Festival” in Duszniki, ”Wawel at Dusk”, ,,Chopin non stop”, ”International Days of Franz Liszt”. She also inaugurated „Gwiazdy Promują” – an acclaimed festival in Jelenia Góra.
She has performed recitals in countries such as the Netherlands, Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, Malta, Ukraine, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany and Spain.
She was awarded prizes by the President of Cracow, President of Katowice (on multiple occasions) and the Polish Cultural Foundation.
She is a laureate of the most celebrated prizes and honours received at Nationwide Competitions and Nationwide Piano Auditions in Katowice, Warsaw, Olsztyn and Białystok, as well as international events in Göttingen and Ettlingen.
She was the youngest participant of the 13th International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, which was preceded by numerous concerts, she frequently gave three performances in one day.
She records for the Polish Radio and TV. Her recordings of Frederic Chopin pieces helped to promote Poland in foregin TV stations during Euro 2012.
At various stages of her music path she has worked under the guidance of such eminent pianists as: Halina Czerny-Stefańska, Barbara Hesse-Bukowska, Milosz Magin, Wiktor Mierżanow, Andrzej Jasiński, Regina Smendzianka, Krystian Zimerman, John O’Connor, Edit Picht-Axenfeld, Maria Szwajger-Kułakowska, Alexy Maximov.
Her music activities oscillate around employment at the Piano Department of the Academy of Music in Cracow. However, she is also engaged in concert tours, she conducts music courses and worskhops. Moreover, she is an active jury member at numerous competitions. She vigorously propagates music endeavours of other artists as an artistic director of “Chopin Concerts” organised in Cracow and ” F. Chopin International Easter Festival”.