Department of Chamber Music


The beginnings of chamber music at the Academy date back to 1957, when seven departments were created at the State Higher School of Music. Among them was the Department of Piano and Chamber Music headed by Professor Jan Hoffman. A separate, independent Department of Chamber Music was established in 1972. It was successively headed by:
Professor Józef Mikulski (1972)
Professor Jerzy Łukowicz (1972-1975)
Professor Zbigniew Szlezer (1975-1981)
Professor Maria Szmyd-Dormus (1981-1994)
Professor Danuta Mroczek-Szlezer (1994-2005)
Professor Janina Romańska-Werner (2005-2012)
Professor Jerzy Jacek Tosik-Warszawiak (2012-2019)
Anna Armatys-Borrelli, PhD (habil.) (since 2019)
Bartłomiej Kominek, PhD (habil.) (since 2020)
At present, three courses are taught at the Department:

  • Chamber music ensemble (various compositions – from duets to quintets)
  • Accompaniment for pianists (students from other departments of the Instrumental Faculty and Voice Faculty are the pianists’ partners)
  • Sight reading for pianists

dr hab. Bartłomiej Kominek, prof. AMKP – HEAD

photo by Iwona Kowalska

Pianist, born 22nd May 1973 in Warsaw. He studied with Janusz Olejniczak and graduated with distinction from the Academy of Music in Cracow. He participated in many master classes taught by the most outstanding piano tutors, such as Andrzej Jasiński, Oxana Jablonska, Lee Kum-Sing and Ryszard Bakst. He is currently a lecturer at the Academy of Music in Cracow, where he completed his habilitation in 2015.
The artist has won several awards and distinctions in piano competitions and festivals both in Poland and abroad – at the Festival of Polish Pianists in Słupsk and the Festival of Talents in Tarnów, as well as at the events held in Kil (Sweden), Glasgow and London. The concerts he has given in Poland (Festival of Polish Music in Cracow, Festival of Polish Pianists in Słupsk, Polish Radio Music Festival in Warsaw, “Bravo Maestro” Festival in Ignacy Jan Paderewski’s manor house in Kąśna Dolna, Festival of Talents in Tarnów, International Festival of Contemporary Music “Warsaw Autumn”, Warsaw Music Encounters, “Music on the Heights” Festival in Zakopane, International Days of Cracow Composers), in many places in Europe, Middle East and Japan, received excellent reviews. He has performed in Chopin Festivals in Ghent (Belgium), Valdemossa (Mallorca) and Nohant-Vic (France). He has also made numerous recordings for the Polish Radio and Television. He portrayed Fryderyk Chopin in a film produced by the Japanese Television.
In 2004 Bartłomiej Kominek recorded the album with Sergey Prokofiev’s compositions, including a rarely performed complete version of Suite from the ballet “Romeo and Juliet” op. 75 and a brilliant Sonata no. 6. In 2005 his recording of Chopin’s Etude in E major op. 10 no. 3 was selected to be a part of the CD with interpretations of the most renowned Polish pianists and winners of Chopin competitions. Later that year, together with Janusz Olejniczak, Gdańsk University Choir and eminent soloists, he recorded the infrequently presented Petite messe solennelle by Giacomo Rossini. The CD was produced by the Gdańsk University. In 2010 DUX released his album with Grażyna Bacewicz’s compositions (among others Piano Quintet no. 1 arranged for piano and chamber orchestra) which received a nomination to the “Fryderyk” award. In 2013 he recorded a monographic album for Polskie Nagrania covering the works of Croatian composers and president – Ivo Josipović.
The artist has been active as a chamber musician and has collaborated with many well-known artists, ensembles and orchestras, including Sinfonia Varsovia, Cracow Philharmonic Orchestra, Sinfonia Baltica, Capella Cracoviensis, Polish Radio Orchestra, “DAFÔ” String Quartet, “Camerata” String Quartet, “Prima Vista” String Quartet, Polish Radio Choir in Cracow, Elżbieta Towarnicka, Olga Pasiecznik, Anna Radziejewska, Iwona Sobotka, Bogusława Dziel-Wawrowska, Janusz Olejniczak, Konstanty Andrzej Kulka, Tomasz Strahl, Marcin Nałęcz-Niesiołowski, Wojciech Michniewski, Daniel Smith, Magdalena Bojanowicz and Janusz Wawrowski. Since 2011 he has performed with pianist Anna Boczar as “Chopin Piano Duo”. He wrote the arrangements of Fryderyk Chopin’s all orchestral works for piano and string quartet that were published by PWM (Polish Music Publishing House).

bartlomiej.kominek@amuz.krakow.pl