prof. dr hab. Bogusława Hubisz-Sielska


photo by Piotr Markowski

Her official debut with the Capella Cracoviensis took place during her studies at the Krzysztof Penderecki Academy of Music in Krakow (then PWSM), although she made her first public appearance as a violist at the age of 16. Also during her studies, she went to the USA to perform at the Juilliard School of Music in New York, New England Conservatory in Boston, The Eastman School of Music in Rochester and Yale University in New Haven. She graduated with honors, just like the State High School of Music in Krakow. She completed supplementary two years studies with prof. Stefan Kamasa, and then – twice – she received a scholarship for a course in Lausanne, led by prof. Kim Kashkashian, with whom she later took lessons during her two-year stay in Munich (1988-1990).

Her acquaintance with Rachel Knobler (1924-2017), whose music, also dedicated to her, she began to perform and record. The American radio Classical Discoveries has repeatedly presented tracks from Rachel Knobler’s CD, calling them “discoveries of the classics”, and sheet music with her works, published in Editio Alto/Germany, has been placed in the US Library of Congress. She also recorded compositions by Johann Baptista Vanhal and Robert Fuchs on the album, as well as contemporary music, including works for two violas, recorded together with Lech Bałaban. In addition to concerts in many countries, she also performed in Polish, Austrian and German television cameras, as well as on Polish, Austrian and New York radio.

She has premiered many works, including Anna Zawadzka-Gołosz’s Poco a poco più…, also published by Editio Alto/Niemcy. For the first time, she also performed works arranged for viola and published by PWM, e.g. Sonata in G minor op. 65 by Fryderyk Chopin, Dance Preludes by Witold Lutosławski (performed with the Composer’s consent) and  Romance on a theme from Stanisław Moniuszko’s “Halka by Henri Vieuxtemps. She is also the author of PWM’s Scales  and Arpeggios (2013).

In addition to concert and editorial activities, teaching work at her alma mater is also important to her, where she has been teaching the viola class since graduation, currently – as a titular professor. Its pupils, students and doctoral students operate in Poland and in various European countries (Austria, Belgium, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Italy).

For several decades, she has been participating – initially as a listener, and since 2011 – actively – in international viola congresses organized by the International Viola Society (IVS), held in various countries around the world, e.g. twice in the US. Led by her – from the beginning (2013), the Polish Viola Society, associated with IVS, organized the Congresses: in Krakow – 2013 and Poznań – 2019. She sits on the jury of national and international competitions.

In 2023, the Society will be a co-organizer – together with the Academy of Music Ignacy Jan Paderewski XI National Viola Competition named after Jan Rakowski in Poznań.

In 2017, she was honored with the medal of the National Education Commission, in 2021 – with the Gloria Artis Medal for Merit to Culture and the Silver Cross of Merit.

boguslawa.hubisz.sielska@amuz.krakow.pl