Artists of MFS - Konstanty Andrzej Kulka | Toruńska Orkiestra Symfoniczna

Artists of MFS - Konstanty Andrzej Kulka

Konstanty Andrzej Kulka studied violin at the State High School of Music in Gdańsk under the direction of Stefan Herman (graduated with honours in 1971). At the age of seventeen, he received a distinction at the Niccolò Paganini International Violin Competition in Genoa, but it was the ARD International Radio Competition in Munich in 1964 where he won the first prize that ushered him into his international career. Since 1966, the artist has been giving concerts around the world (in all European countries, the United States, North and South America, Japan and Australia) and has played over 1,500 recitals and symphonic concerts. He performed as a guest soloist with a great number of renowned orchestras, including Berliner Philharmoniker, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra and the Leningrad Philharmonic. He has participated in prestigious music festivals, including Lucerne, Bordeaux, Flanders, Berlin, Prague, Barcelona, Brighton and Warsaw. A special place among the violinist’s artistic tours has been reserved for performances with the Symphony Orchestra of Poland’s National Philharmonic. Since 1968 he has performed in a duet with Jerzy Marchwiński. He has also played as a chamber musician of the Polish Radio and Television Piano Quartet (together with Stefan Kamasa, Roman Jabłoński and Jerzy Marchwiński). Konstanty Andrzej Kulka has made numerous recordings for the Polish Radio and Television and the Polskie Nagrania label and for broadcasters and record companies abroad. Contemporary music plays an important role in the artist’s repertoire. He is an excellent interpreter of works by Witold Lutosławski, Krzysztof Penderecki (including Violin Concerto No. 1), Henryk Hubertus Jabłoński, Augustyn Bloch and Eugeniusz Knapik. Konstanty Andrzej Kulka is also active as a teacher: since 1994 he has held a professorship at the Academy of Music in Warsaw, where he is the head of the Department of String Instruments. He has received many distinctions and awards, including from the Minister of Culture and Art, the Minister of Foreign Affairs for ‘outstanding contribution to the promotion of Polish culture abroad’ and the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta. He has also served as a juror at numerous international competitions.