Gajusz Kęska (Poland)
| 11 October 2020 (Sunday) at 7.15 p.m. | online broadcast | Programme: F. Chopin, K. Szymanowski more |
Gajusz Kęska graduated from piano class of prof. Andrzej Pikul at the Academy of Music in Krakow and prof. Willem Bronsa at the Sweelinck Conservatorium in Amsterdam. He performs the duties of an assistant professor at the Piano Department at the Academy of Music in Krakow, where he received the title of doctor of art in 2010 and the title of doctor habilitated in 2017 leads the piano class.
He is a laureate of national and international piano competitions, among others: National Piano Competition EPTA in Krakow, International Competition for Young Pianists in Gaillard in France, „Week of Talents” in Tarnów, Competition for them. T. Żmudziński, International Master Course in Tel-Hai in Israel, „International Pacific Piano Competition” in Vancouver, International Piano Competition „Ciutat de Mallorca.” He received prestigious scholarships, among others: the Minister of Culture and Art, the Jűtting Stichting Foundation in Stendal, Maestro Hans Vonk and the „Schumann-Schimmel van Outeren” Foundation in the Netherlands.
He regulary apears in prestigious concert halls in Europe, as well as in Argentina, Canada, Chile, China, Ecuador, Israel, Japan and Peru in: Gateway Theater in Vancouver, Recanti Auditorium in Tel-Aviv, Auditorio Forteza in Palma de Mallorca, Teatro Sucre in Quito (Ecuador), Teatro Oriente in Santiago de Chile, National Philharmonic in Minsk, Rainbow Theatre in Inverness (Scotland), Auditorium Ricardo Palma in Lima (Peru) and many others. He performed during importent music festivals: Chopin Festival in Leipzig, Festival „Polish Days in Prague „, International Woche in Graz (Austria), Polish Piano Festival in Słupsk, Holland Music Session, Vriendenkrans Music Festival in Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Festival „Semanas Musicales” in Frutillar (Chile), Festival „Iguazu en Concierto” (Argentina) and Shanghai Music Festival.
His debut album with piano Sonatas by K. Szymanowski received Nomination for Fryderyk 2013, Nominated for the ICMA 2013 award and the Prize of the Spanish magazine „Scherzo”.
In 2015, he organized the first edition of the International Competition for Young Pianists „Chopin at Wawel” (from 2017 in international format), of which he is the originator and director. Since that year he has been a co-organizer and creator of the idea of the Małopolska Academy of Talents held every year in Łącko, where he is the artistic director of master courses. In 2016, the MAT offer expanded to include the accompanying Festival, in which over 40 concerts in the region took place.
His students win numerous prizes at national and international competitions, the most important of which are: 1st Prize at 12 ° Concorso Internazionale per giovani Musicisti Luigi Zanuccoli in Italy, 3rd Prize at the International Competition in Berlin „Art duo music festival”, 2nd Prize at the International Competition „Grand Prize Virtuoso – London”, 3rd Prize at the International Music Competition in Berlin, 2nd prize in the II age group – International Competition of Young Pianists „Chopin at the Wawel”, Title of the Laureate of the XXVI International Festival „Chopin in Masovia”, I Prize – International Piano Competition „Neapoli Masters” in Naples.
For his pedagogical achievements, he was honored three times with the Rector’s Award of the Academy of Music in Krakow and six times with the Award of the Director of the State Secondary Music School of the Secondary F. Chopin in Krakow.
He conducts master classes in Poland (Małopolska Akademy of Talents in Łącko – from 2015, Summer Academy of Music, Kraków) and abroad (Italy, Spain, Peru, Bolivia, China). He is also invited every year as a „visiting professor” to China (Department of Music, Ningbo Forreign Affairs School).
He also works charitable, supporting polish Foundations and Associations (Anna Dymna’s „Mimo Wszystko” Foundation, „Siepomaga” Foundation, „Jerzyk” Foundation, „Gajusz” Foundation, etc.) through co-organization and participation in concerts or fundraising for a specific purpose.