Wilanów String Quartet

 

 

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Edvard Grieg - String Quartet in G minor Op. 27 (Intermezzo). MP3 file (2MB)

 

Tadeusz Gadzina – violin

Pawel Losakiewicz – violin

Ryszard Duz – viola

Marian Wasiólka - cello

The Quartet was founded in 1967 and was named after the former residence of King John III Sobieski which served as the venue for its concerts. The Quartet has toured in all European countries as well as in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Venezuela, Columbia and Japan. For several years now it has regularly appeared at the festival in Callate, Canada in programmes devoted to all Beethoven’s quartets and Polish music. It also took part in many important festivals to mention but Wiener Festwochen, Musikprotokoll in Graz, Berliner Festwochen, Bergen, Festival Estival in Paris, Helsinki Festival. In 1971 it won the Second Prize at the International  Haydn Competition for String Quartets in Vienna, in 1972 - a silver medal at the 5th Biennale in Bordeaux, in 1973 - the Third Prize at the International Music Competition in Munich. Beside classical music, the ensemble’s repertoire also includes many works of 20th century composers such as Baird, Bartok, Barber, Berg, Crumb, Lutoslawski, Meyer, Penderecki, Schönberg, Shostakovitch. The Wilanów Quartet appeared many times at the Warsaw Autumn Festival: in 1983 it was honoured with the „Orpheus” critic’s award for the best performance of Polish music at the 26th Warsaw Autumn Festival (Meyer’s Fifth String Quartet). In 1986 and 1990, the Quartet received the annual award of the Polish Composers Union. The Wilanów Quartet records regularly for Sonoton of Munich; the company has already released discs with its interpretation of works by Meyer, Bloch, Bargielski. Together with the pianist Maciej Paderewski the Wilanów Quartet recorded the chamber works of Witold Lutoslawski: Partita, Grave and String Quartet for the Accord company of France; the disc was honoured in France with the „Diapason d’Or” award in December 1990. Also Wilanow's recording of the Grieg quartet received the Diapason award, in May 1996. The Quartet works in SDK Culture Centre in Warsaw since 1990. For many years the Quartet has co-operated with the excellent Swiss clarinettist Eduard Brunner (recording together for Tudor, Callig and Col Legno) and also with the Finnish pianist and conductor Ralf Gothoni. Wilanow co-operates too with the famous jazz musician  Adam Makowicz (piano). In 2001 the Wilanów CD with the chamber music by Krzysztof Meyer (Acte Préalable) was awarded the prize "CD of the month December 2001" by the journal "Muzyka 21".

Tadeusz Gadzina studied violin with Zenon Bakowski at the State Higher School of Music in Warsaw. Since 1975-76 he has continued his studies with Yehudi Menuhin and Yfram Neamen at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. He is a laureate of the following competitions: at the International Sibelius Competition in Helsinki (1970), at the International Paganini Violin Competition in Genoa (1971), at the International Wieniawski Competition in Poznan (1972). In 1973 he won the gold medal at the International Laureates’ Festival in Plewen (Bulgaria), and a year later at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels. Since 1967 the member of the Wilanów Quartet. He is a professor at the Academy of Music in Warsaw. Since 2002 he has tutored as "professor in residence" master classes in Morningside Music Bridge in Calgary, Canada.

Pawel Losakiewicz studied violin from 1967-71 with Irena Dubiska at the State Higher School of Music in Warsaw. He records for Polish Radio and often gives solo concerts. He recorded two CDs for American producers. Since 1967 the member of the Wilanów Quartet. He is a professor at the Academy of Music in Warsaw.

Ryszard Duz studied viola with Jan Michalski at the State Higher School of Music in Wroclaw. In 1975 he received the first prize at the 1st All Polish Competition for Violists in Poznan. In the same year his group, the Barcewicz Quartet of Wroclaw, took a prize at the International Competition for String Quartets in Colmar, France. Since 1977 the member of the Wilanów Quartet. He is a professor at the Academy of Music in Warsaw.

Marian Wasiólka studied cello with Kazimierz Wilkomirski at the State Higher School of Music in Wroclaw, and continued his studies with Radu Aldulescu and Paul Tortelier. In 1964-1979 he was also concert-master with the Orchestras in Poland (Bydgoszcz, Poznan), abroad (Antwerp, Cairo, Hamburg, Herford) and finally with the National Philharmonic, Warsaw. He recorded for NDR (cello concert by Dworzak), MDR and Polish Radio. Currently he tutors a chamber music class in the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz. Since 1977 the member of the Wilanów Quartet.

 

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Last modified: May 8, 2006