Download Maciej Zoltowski`s biography

MACIEJ ZOLTOWSKI
CONDUCTOR
Maciej Zoltowski (b. 1971 in Warsaw) is well known for his devotion to music of the 20 th and
21st centuries. Being himself a composer, he developed strong links with the contemporary
music scene as well as with the best soloists of our times. His thorough and diversified
knowledge allows him an unprecedented insight into the music he conducts.
Maestro Zoltowski collaborates with many Polish symphony orchestras including the National
Symphony Orchestra of the Polish Radio (Katowice), the Polish Radio Orchestra (Warsaw), the
Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra, the Polish Orchestra Jeunesses Musicales and the Beethoven
Academy Orchestra. International audiences could see Maciej Zoltowski conducting in plenty of
concert halls in Europe, Asia and North America. His most recent engagements included: Las
Colinas Symphony Orchestra (USA), Symphony Arlington (USA), Garland Symphony Orchestra
(USA), Voronezh Philharmonic Orchestra (Russia), Shumen State Symphony (Bulgaria),
Orchestra Filarmonica Nino Rota (Italy), Cyprus Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra da Camera del
Trasimeno (Italy), Orquesta de Cámara de Bellas Artes (Mexico), Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado
de México, Orquesta Sinfónica de la Universidad de Guanajuato (Mexico), Orquesta Sinfónica de
la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (Mexico), Orquesta Sinfónica de Yucatán (Mexico),
Krasnoyarsk Symphony Orchestra (Russia), Çukurova State Symphony Orchestra (Turkey), the
Pilsen Philharmonic (Czech Republic), the Wuhan Symphony Orchestra (China), Sinfonia
Finlandia Jyväskylä (Finland), Vogtland Philharmonie (Germany) and Mikkeli City Orchestra
(Finland).
Works composed by Maciej Zoltowski have been performed during numerous festivals, among
others: Two Days and Two Nights in Odessa (Ukraine), festival Europe-Asia in Kazan (TatarstanRussia), Rheinsberger Musiktage zu Pfingsten in Rheinsberg (Germany), Roaring Hooves in
Mongolia, Composium 1999 in Tokyo, Sound Ways in St. Petersburg, Past and Future in Odessa
and World Music Days 2002 in Hong Kong.
Maciej Zoltowski studied violin at the prestigious F. Chopin and J. Elsner Music Schools in
Warsaw. Having earned his diploma in violin performance with distinction, he continued his
studies at the F. Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw, where he graduated in 1996 in
composition and in 1997 in conducting faculty, obtaining both M.A. diplomas with awards. His
teachers at the academy included Prof. Marian Borkowski and Prof. Ryszard Dudek.
Maciej Zoltowski participated in many master-courses working under supervision of notable
artists like Yuri Simonov, Zoltán Pesko, Lászlo Tihanyi, and Gianluigi Gelmetti.
For the artistic achievements, he received twice the Polish Ministry of Culture scholarship and
the Tadeusz Baird scholarship. In 1997, he was awarded with the fellowship of the German
Stiftung Kulturfonds in Künstlerhaus Schloss Wiepersdorf. In 2000, he won the scholarship for
young conductors of the Japanese Music Foundation JESC. He was the winner of the first
composers’ competition held by the Musica Sacra Society in Warsaw. In 1999, he was the finalist
of the Toru Takemitsu Composition Award (Tokyo). In 2002, the President of the Republic of
Poland decorated him with the Silver Order of Merit.
Maciej Zoltowski held posts in many Polish music institutions: chairperson of the Young Circle in
the Polish Composers’ Union, secretary general of the Warsaw Branch of the Polish Composers’
Union, secretary general and subsequently president of the Jeunesses Musicales Poland, the
Polish section of the Jeunesses Musicales International. Since 2010 he is President of the ISCM
(International Society for Contemporary Music) Polish Section.
Appointed artistic director and conductor of the Cyprus State Orchestra in 2002, Maciej
Zoltowski has developed the ensemble to high artistic standards. This has resulted in many
international tours the orchestra did under his direction, visiting London, Copenhagen, Paris and
Athens. In Cyprus alone, he has led over 80 concert, opera and ballet productions. Since July
2007 Maciej Zoltowski holds the post of the Managing and Artistic Director of the Radom
Chamber Orchestra (ROK) in Poland.
Maestro Zoltowski’s discography contains recordings for The Steinway Club Cyprus:
Rachmaninov’s Piano Concertos Nos. 2 and 3 with Dimitris Sgouros and world premiere
recording of a “Concerto for 10 Pianos and Orchestra” by Savvas Savva. Other CDs feature the
Radom Chamber Orchestra: “Grażyna Bacewicz – Works for Chamber Orchestra” vol. I and II,
enthusiastically received by the international press: Five Diapasons from the French magazine
“Diapason”, Excepcional by the Spanish “Scherzo”, nomination to the International Classical
Music Awards 2011. His most recent CD “Krzysztof Penderecki – Works for String Orchestra” has
been released by DUX on the occasion of the composer’s 80th anniversary and included in the
prestigious “Penderecki Special Edition”.
“Zoltowski worked with instrumentalists of OSY showing great excellence, offering a clear and
enjoyable reading [of the Sibelius Symphony]. Hopefully we get to see again Maestro Zoltowski in
future programs.”
Por Esto!
“The Polish maestro showed his broad knowledge and full understanding of the work [Schumann’s
4th Symphony] giving an emotional and grandiose reading of one of the most important symphonies
of European Romanticism from the middle of XIX century. The enthusiastic ovation for maestro
Zoltowski and OSY put an end to this sixth show of the season”.
Por Esto!
“The evening began with a spectacular performance of the "Carnival" Overture by Antonin Dvořák.
This not so popular piece, with truly superb moments, sounded under Maciej Zoltowski’s baton as a
compact, multi-colored, expressive musical story. Zoltowski […] led the performance with calm,
consistency, precision, musicality, with a sense of the orchestra, flair and nerve, if not exceedingly
exhibited, easy to feel during the entire concert. […] After the break, Maciej Zoltowski, in a manner
both vivid and at ease, led the suite from Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera The Golden Cockerel, […]. It was
nicely played, exposing rich inventory of moods, danceable (if necessary), with indeed spectacular
fragments, when a theme has been passed between oboe, flute and clarinet, picked up by the violas,
cellos, violins, contrasted by brass instruments and horns, amplified by percussion. It was as if
Zoltowski wanted to show that the Golden Cockerel was conceived by Rimsky-Korsakov not only as a
colourful fairy tale, but as a fierce political satire, full of bold touches.”
Kurier Szczecinski
“This is something to be proud of – excellent Polish contemporary music in equally excellent
performance! […] Maciej Zoltowski is a highly talented conductor approaching every piece with great
responsibility and accuracy. In his conducting art there is no trace of humbug or extravagance, but
there are precise suggestions for performers; gestures, though economical in expression, are exact
and balanced, thought over and purposeful. One can notice a deep understanding for Panufnik’s
music, which interpretation is not an easy task. Maciej Zoltowski led the ensemble with experience,
performing Panufnik’s works readably and with conviction. [...]”
Muzyka21
“Beethoven [Symphony No.3] performed by Plock Symphony was galvanizing from the first to the last
note. Conductor Maciej Zoltowski and the whole ensemble ravished by glamorous, selective sound as
well as by suggestiveness, passion and richness of interpretative invention. […] Even the connoisseurs
acquainted with many Beethovenian rarities will agree that this performance was an exceptional
adventure.”
Sygnaly Plockie
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