Professor Tomasz Strahl
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| Professor Tomasz Strahl |
Tomasz Strahl graduated from the Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music in 1989 where he studied the cello under Professor Kazimierz Michalik. As a holder of an Austrian Government scholarship he completed one-year post-graduate studies at the Hochschule für Musik und darstellende in Vienna under Professor T. Kühn. He perfected his chamber music skills under Krzysztof Jakowicz, the outstanding violinist with whom he has been performing for many years.
Tomasz Strahl has won many national and international competitions in Poznań and Warsaw and also won first prize at the 5th International N. Music Competition in San Sebastian, Spain, in 1991. The Polish-Japanese JESC Foundation awarded him a scholarship in 1994.
He has played with many conductors including M. Błaszczyk, Ł. Borowicz, T. Bugaj, H. Czyż, A. Duczmal, Ph. Entremont, J. M. Florêncio, C. Grabowski, J. Kosek, J. Maksymiuk, W. Michniewski, M. Nałęcz-Niesiołowski, K. Penderecki, M. Pijarowski, P. Przytocki, Z. Rychert, J. Salwarowski, T. Strugała, J. Svoboda, T. Wojciechowski and S. A. Wróblewski. For many years now he has been a very active performer, playing with such orchestras as: Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra, the National Philharmonic Orchestra, the Polish Chamber Orchestra, the Polish Radio Chamber Orchestra "Amadeus", the Polish Radio Orchestra, Sinfonietta Cracovia, Concerto Avenna and nearly all other philharmonic orchestras in Poland. He also co-operates with distinguished soloists, the Silesian Quartet and the Wilanów Quartet.
Tomasz Strahl's most important concerts include his performances at Tel Aviv Art Centre, L'Auditoria Barcelona, Brucknersaal Linz, the National Philharmonic and the Moniuszko Auditorium at Teatr Wielki - National Opera Warsaw, Schauspielhaus Berlin, St. John's Smith Square London and Toppan Hall Tokio. He has completed many tours in Japan, Canada and Spain (with the Silesian Philharmonic). His rendering of Witold Lutosławski's Cello Concerto in the composer's presence in 1993, conducted by M. Błaszczyk, was an important event as was his participation with Krzysztof Jabłoński in "Fortepianissimo", a spectacle staged by Teatr Wielki - National Opera in Warsaw. Tomasz Strahl gave the Polish first performance of Piotr Mossa's 2nd Cello Concerto with the Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra at the "Premiere" Festival in 2005.
Tomasz Strahl is a frequent guest at such music festivals as: "Bravo Maestro", the Bydgoszcz Music Festival, Festivals in Gaudix (Spain) and Busko Zdrój, the F. Chopin Festivals in Duszniki Zdrój and Antonin, the Organ Festival in Kamień Pomorski, the Polish Piano Festival in Słupsk, "Music in Ancient Cracow", "Warsaw Autumn" and "Warsaw Music Encounters". In 2006 he took part in the prestigious International Cello Festival in Caracas (Venezuela).
Tomasz Strahl and the pianist Krzysztof Jabłoński founded the Chopin Duo.
Tomasz Strahl has made many archival recordings for Polish Radio (e.g., concertos by Maklakiewicz and Stojowski with the Polish Radio National Orchestra conducted by Sławek A. Wróblewski and Łukasz Borowicz) and Polish Television. He has also recorded for CBC Radio in Canada. His discography contains many records published by such record companies as: Acte Préalable, CD Accord, Gema Stereo, Pavane Records, Pol-Music, Pony Canyon and Sonny Classics. His records have twice been nominated to the "Fryderyk" Award which the artist won in 2003.
Tomasz Strahl leads many master courses in Poland, Finland, Holland, Japan (Kyoto University of Arts) and Germany and he also teaches a cello class at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw and the G. and K. Bacewicz Academy of Music in Łódź. In 2005 the artist gave a series of lectures and several concerts during the prestigious "Wienersommerakademie '05".
Tomasz Strahl recived his titular professorship from the President of the Republic of Poland in 2001 and was awarded a Gold Cross of Merit in 2002.
In 2008 he was elected deputy dean of the Department of Instrumental Studies at the FCUM in Warsaw for term 2008-2012.
Compiled by: The Fryderyk Chopin University of Music