Current position: Departments of the University: Piano, Harpsichord and Organ: Chair of Piano Chamber Music
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Chair of Piano Chamber Music

Head of the Chair Professor Maja Nosowska
Head of the Chair
Professor Maja Nosowska


An autonomous group of pianists-pedagogues who teach chamber music at Department 2 (Piano, Harpsichord and Organ Department) and pianists-tutors who are directly involved in the teaching of instrumental and vocal skills.


HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
In 1978 Professor Jerzy Marchwiński, with the active support of the academic authorities (Rector Professor Bogusław Madey), established a new and unique structure, the Chair Of Piano Chamber Music. This was a rational decision for several reasons:
- organisational - there are two instrumental departments at the University, i.e., the Department of Piano, Harpsichord and Organ and the Department of Orchestra Instruments
- substantial - the pianist who collaborates with singers, instrumentalists, orchestras and other pianists, and is capable of playing an important role in instrumental and vocal teaching or the concert performances of their partners, is confronted with different problems from those confronting the pianist who largely plays chamber music in one-name ensembles;
- historical - chamber music is developing extremely dramatically all over the world, the collaborating pianist's responsibilities are more demanding than before and therefore it is necessary to seek new systemic didactic solutions.

The Chair, which has now been operating for more than a decade, can boast a number of successes. Some are practical, e.g., an organisational framework for teaching and a syllabus have been developed, the rationale for dissertations in chamber music has been fixed and widely adopted all over Poland and accepted by RWSA, and qualifying courses have been given new impetus. But who knows, the greatest success has perhaps been in the sphere of mentality and awareness. The community of pianists who teach piano chamber music has integrated, a forum for exchange of ideas and opinions has been provided and there is now much greater awareness of how chamber music can and should be played.
The Chair was eventually suspended and underwent various vicissitudes but everyday life and the obvious distinctness of the issues involved in the training of chamber pianists always led to the spontaneous emergence of organisational units focused on this particular area. This natural evolution led to the establishment of the Institute of Piano Chamber Music, affiliated with the Department of Piano and Organ, in 1998, headed by Professor Jerzy Marchwiński. In 2002 the Institute was once again transformed into an independent Chair within Department 2. Since 2005 the Head of the Chamber is Professor Maja Nosowska.


A WORD OF INTRODUCTION FROM SENIOR PROFESSOR JERZY MARCHWIŃSKI
Professor Jerzy 
Marchwinski
Professor Jerzy Marchwiński


In this way the CPCM became first in Poland and a unique on an international level structure in higher music education system.
Creating such a new department still stays in opposition to a bit simplistic vision of chamber music that is commonly shared by musical environment not only in Poland. According to this vision piano departments evoke associations with individual, solo performance and the word pianist traditionally means solo pianist. On the other hand, chamber music is seen as serving rather a subservient function than being based on partnership relation between individual musicians.
Meanwhile the professional pianist pursues two different but equally important lines of activity: solo performance and ensemble playing, both of which are expected to be rendered with equal perfection. Taking that fact into consideration, the Warsaw CPCM training profile focuses also on psychological aspect of the chamber musicians- training with it's major aim to educate and "create" new generations of chamber players convinced that they will be as much valued and appreciated in their future professional career as the solo musicians. Such point of view helps large masses of pianists from feeling frustrated, degraded and disappointed for the rest of their lives. The Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw is unique in its pioneering decision to establish two equal chairs at the Department of Piano, Harpsichord and Organ, one devoted to solo piano playing and one devoted to group piano playing.

Jerzy Marchwiński




THE BASIC CURRENT ACTIVITIES OF THE CHAIR OF PIANO CHAMBER MUSIC
TEACHING - first semester of a vista playing (sight reading) and basis of chamber music, then four semesters of licentiate studies and two - of master studies. The CPCM ensembles have won numerous awards and certificates of merit at national and international competitions;
POSTGRADUATE STUDIES - Accessible to both Polish and foreign postgraduates (and conducted in English, French, German and Russian). These courses offer a number of options, e.g., training for competitions, extending one's repertoire, focus on co-operation with singers, post-graduate training for teachers who teach pedagogues and students, the art of concert performance; this year Chair of Piano Chamber Music starts with Postgraduate Studies of Vocal Coaching.
ORGANISATION OF THEME CONCERTS - these concerts are part of the Academy's concert agenda;
concerts regularly given at the College of Europe in Warsaw since March 2003 and in Warsaw University
Master COURSES - Alison Pearce - the course for pianists and singers (March 2000), The Piano Duo Symposium - Bracha Eden and Alexander Tamir, (April 2002) Emanuel Ax master class devoted to various chamber formations: piano Sonatas, Trios and Quartets (January 2003), Master class of prof. Lee Kum-Sing (May 2006), International Master Classes of Music Interpretation and Festival in Nowy Sącz (every year), Master class of prof. Avedis Kouyoumdjian (March 2008)
SYMPOSIA - organisation of every year symposia on "Partnership on Music" devoted f.ex. to: "The Place, Role and Responsibilities of the Pianist in the Education of Instrumentalists and Vocalists" 2002, "Co-operation between singers and pianists" 2003, "A'vista playing - as a needful element in musicians education" 2004, "Profesor Jerzy Marchwiński - lecture didactic classes" 2005, 2006, 2007, seminars
COMPETITIONS - International Piano Duo Competitions in Białystok - the IVth will be done in November 2008
PUBLISHING - the work Unknown Polish Cello Miniatures was published in 2002; presentation and concert 29 April 2002; Jerzy Marchwiński Partnership in music - polish, english, german translation, The Place, Role and Responsibilities of the Pianist in the Education of Instrumentalists and Vocalists, Co-operation between singers and pianists, A'vista playing (sight reading) - as a needful element in musicians education
CO-OPERATION WITH PRIMARY AND SECONDARY MUSIC SCHOOLS - including organisation and consultation of methodics courses for teachers (e.g., summer courses and festivals in Nowy Sącz), consultation and development of syllabuses for primary and secondary music schools.

NEWS
This year Chair of Piano Chamber Music starts with POSTGRADUATE STUDIES of VOCAL COACHING.
Chair of Piano Chamber Music invites for the piano chamber music masterclasses on 10th to 14th of March 2008.. Classes will give outstanding pianist, professor of The Universitaet für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Vienna - AVEDIS KOUYOUMDJIAN.
IVth International Piano Duo Competition in Białystok, November 2008
19th May 2008 - concert "New Vienna School" - with Zemlinski, Berg, Webern, Schönberg chamber music


Chair members:
Research and teaching faculty:
Professor Maja Nosowska - Head of the Chair, e-mail: nosek@chopin.edu.pl
prof. Maciej Paderewski
Professor Krystyna Borucińska-Żarnecka
Professor Krystyna Makowska-Ławrynowicz
Associate Professor Andrzej Guz
Associate Professor Katarzyna Jankowska-Borzykowska
Associate Professor Leszek Kot, DA Hab. (Department of Instrumental and Educational Studies in Białystok)
Associate Professor Joanna Ławrynowicz-Domżał
Associate Professor Jerzy Maciejewski (Department of Instrumental and Educational Studies in Białystok)
Associate Professor Joanna Maklakiewicz
Associate Professor Iwona Mironiuk
Associate Professor Anna Misior (Department of Instrumental and Educational Studies in Białystok)
Associate Professor Maciej Piotrowski
Associate Professor Ella Susmanek
Senior Lecturer Robert Morawski
Lecturer Agnieszka Kozło
Bartosz Bednarczyk, MA

Guests:
Professor Jerzy Marchwiński e-mail: jmarchwinski@gmail.com
Professor Barbara Halska
Professor Irena Protasewicz
Senior Lecturer Bogna Hałacz
Senior Lecturer Lidia Krzyżanowska
Senior Lecturer Teresa Rosłoń-Esztényi
Senior Lecturer Beata Szebesczyk
Lecturer Ewa Skardowska, DA


Teaching faculty - the pianist-tutor group
Doc. Anna Duź
Doc. Elżbieta Neumann-Marianowska
Senior Lecturer Teresa Cybulska
Senior Lecturer Maria Czarnecka-Sierakowska
Senior Lecturer Mariusz Dubrawski
Senior Lecturer Alicja Dufaniec-Styczyńska
Senior Lecturer Grażyna Gabryś
Senior Lecturer Małgorzata Gruca
Senior Lecturer Ewa Guz-Seroka
Senior Lecturer Alina Hoffman
Senior Lecturer Iwona Hrouda
Senior Lecturer Elżbieta Jarszewska-Kordykiewicz
Senior Lecturer Grzegorz Kiełbiński
Senior Lecturer Agnieszka Kopacka
Senior Lecturer Szymon Kowalczyk
Senior Lecturer Małgorzata Kuraś-Tkacz
Senior Lecturer Teresa Maciaszek
Senior Lecturer Romana Orłowska
Senior Lecturer Jolanta Pszczółkowska-Pawlik
Senior Lecturer Barbara Ropelewska-Duda
Senior Lecturer Regina Stańczyk-Szczepańska
Senior Lecturer Lidia Strońska
Senior Lecturer Halina Szyszkowska
Lecturer Olga Anikiej (Department of Instrumental and Educational Studies in Białystok)
Lecturer Ewa Białokozowicz (Department of Instrumental and Educational Studies in Białystok)
Lecturer Dagmara Dudzińska
Lecturer Tomasz Januchta (Department of Instrumental and Educational Studies in Białystok)
Lecturer Adam Kondratowicz (Department of Instrumental and Educational Studies in Białystok)
Lecturer Stefan Krassowski (Department of Instrumental and Educational Studies in Białystok)
Lecturer Larysa Miszkowska-Wiltos
Lecturer Ewa Pelwecka
Lecturer Hanna Sosińska-Kraski
Lecturer Elżbieta Uss (Department of Instrumental and Educational Studies in Białystok)











Compiled by: The Fryderyk Chopin University of Music