Professor Konstanty Andrzej Kulka
Konstanty Andrzej Kulka is counted among the most outstanding violinists of his generation. He was born in Gdańsk in 1947. He began to study the violin with Stefan Herman when he was eight and continued his studies with this teacher at the Music High School and Higher School of Music in Gdańsk. He was awarded a diploma of distinction at the International N. Paganini Violin Competition in Genoa as a 17-year-old student but it was the First Prize at the International Competition in Munich which opened his way to fame. From then on he began his rapid career. Konstanty Andrzej Kulka has been performing on both hemispheres (all European countries, USA, South America, Japan, Australia) since 1966.
As a soloist he has been the guest of many renowned orchestras such as: Berliner Philharmoniker, Chicago Symphony, London Symphony, English Chamber and Leningrad Philharmonic. He has also taken part in many prestigious music festivals, e.g., in Berlin, Bordeaux, Lucerne and many other places. Performances with the National Philharmonic Symphony orchestra occupy a special place in the violinist’s tours. In 1968 Konstanty Andrzej Kulka began to play in duet with Jerzy Marchwiński and he has also played chamber music with Stefan Kamasa, Roman Jabłoński and Jerzy Marchwiński as a member of the Polish Radio and Television Quartet.
The artist has made many recordings for Polish Radio and Television and Polskie Nagrania record company. His recordings of A. Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with Karol Teutsch’s Chamber Orchestra, F. Mendelssohn and A. Glazunov’s violin concertos with the National Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Jerzy Katlewicz, J. Brahms’s Violin Concerto with the National Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Witold Rowicki and J. S. Bach’s Sonatas for solo violin have won him particular recognition.
Konstanty Andrzej Kulka has also recorded for radio broadcasters and record companies abroad. His recording of K. Szymanowski’s 2nd Violin Concerto for EMI was awarded “Grand Prix du Disque” in 1981. Modern music occupies an important place in his enormous repertory. For example, he is an excellent interpreter of K. Penderecki’s Violin Concerto which he has played many times with various orchestras conducted by the composer.
