Faculty Biographies
Tomasz Tomaszewski
Violin
Tomasz Tomaszewski is one of the finest Polish violinists of his generation. He serves as the first concertmaster of the Deutsche Oper Berlin and is a professor at the Berlin University of the Arts (Universität der Künste Berlin). After completing his studies at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw under the guidance of Professor Tadeusz Wroński, he furthered his education in St. Petersburg with Professor Boris Lvovich Gutnikov and in Freiburg with Professor Wolfgang Marschner.
As a member of the Polish Quartet, Tomasz won awards at the Jeunesse Musicales Competition in Belgrade and the ARD Competition in Munich. For many years, he has maintained an active career as a soloist, chamber musician, and conductor, performing in concerts worldwide.
Tomasz Tomaszewski was the first violinist of the Stradivari Habisreutinger String Sextet for many years and a member of the European Fine Arts Trio. Currently, he is the primarius (first violinist) of the renowned Polish String Quartet of the Deutsche Oper Berlin. He is also the founder and artistic director of the Kammersolisten der Deutschen Oper Berlin (Chamber Soloists of the Deutsche Oper Berlin) and, since 2011, the artistic director of the Baltic Neopolis Orchestra and the Salonorchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin.
Tomasz has an extensive discography, with recordings for radio, television, and record labels in Poland, Germany, Switzerland, and Japan. In 2000, he received the Fryderyk Award for his recordings with the European Fine Arts Trio, and in 2014, he was honored again with the Fryderyk Award as a soloist and conductor for his recordings with the Baltic Neopolis Orchestra.
As a highly respected pedagogue, Tomasz conducts masterclasses in Poland, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Japan, and Korea. He also serves on the juries of numerous violin competitions. He is the founder and artistic director of the International Jerzy Heller Music Courses in Opole, which have been running for 25 years.
In 2006, Tomasz initiated the Śląskie Lato Muzyczne (Silesian Summer Music Festival), which he has directed since its inception. Since 2006, he has been the chairman of the International Beethoven Society, and since 2013, he has also served as the president of the European Forum of Polish Music in Berlin.
Additionally, Tomasz chairs the jury of the 1st International Ludwig van Beethoven Chamber Music Competition, which he initiated. The first edition of this competition took place in September 2015 at the Krzysztof Penderecki European Centre for Music in Lusławice.
Tomasz Tomaszewski’s career is distinguished by his exceptional artistry, dedication to music education, and his significant contributions to promoting Polish music and culture on the international stage.
Piotr Prysiażnik
Violin
Born in 1968 in Opole, Poland, Piotr Prysiażnik completed his secondary music education at the State Music School in Opole under the guidance of Professor Danuta Sujata. He earned his diploma in 1992 from the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, where he studied with Professor Zenon Bąkowski. He continued his education at the Berlin University of the Arts (UdK) under Professor Tomasz Tomaszewski and as a scholarship holder of the Herbert von Karajan Institute under Professor Daniel Stabrawa. Piotr further honed his skills through masterclasses with renowned artists such as André Gertler, Thomas Brandis, Eduard Schmieder, Ernst Hertzwig, and Kurt Richter.
In 1992, Piotr won 4th place at the International Tadeusz Wroński Solo Violin Competition and, as a member of the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Piano Trio, received the 3rd prize at the International Chamber Music Competition in Mulhouse, France. From 1989 to 1992, he collaborated with the Concerto Avenna Orchestra, participating in numerous recordings and performing at prestigious festivals, including the Lufthansa Festival.
Between 1993 and 1996, Piotr completed a three-year scholarship with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under the Karajan Foundation. During this time, he worked under the baton of some of the world’s most distinguished conductors, including Carlos Kleiber, Claudio Abbado, Bernard Haitink, Günter Wand, Sir Georg Solti, Sir Simon Rattle, and Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Since 1996, Piotr has been a member of the Deutsche Oper Berlin Orchestra and the Kammersolisten der Deutschen Oper (Chamber Soloists of the Deutsche Oper). He has performed with various chamber ensembles, including the Arte Quartet, Stradivari Sextett Habisreutinger, SKB (Solisten der Kammerphilharmonie Berlin), and Oriol Ensemble Berlin, appearing at renowned chamber music festivals such as Schleswig-Holstein, Lago Maggiore (1997), Łańcut (2000), Brandenburgische Sommerkonzerte, and Berliner Festwochen (2001). Piotr has also premiered and recorded solo works by contemporary composers, including Paweł Łukaszewski, Philippe Moss, Boris Blacher, and Stefan Knoll.
Piotr is an active educator. From 2004 to 2008, he served as a lecturer at the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław and as the artistic director of chamber music courses in Krzyżowa. In 2010, he became the artistic advisor and co-founder of the Gorzów Philharmonic, an international orchestra composed of young musicians from Europe and Asia. From 2010 to 2013, Piotr served as the first concertmaster of the Gorzów Philharmonic, also performing as a soloist with the orchestra.
Since 2002, Piotr has been a member of The Polish String Quartet Berlin, an ensemble that has actively contributed to Berlin’s concert life for nearly two decades. The quartet specializes in performing works by Polish composers such as Jerzy Fitelberg, Juliusz Mendelssohn, Karol Rathaus, Krzysztof Penderecki, Witold Lutosławski, Andrzej Panufnik, Philippe Moss, Witold Szalonek, Aleksander Tansman, Szymon Laks, Józef Koffler, and many others. In 2012, the quartet initiated the European Forum of Polish Music in Berlin, organizing regular concerts dedicated to Polish composers, including anniversary celebrations of Krzysztof Penderecki, Witold Lutosławski, and Andrzej Panufnik, often featuring Lady Camilla Jessel Panufnik, the wife of Andrzej Panufnik. The Polish String Quartet Berlin has recorded two CDs for EDA RECORDS (2017-2018), featuring works by Polish composers.
In 2012, Piotr founded the Vivaldi Young Philharmonics, a youth chamber orchestra, and the Vivaldi Kinder Orchestra (VKO), a children’s orchestra in Berlin. Through these ensembles, he passionately supports young musicians in their artistic development. Piotr is also the founder and Artistic Director of the Motion String Orchestra (MSO), established in 2015 in Berlin and composed of musicians from the Berlin Opera. As concertmaster and soloist of the MSO, Piotr regularly performs in Berlin. He is also a co-founder of Classic Music for Motion, a company that organizes concerts and CD recordings, enriching Berlin’s musical landscape.
Piotr Prysiażnik’s career is marked by his exceptional artistry, dedication to Polish music, and commitment to nurturing the next generation of musicians.
Viola
A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and the former solo violist of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, Zvi Carmeli has performed as soloist with orchestras such as the Gorzow Philharmonic and the Rubinstein Philharmonic (Lodz) Poland, Kuopio Symphony Orchestra Finland, Klaipeda Chamber Orchestra Lithuania, Jerusalem Camerata Israel , Harmonices Mundi Orchestra Linz and the Salzburg Chamber Soloists Austria, the European Community Chamber Orchestra and more. You can find his full biography here.
Carmeli has collaborated in performance with ensembles such as the Amsterdam chamber music society, the Concertante chamber players New York, the Zurich Ensemble Switzerland, the Fine Arts Quartet, the Budapest Accademica Quartet, the Amernet Quartet and the Mendelssohn Piano Trio Berlin. He has concertized through out Europe and Russia as a member of "The Four Cultures Quartet" - resident ensemble of the Center for Dialogue , Lodz Poland . He has Participated in chamber music festivals such as the "Emilia Romagna" - Italy , Rosklide "Schubertiade"- Denmark , "Prussia Cove" - England, "Middelberg " and "Amadeo" – Holland, "Ars Musica" - Belgium, "Moab" - U.S.A and "Kfar Blum Kol Hamusika" - Israel.
He is a founding member of the SoLaRe String Trio with Vesko Eschkenazy and Tanya Tominkins - 1st prize winners of the Netherlands Impresaariat Chamber Music competition, performing extensively throughout Europe and the U.S.A. in venues such as the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Herkules Hall Munich, the 92nd St. Y New York and the Herbst Theater in San Francisco.
Carmeli has recorded a variety of chamber music for Divox, Edel Classics, Ottavo, Ars Nova, Kontrapunkt, New World records and the KAM Amsterdam Concertgebouw cd series, along with recordings for Dutch, Spanish, German, American and Israeli Radio and Television productions.
Carmeli is a senior lecturer of viola and chamber music at the Jerusalem Academy for Music and Dance, and also the head of its Chamber music department and the Younes and Soraya Program for Excellence in chamber music.
Carmeli is founder of the "Bronislaw Huberman Program for outstanding young string players " at the Jerusalem Music Center , and has given master classes for Viola and Chamber Music at institutions such as the Lenk Sommerakademie Switzerland, Pro Bono Musicae Poland, Chietti Classica Italy, Musica Mundi Belgium, Peter de Groot Holland, Viersener musiksommer, Barenboim Said Akademie Berlin , Juilius Stern Institute - UDK Berlin, Muenster Hochschule fur Musik, Germany , Tibilisi State Conservatory Georgia and the Bard college of Music USA. You can find his full profile on his website.
Marlena Grodzicka - Myślak
Founder and Artistic Director of the World Jewish Philharmonic
Marlena Grodzicka-Myślak is a cultural manager and a Master of Arts in musical performance, specializing in viola. She is a graduate of the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław and the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, where she studied under Professor Stefan Kamasa. Her exceptional musical artistry has been shaped through collaboration with many distinguished figures in the European music scene. Her educational journey includes prestigious institutions such as the "School of Talents" in Poznań, the Academy of Music in Warsaw, and the Cologne University of Music.
She has further honed her skills through masterclasses with renowned professors, including Wolfgang Klos, Paul Urstein, Mathias Buchholz, Jerzy Kosmala, and Tadeusz Gadzina.
As a member of the prestigious symphony orchestra Philharmonie der Nationen, she has performed in some of the world's most renowned concert halls, including Carnegie Hall in New York, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and concert halls in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
Marlena Grodzicka-Myślak has won several violin and viola competitions in Poland and was a scholarship recipient of the Polish Ministry of Culture and Arts. Her artistic achievements include performances at prestigious international festivals such as Schleswig-Holstein, Salzburg Festspiele, "White Nights" in St. Petersburg, and the Bad Wörishofen Festival.
She has collaborated with internationally acclaimed artists, including Jozsef Lendvay, Yuri Bashmet, Jacek Kasprzyk, Maxim Vengerov, Andrea Bocelli, Viktor Kuznetsov, Justus Frantz, Kathleen Battle, Giora Feidman, Sabine Meyer, and Stefan Bevier. Currently, she is a member of the NFM Wrocław Philharmonic.
In addition to her intense artistic career, she is actively involved in cultural management. She has completed management courses in *Crowd & Crisis Management* and holds a European Academy of IT Certification in Marketing and Management, accredited by the EITCI Institute in Brussels.
Selected Cultural Projects:
1. Production and coordination of concert cycles at the White Stork Synagogue (Seasons in the Synagogue and Music of the World with a Jewish Soul, 2021–2024).
2. Organization and coordination of three editions of the international New York Jazz Masters workshops, featuring renowned American jazz musicians. The workshops hosted students from over 20 countries:
- 1st edition: August 2017, Trzebnica
- 2nd edition: August 2018, Wojanów
- 3rd edition: August 2019, Wojanów
3. Concert tour (14 concerts) of the international project Sisters in Jazz in Poland and Ukraine (2019).
4. Production and coordination of six performances of the National Chinese Circus in Poland (Gdynia, Szczecin, Warsaw, Toruń, Poznań, Katowice, 2018).
5. Polish concert tour of world-renowned Hungarian violinist Jozsef Lendvay (May 2015).
6. Concert tour of Ewa Uryga & New York Jazz Collective, featuring Mark Soskin (USA), Luques Curtis (USA), and Dorota Piotrowska (Poland/USA) (November 2015).
7. European Executive Forum (Warsaw, 2015): Full organization of the concert for the Gala Awards Ceremony, featuring artists from Poland and Ukraine (April 2015).
8. Chemical Industry Summit & Awards Gala (2015): Comprehensive organization of the concert for the Gala Awards Ceremony (February 2015).
Meirav Kadichevski
Oboe and English horn
Meirav Kadichevski is a highly accomplished oboist and English horn player with an extensive career performing in prestigious orchestras and ensembles across the globe. Since 2003, Meirav has held the position of First and Second Oboe and English Horn in the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, conducted by the renowned Daniel Barenboim. This role has allowed her to collaborate with some of the world’s most celebrated musicians and perform on international stages.
In addition to her work with the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, Meirav has been a member of the Tel Aviv Soloists Ensemble since 2009, showcasing her versatility and skill in chamber music settings. From 2008 to 2009, she served as Assistant Principal Oboe with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestraunder the direction of Zubin Mehta, further solidifying her reputation as a leading orchestral musician.
Meirav’s career also includes notable positions such as Principal Oboe with the Bochum Symphony Orchestra in Germany (2008) under Steven Sloane, and as an Academist (First and Second Oboe and English Horn) with the Berlin State Opera Orchestra (Staatskapelle Berlin) from 2006 to 2008, working closely with Daniel Barenboim. During this time, she also performed as a guest musician with prominent ensembles, including the Komische Oper Berlin (Principal Oboe), Konzerthaus Orchestra Berlin (English Horn), Kammerakademie Potsdam (English Horn), and the Baroque Orchestra "La Passione" (Baroque Bassoon).
Earlier in her career, Meirav held the position of Principal Oboe with the Heidelberg Symphony Orchestra (2003-2006) under Thomas Fey and served as Second Oboe with the SWR Radio Symphony Orchestra in Freiburg, Germany (2002-2003), conducted by Sylvain Cambreling. She also gained valuable experience as a member of the Philharmonia of the Nations (1999-2002), the Israel Young Philharmonic (1996-1999), and the Kfar Saba Youth Orchestra (1992-1996).
Meirav’s musical education is equally impressive. She earned the Konzertexamen Title from the Rostock University of Music in Germany (2006-2008), studying under Gregor Witt, solo oboe of the Staatskapelle Berlin. Prior to this, she completed her Diplom Title at the same institution (2004-2006). Meirav also pursued Diplom studies at the Karlsruhe University of Music (1999-2004) under Thomas Indermühle and began her formal training with a Bachelor's degree from the Tel Aviv Academy of Music (1997-1999), studying under Dudu Carmel. Her early studies included private lessons with Dudu Carmel (1995-1997) and training at the Kfar Saba Municipal Conservatory (1993-1995) under Miki Lem.
In addition to her primary instrument, Meirav has studied the English Horn extensively, receiving lessons from Gert Kleinfeld (2006-2008) and Sabine Kaselow (2005-2006). She has also explored historical performance practices, taking Baroque Bassoon lessons with Eckart Lenzing (2001-2004) and studying the Recorder with Ori Golan (1989-1996).
Meirav has participated in masterclasses with distinguished oboists such as Jacques Tys, Christian Schmitt, Paul Dombrecht, and Albrecht Mayer, further refining her artistry. Her talent has been recognized through multiple scholarships, including awards from the America-Israel Cultural Foundation, the Three Cultures Foundation of the Middle East, and the Barenboim-Said Foundation.
With a rich and diverse career spanning orchestral, chamber, and solo performances, Meirav Kadichevski continues to be a prominent figure in the classical music world, admired for her technical mastery, musical sensitivity, and dedication to her craft.
Jan Krzeszowiec
Flute
Jan Krzeszowiec is an outstanding flutist whose artistic and pedagogical work sets the highest standards in the world of music. A graduate of the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław, he completed his studies with distinction, receiving the prestigious Primus Inter Pares title in the class of Professor Jerzy Mrozik.
He is a laureate of numerous prestigious flute competitions, including those in Warsaw, Kraków, Bucharest, and Aversa. His artistic skills were honed under the guidance of world-renowned masters such as András Adorján, Patrick Gallois, Julius Baker, János Bálint, Peter-Lukas Graf, Jeanne Baxtresser, and Miriam Nastasi.
As a soloist, he has collaborated with distinguished conductors, including Jacek Kaspszyk, Lawrence Foster, Giancarlo Guerrero, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Massimiliano Caldi, Bassem Akiki, and Tan Dun. He has performed with leading orchestras such as the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Pomeranian Philharmonic, Silesian Philharmonic, NFM Wrocław Philharmonic, Polish Chamber Philharmonic Sopot, New Music Orchestra, Silesian Chamber Orchestra, and the Beethoven Academy Orchestra.
Chamber music holds a special place in his artistic activity. As a member of the LutosAir Quintet, he regularly performs in Poland and abroad, promoting both forgotten masterpieces and works specially commissioned for the ensemble.
Since 2001, he has served as the principal flutist of the Wrocław Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, now the NFM Wrocław Philharmonic. His long-standing artistic career is also reflected in his teaching. From 2005 to 2023, he was affiliated with his alma mater in Wrocław, where he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in 2019. He currently holds the position of assistant professor at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice.
His recordings, released by prestigious labels such as Deutsche Grammophon, ECM, and DUX, have received accolades including the Fryderyk Award and the International Classical Music Awards. In 2022 and 2024, two albums were released featuring Jan alongside his brothers, violinist Szymon and cellist Adam Krzeszowiec. The first, featuring concert repertoire, was recorded with the NFM Wrocław Philharmonic under the baton of Jerzy Maksymiuk. The second, a chamber music album, includes works dedicated to the Krzeszowiec Trio by prominent contemporary Polish composers such as Rafał Augustyn, Krzysztof Meyer, Aleksander Nowak, and Elżbieta Sikora.
His most recent recording is "Dance of Death", released by CD Accord and recorded with the NFM Choir under the direction of Lionel Sow. The album was nominated for the Fryderyk Award in 2025.
Trumpet | Great Britain, Singapur
Born in Leicestershire England, David studied at the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music. Prior to joining the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, David spent three years with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Daniel Harding and Claudio Abaddo. He has been honored to work with many of the world’s leading conductors including Gustavo Dudamel, Philipe Herwegge, Tugan Sokhiev, Esa-Pekka Salonen and Marc Minkowski.
David has travelled the world playing in many internationally renowned orchestras under the baton of the premier conductors of our time. These include: the Philharmonia, Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Welsh National Opera, Orchestra Gran Canaria, Tenerife, and the Beijing Symphony Orchestra.
Part of David’s heritage of brass playing comes from the British-style brass band. He is proud to be the principal cornet of the Desford Colliery Band, an ensemble with a 100-year history and one of UK’s finest exponents of this medium. He can be heard on numerous orchestral and chamber ensemble recordings for Deutche Gramophone, Virgin Classics, BIS, Hyperion and Chandos.
Prof. Zbigniew Monkiewicz
French Horn | Conductor of the brass section
Professor Zbigniew Monkiewicz was born in 1971 in Olecko. He began learning to play the horn at the State Music School in Olecko under the guidance of Jan Orlik. He graduated from the Henryk Wieniawski Music High School in Łódź, where he studied under Zbigniew Młynarski. He continued his education at the Grażyna and Kiejstut Bacewicz Academy of Music in Łódź, studying horn under Senior Lecturer Zbigniew Młynarski, and graduated with distinction in 1994. That same year, he won the 2nd Prize at the 1st National Young Horn Players Competition in Łódź.
As a soloist and chamber musician, he has performed in Poland, Germany, Spain, Georgia, and China alongside renowned artists such as Kolja Blacher, Plácido Domingo, Patrick Gallois, Natalia Gutman, Mstislav Rostropovich, Eliso Virsaladze, and Ariel Zuckermann.
Zbigniew Monkiewicz has performed with numerous symphony orchestras, including Sinfonia Varsovia, the Beethoven Academy Orchestra, Grohmann Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic, Georgian Sinfonietta, Kammerorchester Ingolstadt, Philharmonie der Nationen, and the Łódź Philharmonic. His extensive discography includes archival recordings for Polish Radio and Television, as well as commercial releases. From 1992 to 2002, he served as the principal horn soloist at the Arthur Rubinstein Łódź Philharmonic, and from 2002 to 2015, he held the same position at the Polish Radio Orchestra in Warsaw. Since 1996, he has been the principal horn player of the international orchestra Philharmonie der Nationen. He has participated in numerous concerts in Poland and has toured extensively abroad (England, the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg). Since 2015, he has been working as the principal horn player at the Grand Theatre in Łódź.
In 2014 and 2015, he was invited by Krzysztof Penderecki to serve as a tutor at the Penderecki Music Academy in Boiken and Lusławice. In 2014, he conducted a masterclass at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre in Tallinn. Since 2014, he has been teaching horn at the Municipal Music School in Skierniewice, and since 2015, at the State Music School in Skierniewice. He also collaborates with the Grażyna and Kiejstut Bacewicz Academy of Music in Łódź.