Zdunik, Marcin

Polish cellist, soloist and chamber musician. His repertoire ranges from Renaissance to contemporary music; he improvises, composes and creates his own arrangements. He has been invited to perform at prestigious music festivals including the BBC Proms, Progetto Martha Argerich in Lugano, and Chopin and his Europe in Warsaw. He has appeared as a soloist in famous venues such as New York’s Carnegie Hall, London’s Cadogan Hall, and Prague’s Rudolfinum, playing frequently with outstanding ensembles such as the Warsaw Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, European Union Chamber Orchestra, Sinfonia Varsovia, and City of London Sinfonia, under eminent conductors such as Andrzej Boreyko, Antoni Wit, Andres Mustonen, and many others. Collaboration with inspiring musicians such as Nelson Goerner, Gérard Caussé, Krzysztof Jabłoński, and Krzysztof Jakowicz has played a major role in his artistic life. During the Chamber Music Connects the World Festival he performed with Gidon Kremer and Yuri Bashmet. In the 2016/17 artistic season, he was artist-in-residence at Warsaw Philharmonic. 

His numerous accolades include 1st Prize, Grand Prix, and nine other awards in the 6th Witold Lutosławski International Cello Competition in Warsaw (2007); representing the Polish Radio at the EBU International Rostrum for Young Performers in Bratislava (1st Prize and New Talent title, 2008); Guarantee of Culture Award of TVP Kultura public broadcasting channel. 

2009 saw the release of his debut album (with the Wratislavia Chamber Orchestra under Jan Stanienda), featuring notably two cello concertos by Joseph Haydn (the CD won the Fryderyk 2010 award). Zdunik has also recorded Robert Schumann’s complete works for cello and piano (with pianist Aleksandra Świgut; NIFC 2014), Mieczysław Wajnberg’s Fantasy for Cello and Orchestra (with Sinfonia Varsovia, under Andres Mustonen, Grand Theatre — National Opera in Warsaw, 2015), as well as many chamber music works. His most recent CD album Bach Stories, recorded with pianist Aleksander Dębicz, appeared under the Warner Classics label. He has also recorded extensively for the Polish Radio and Polish Television as well as the Slovak Radio. 

Marcin Zdunik studied under leading cellists Andrzej Bauer and Julius Berger, as well as musicology at the University of Warsaw. He runs the violin class at the Academy of Music in Gdańsk, and holds a postdoctoral degree in musical arts.