Piotr Borkowski (b. Warsaw, 1963), conductor, pupil of Boguslaw Madey, graduate of the Chopin Music Academy in Warsaw with distinction for conducting the Warsaw National Philharmonic in diploma concert (1989), followed by assistantship in the Department of Conducting at his Alma Mater and doctorate (PhD in Conducting, 1997). Earlier, Piotr Borkowski made his debut as conductor at Warsaw Autumn Festival, 1986, and that time his professional career began. A few years later (1993) he studied conducting with Hans Graf in Vienna under a Meisterkurse für Musik scholarship. In 1995 his studies with Myung-Whun Chung and Ilija Musin at Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena fruited with a Diploma di Merito. Regularly conducts many Polish orchestras (including Warsaw National Philharmonic) and chamber groups as well as their French, Italian ( Sinfonica di Roma), Swedish, North-American, German (Berliner Sinfoniker), South-Korean, Slovakian, Brasilian and Ukrainian counterparts. Recorded for the Polish Radio, Katowice (NPRSO) and commercial outfits at home (e.g. Gorzow Philharmonic, Olsztyn Philharmonic, Podlasie Philharmonic, Beethoven Academy ) and abroad (Korean Chamber ). He recorded for Polskie Nagrania, Polonia Records, SPV GmbH, Acte Préalable, Skarbo, DUX, Global Sound Media, Centaur Records, Musica Sacra Edition and NAXOS. For many times nominated to Polish phonographic award "Fryderyk", he received it in 2006 for the best recording and interpretation of Polish music. Recently his recording with Soyoung Yoon 1st prize winner of the Wieniawski International Violin Competition received a nomination to prestigious International Classical Music Award 2013. Aspirated to the post of assistant conductor of the Boston Symphony and was among finalists (February 1995). The same year Piotr Borkowski participated in the Antonio Pedrotti competition with Diploma di Merito. In the years 1991-1994 Head of the Feliks Nowowiejski State Philharmonic in Olsztyn (Poland), then in 1994-1997 its artistic director. Toured France with the Olsztyn Philharmonic in 1993, South Korea with Chopin Symphony (1997), Taiwan (2007) and China (2008, 2009) with University of Suwon Symphony, and Germany (with Podlasie Philharmonic in 2010; with United Chamber in 2012). Guest professor of conducting at Taegu Keimyung University, College of Music (South Korea) and simultaneously guest conductor of the local Taegu Philharmonic i.a., at the Festival of Korean s in Seoul. Regularly conducts also the major Korean orchestras, and opera companies including: KBS, Korean Symphony, Suwon Philharmonic, Buchon Philharmonic, New Seoul Philharmonic, Taegu City Symphony, Chonju Philharmonic, Kangnam Symphony and Cholla Buk Province Opera Company ( Lucia di Lammermoor by G. Donizetti), as well as Korean Chamber and The Life and Dream Singers chamber opera group (Asian premieres of opera "Mannequins" by Z. Rudzinski, "Ein Fest für Boris" by Sukhi Kang and "Aleko" by S. Rachmaninoff). With The University of Suwon Opera Group he conducted W.A.Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro", "Don Giovanni", "Cosi fan tutte", "Magic Flute" and Cavalleria Rusticana by P. Mascagni. Since 1996 to 2001 professor of conducting at the Hyosung Catholic University in Teagu and director of university orchestra. Since 2001 until 2011he was a professor of conducting and orchestra music director at the University of Suwon in South Korea where he also served as Chair of l Department. In 2006 Piotr Borkowski was appointed the conductor of Suwon Philharmonic in South Korea. In years 2008-2011 he established and was the chief conductor of the Gyeonggi Festival in South Korea. In 2010 he was appointed Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of new-established orchestra of Gorzow Philharmonic - Centre for Art Education (Poland), where he served until November 2012. Presently Mr. Borkowski is the Music Director of the United Chamber, and First Guest Conductor of the Kammersolisten der Deutschen Oper Berlin.
Recordings Thumbnail /Label Work title Performers Marian Borkowski - Pax in terra II M. Armanowska - soprano A. Chorosiński - organ Warsaw Percussion Group Polonia Records CD 020 Phillipe Chamouard 1. Symphonie Tibetaine 2. Symphonie Mystique "Sphen" Olsztyn State Philharmonic Skarbo D SK 3961 Phillipe Chamouard 1. Symphonie Tibetaine 2. Symphonie Mystique "Sphen" Olsztyn State Philharmonic Orphée Production OP 1102 Wojciech Lukaszewski - Moon Songs (Piesni Ksiezyca) Anna Malewicz-Madey - mezzosoprano Camerata Vistula AP 0004 B. Konowalski - Bassoon Concerto Bogumil Gadawski - bassoon Chopin Academy of Music Symphony AP 0010
1. Wagner - Overture to the opera Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg 2. Liszt - Piano Concerto No 1 3. Borodin - Symphony No 2 Catholic University of Taegu Symphony Daniel Buranovsky - piano Kukje Recording Studio DUX Recording Producers 0393 GSM, Global Sound Media 001 1. Choe Uzong - Das Lied der Unfruchtbaren 2. Cho Songon - Soft and Cold 3. Kang Sukhi - Mosaicum Visio 4. Z. Krauze - Rhapsod 5. M. Borkowski - Variant 6. P. Lukaszewski - Winterreise 1. Choe Uzong - Das Lied der Unfruchtbaren 2. Cho Songon - Soft and Cold 3. Kang Sukhi - Mosaicum Visio 4. Z. Krauze - Rhapsod 5. M. Borkowski - Variant 6. P. Lukaszewski - Winterreise Marian Borkowski - De profundis Lee Jiyoung - flute solo (1) Kim Min - violin solo (3,4) Korean Chamber Ensemble Lee Jiyoung - flute solo (1) Kim Min - violin solo (3,4) Korean Chamber Ensemble Choir ATK Chopin Academy of Music Symphony AP 0011-12 AP 0038 Marian Borkowski 1. Pax in terra II 2. Hosanna 3. Dram 4. De profundis Marian Borkowski - Hosanna M. Armanowska (1) - soprano A. Chorosiński (1) - organ Szymon Bogacz (2) - trumpet Arkadiusz Górecki (2) - trombone Warsaw Percussion Group (1,2) Choir ATK (2,4) Chopin Academy of Music Symphony (3,4) Szymon Bogacz - trumpet Arkadiusz Górecki - trombone Warsaw Percussion Group Choir ATK AP 0098
The University of Suwon 20 th Anniversary Celebration CD Compositions of Wagner, Mascagni, J. Strauss, Gounod, Verdi, Puccini Choir and of The University of Suwon Vocal Department Faculty Members GSM, Global Sound Media 005 The New Polish Music Panorama - VI Marian Borkowski - Dram Chopin Academy of Music Symphony AP 0109 Frank Wildhorn Musical "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde" OD Musical Company, Seoul Korean Chamber Ensemble BMG Korea BMGCD 9J96 Isang Yun 1. Chamber Symphony No 1 2. Tapis for strings 3. Gong-Hu for harp and strings Korean Chamber Ensemble Rana Park - harp Naxos 8.557938 Laboratory of Contemporary Music - 2004 Marian Borkowski - Pax in terra II M. Armanowska - soprano A. Chorosiński - organ Crocow Percussion Group AP 0133
M. Blazewicz - Concerto for Marimba and No 2 M. Klimasara marimba Polish Radio Symphony T. Baird - Canzona M. Blazewicz - Concerto for Marimba and No 2 W. Lukaszewski - Trois episodes funebres M. Borkowski - Dies Irae A. Mikolajczyk-Niewiedzial soprano M. Klimasara - marimba Musica Sacra Warsaw-Praga Cathedral Choir Warsaw University Choir Polish Radio Symphony Romances for Saxophone and Greg Banaszak - saxophones Beethoven Academy Musica Sacra Edition MSE 009 Musica Sacra Edition MSE 011 Centaur Records CRC 2889/90 J. Bruzdowicz - Largo D. Morgan - Three Vignettes S. Raman - Aria W. Kilar - Vocalise H. Villa-Lobos - Bachianas Brasilieras A. Hovhaness - Concerto for Saxophone J. Leatherbarrow - Don Quixote in love E. Bozza - Aria Sacred Music P. Lukaszewski - Gaudium et Spes A. Mikolajczyk-Niewiedzial soprano Choir and of the Podlasie Philharmonic Musica Sacra Edition MSE 013 Marian Borkowski 4. 5. 6. 7. Musica Sacra Edition MSE 020 Hymnus De profundis Hosanna Dies Irae Musica Sacra Warsaw-Praga Cathedral Choir Choir and of the Podlasie Philharmonic Polish Radio Symphony
Jaejoon Ryu - Violin Concerto No.1, Op.10 (World priemiere) So-Ock Kim - violin Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic Duo Concertos for Alto Saxophone, Flute and Greg Banaszak - saxophone Katherine DeJongh - flute Podlasie Philharmonic NAXOS 8.570599 Centaur Records CRC 3192 1. David Morgan - Reflections and Meditations 2. Arthur Honegger - Concerto da Camera 3. Pawel Lukaszewski - Trinity Concerto 4. Subaram Raman - A Song Not Sung 5. Russell Peterson - Concerto for Alto Saxophone, Flute and String Marian Borkowski - Symphonic and Chamber Music 1. Variant for instrumental ensemble 2. Vision II for string orchestra 3. Dram for orchestra Korean Chamber Ensemble Chopin Academy String Chopin Academy Symphony Musica Sacra Edition MSE 030 1. J. Sibelius - Violin Concerto Op.47 2. P. Tchaikovsky - Violin Concerto Op.35 Soyoung Yoon - violin Gorzow Philharmonic Pawel Lukaszewski - Musica Sacra 1 Anna Mikolajczyk-Niewiedzial - soprano Greg Banaszak - saxophone Ravel Piano Duo Podlasie Philharmonic and Choir DUX Recording Producers 0336 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. DUX Recording Producers 0356 Gaudium et Spes Sinfonietta for strings Trinity Concerto for saxophone and strings Adagietto for string orchestra Symphony No. 2 for soprano, two pianos, mixed choir and symphony orchestra
Piotr Borkowski - Conductor REVIEWS Glos Pomorza, June 3-4, 1989 "... Piotr Borkowski's interpretation of Beethoven's Eight Symphony had all the hallmarks of a conductor on the threshold of a major career: restraint and expediency of gestures, excellent manual technique, self-discipline, musicality and sensitivity, a thorough knowledge of the score and musical styles. When it comes to young musicians at the very start of an independent career these are extremely rare features. Likewise, such an outstanding interpretation of the Eight Symphony can be heard rarely in the concert halls today..." Glos Pomorza, November 25-26, 1989 "... Piotr Borkowskis's second appearance in Koszalin in a few months went a long way to confirm the astounding musicality, refinement and an exceptional conducting talent of this year's graduate of the Warsaw Music Academy. /.../ It was a performance clearly in the realm of the true art..." Nowiny Jeleniogorskie, February 7, 1990 "... The spontaneous and warm reception at tonight's concert should be surely attributed to Piotr Borkowski, very young conductor from Warsaw, whom the audience accepted almost without reservations. Small wonder, considering that Borkowski was able to demonstrate the full range of his talent. The fantastic memory, excellent command of the conductor's craft and manual skills have made his communication with the orchestra readable and highly suggestive..." Gaz eta Ols z ty ns k a, February 13, 1991 "... The Friday concert was a success. First and foremost it was the conductor's success. For the young Piotr Borkowski it was the second opportunity to display his musical skills in the town of Olsztyn. The excellent technique, clear-cut gestures and the interpretative concepts, full of life and yet meticulously thought-out, make us believe that he has won a permanent place on the musical circuit."
Gaz eta Ols z ty ns k a, May 12, 1992 "... The D-minor Symphony by Cesar Franck has electrified the audience. Its mellow, "organ-like" sound, full of dynamic contrasts and nuances had a sense of inevitable unfolding. /.../ It seemed to me that all the atmospheric electricity on that rainy night in May found an outlet for itself on the concert stage. It was a truly unique experience. The concert was Borkowski's success. I do not really know how he achieved it. And I do not want - this time at least - to find it out. I trust in his talent!" Gaz eta Ols z ty ns k a, July 1, 1992 "... It was a concert in an almost holiday mood; yet it gave much food for thought as to the scope of progress the orchestra has made since the start of the season. Piotr Borkowski deserves words of praise for what he has done for this ensemble... In Beethoven's Fifth, as if running counter its drama and pathos, he brought out the dance quality of the music. Add to it the conductor's sensitivity to the shadings of dynamics and color, and his meticulous attention to all the sound nuances of almost Romantic nature - as if in a symphonic poem rather than a Beethoven symphony. The result was an astonishingly fresh reading of the piece, full of unique charm. I would have never expected such an interpretation of the Fifth. Bravo!" Gaz eta Pom ors k a, November 11, 1992 "... On Friday evening a young conductor, the first one known this season by Bydgoszcz audience, met with loud cheers. Conductor's success generally comes together with musical and personal maturity. Piotr Borkowski is 29-year old and yet he is general and artistic director of the Olsztyn Philharmonic. Conducting the Friday concert with Pomeranian Philharmonic he presented himself extremely well both visually - thanks to his elegant figure and unpretentious plasticity of gesture - and musically; the interpretation of each piece of music was clear, confident and vivid. /.../ Piotr Borkowski has an important virtue: under his leadership Tchaikovsky sounds like Tchaikovsky and Franck like Franck. He knows draw out stylistic differences of harmony and expression and to elicit from the orchestra as much latitude as discipline of performance. Full of temperament, he does not let it carry him away. /.../ Also in Variations the soloist was well supported by the conductor performing a difficult art of conducting the orchestra. /.../ The grateful orchestra sounded clearly, tuned and kept consonant structures even in fortissimos. It was a vivid and mellow concert, clear in forms and at the same time light and unconstrained. The young public attending the event was leaving the concert hall very much animated and satisfied."
Przeglad Powszechny, October 1993 "... The festival was brought to a close with the first Polish performance of Nowowiejski's oratorio "The Return of the Prodigal Son", a work which in 1902 won the then 25-year old composer the Meyerbeer Award. The Symphony of Olsztyn Philharmonic and the combined choruses of the College of Education and the Olsztyn Diocese were conducted by Piotr Borkowski. He handled the vast musical forces excellently, giving due attention to all the planes of the work's rich texture and maintaining a sense of proportion between the expressive and sound qualities of the oratorio. He also drew out the fine musical outlines of the evangelical parable." Gaz eta Ols z ty ns k a, December 21, 1993 "... After the symphony concert last Friday, December 17, I was leaving the Olsztyn Philharmonic Hall very much impressed by the pianist Tatiana Szebanowa. And thought I do not want to deprive the famous pianist of her well deserved splendors I was equally, if not more, impressed by the performance of Piotr Borkowski, director of the Olsztyn orchestra. /.../ It seems to me, however, that we still underestimate the presence of Piotr Borkowski in Olsztyn. He is one of the most talented Polish conductors of younger generation. /.../. I have had many opportunities to admire his sensibility to the color of sound or his rhythmic vigor. /.../. Meanwhile last night /.../ I saw a fully mature musician who is conscious of his own, consistent and well established artistic way. /.../ As soon as I heard the Suite from "The Swan Lake" I pricked my ears. Trivialized by various sentimental interpretations, paraphrases, rearrangements the suite is not that much enjoyable for music lovers any more. And suddenly I realized that the instrumental solo parts and the sound of orchestral sections were refined, rhythms accurate, facture treatment clear, everything far from traditional drawn-out manner of Tch a ikovs ky work's interpretation; on the contrary: restrained, composed and fresh. And that was what really moved and impressed me so much: the sound of certain concert parts for solo instruments of "The Swan Lake" conducted by Piotr Borkowski made me think of ballets composed by Igor Stravinsky 50 years later. Above all differences in music matter, purely technical disparities, above "revolutions", you could feel similar logic of shaping the course of music, continuity of its historic evolvement. Time after time /.../ you could feel the presence of timeless spirit of pure music. The spirit of mathematics, geometry, harmonious form and beauty - romantic in a way but in different manner."
POLNISCHE 'MUSICA SACRA' **** - P. Lukaszewski: Musica Sacra I; Gaudium et Spes, Sinfonietta per archi, Trinity concerto for Alto Saxophone and String, Adagietto for Strings, Symphony no 2; Anna Mikolajczyk, Sopran, Greg Banaszak, Saxophon, Podlasie Philharmonic Chorus, Podlasie Philharmonic, Bialystok, Piotr Borkowski; 1 CD Dux 0356; o.d. (69'25) *** - P. Lukaszewski: Musica Sacra 2; Polish Chamber Choir, Jan Lukaszewski; 1 CD Dux 0367; 2012 (61 55) *** - P. Lukaszewski: Musica Sacra 3; Polish Chamber Choir, Schola Cantorum Gedanensis, Jan Lukaszewski; 1 CD Dux 0440; 11/02 (49 57) Der polnische Papst Johannes Paul II. ist nicht ganz unschuldig an einer Neubelebung der geistlichen Musik in seinem Heimatland. Der aus Tschenstochau stammende polnische Komponist Pawel Lukaszewski (*1968) der sich selbst als Erneuerer der Tonalität sieht, hat sich mittlerweile als einer der Protagonisten dieser Bewegung hervorgetan und ist vor allem für seine Vokalwerke bekannt, von denen etliche für den 1999 von ihm gegründeten Kammermusikchor 'Musica Sacra' der Kathedrale in Warschau komponiert wurden. 'Musica Sacra' heißt auch diese CD-Kollektion die mittlerweile drei Alben umfasst. Auf der ersten CD befinden sich Werke, die a priori nicht in die Kategorie geistlicher Musik zu gehören scheinen. Doch bei Lukaszewski konvergieren diverse Gattungen in diesen Bereich. 'Gaudium et Spes' (1997) ist der erste Satz der Ersten Symphonie (Symphonie der Vorsehung), ein eher dunkel gefärbtes Stück Musik, über dem der Sopran von Anna Mikołajczyk-Niewiedział schwebt. Orchester und Chor stehen ausdrucksvoll im Dienst dieser aussagekräftigen Musik. Das gilt, was die Streicher anbelangt, auch für die 2004 entstandene Sinfonietta, deren Ausdrucksvielfalt das Dramatische genau so begreift wie das Kontemplative, und im letzten Satz eine düstere Spannung aufbaut. Von packender Wirkung ist das 'Trinity Concerto' mit sattem Streicherklang und voller inbrünstiger Saxophontöne. Die Symphonie Nr. 2, Festinemus amare homines (Beeilen wir uns die Menschen zu lieben), benutzt einen ins Lateinische übersetzten Text des polnischen Priesters und Dichters Jan Twardowski, in dem ein modernes Wort wie Telephon doch ungewöhnlich klingt. Die vier Sätze lauten: 'Festinemus' (Beilen wir uns), 'Tempus (Zeit), 3. Amamus (Lieben wir), 4. Decedunt (Sie verlassen uns). Der dramatische erste Satz führt zu einem traurigen zweiten Satz, während der dritte Satz (Amamus) wiederum sehr dramatisch und drängend ist. Auch das Finale pulsiert die Musik leidenschaftlich und kraftvoll. Borkowski hält die Orchester- und Chormassen ausgezeichnet zusammen und inspiriert sie zu einem grossartigen Musizieren. Die Tonaufnahme ist erstrangig, und wir können daher diese erste CD der Kollektion bedingungslos empfehlen Die beiden anderen dokumentieren ebenfalls Lukaszewskis vielseitiges Schaffen. Sein musikalisches Vokabular bedient sich aus der gregorianischen Tradition, greift aber auch Einflüsse seines Landsmannes Henryk Gorecki sowie von Arvo Pärt auf. Diese klanglich interessante Bandbreite ist in den vorliegenden Aufnahmen nur zu erahnen. Die Chöre sind stimmlich wenig ausblanciert, singen dennoch nett. Der Musik geht aber vor allem jegliche innere Spannung und Mystik ab, die gerade geistliche Musik erfordert. Ge/Rémy Franck
CA CHAUFFE **** - J. Sibelius & P. I. Tchaikovsky: Concertos pour violon et orchestre; Soyoung Yoon, violon, Orchestre Philharmonique de Gorzow, Piotr Borkowski; 1 CD Dux 0336; 4/12 (72'05) Les violonistes se suivent et, heureusement, ne se ressemblent pas toutes. En voici une qui se distingue par un tempérament féroce. Cette lauréate de nombreux concours et Médaille d'or du Concours Wieniawski en 2011, livre une version bouillante des deux compositions. Son Stradivarius 'King George' rayonne dans des couleurs brillantes et tranchantes. Les Concertos de Sibelius et de Tchaikovsky en profitent, le premier ne tolérant guère la douceur, le deuxième permettant facilement un maximum de virtuosité et d'énergie. Et ça chauffe, croyez-le moi! L'Orchestre ne demeure pas en reste et épaule la soliste avec un son vigoureux et bien nourri. L'image sonore du CD est excellente. Rémy Franck