JURY of the International Music Competition OPUS 2021
Mai Fukui (Japan)
Ivan Pernicki (Croatia)
Pauline Rouet-Chabaux (France)
ROSARIA DINA RIZZO (Italy)
Tomasz Fechner (USA/Poland)
Danuta Augustyn (Poland)
Natalia Chudzicka, (Poland)
Wojciech Herzyk (Poland)
Natalia Warzecha-Karkus (Poland)
Paweł Kroczek (Poland)
Damian Kurek (Poland)
Hanna Lizinkiewicz (Poland)
Grzegorz Palus (Poland)
Weronika Strugała (Poland)
WIESŁAW OCHWAT (POLAND)
ANDRZEJ TKACZYK (POLAND)
MAŁGORZATA WYGODA (POLAND)
NATALIA JARZĄBEK (POLAND)
KRZYSZTOF CHLIPAŁA (POLAND)
KRZYSZTOF AUGUSTYN (POLAND)
MAI FUKUI japanese harpist, Mai Fukui is a prize-winner at many competitions including: Israel International Harp Contest, USA International Harp Competition, Paris International Harp Competition of Cité des Arts. She is regularly invited to play at festivals and recitals, chamber music and concerto performances in Europe and in Japan. As an orchestra member, Ms. Fukui has participated at the Paris National Opera for Wagner’s Rheingold and at Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival. She is the winner of « Sakuya Konohana Prize » awarded by the City of Osaka in 2014, as well as the « New Talent Award » from the Kyoto Aoyama Music Foundation in 2012. She has taught at the Amiens Conservatoire in France and is currently teacher at the prestigious Tokyo University of the Arts and at the Kobe College – School of Music.
more: Http://maifukui.com
IVAN PERNICKI croatian pianist, equally at home on stage as a soloist or as a collaborative artist. He graduated from the Music Academy in his hometown of Zagreb, Croatia, after which he spent five years at La Schola Cantorum in Paris as a master’s-degree student of noted piano pedagogue Prof. Eugen Indjic. In 2009 and 2010 he had been awarded the International Keyboard Music Institute Scholarship at the Mannes College of Music in New York (USA). Mr. Pernicki currently serves as a pianist in the vocal departments at both the Music Academy in Zagreb (Croatia) and the Music Academy in Ljubljana (Slovenia). He strongly advocates for music by Croatian composers, works by living composers and Art songs for voice and piano. In 2008, he gave the premiere of a new composition by Juilliard faculty member Eric Ewazen at Juilliard, and American composer Larry Alan Smith dedicated his “Three Pieces for Piano” (published in 2015) to Pernicki. In recent years, Pernicki has performed as a soloist and a chamber musician in performances broadcast by Croatian Radio and Television and at festivals in Switzerland, Spain, Austria, France, Italy, Latvia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the United States. Mr. Pernicki is especially praised for his work with singers and clarinet players. In 2014 he received a special award for best vocal accompanist at the International Singing Competition Lazar Jovanović in Belgrade (Serbia), and in 2016, he was a scholarship participant at the renowned Franz Schubert Institute in Baden bei Wien, the first Croatian musician to perform there in the Institute’s thirty-year history. Pernicki has also played orchestral reductions for nine opera productions in Switzerland, Italy, and Croatia for which he received excellent reviews. In 2019 he has been awarded with specialprize as collaborative pianist for singers at Temsig competition in Slovenia. From that year he is also offical pianist for Gran Canaria International Clarinet festival. In recent time, Ivan has given numerous lecture recitals and masterclasses on chamber music and vocal coaching, on locations including several Universities in United Sates (University of Texas in Austin, Butler school of Music; University of Hartford, Hartt school of music; UMKC, Kansas City; Goucher college, Baltimore; Slippery Rock University, Pittsburgh; Kennesaw state University, Atlanta). In 2018 Ivan gave a concert at the National WWI Museum in Kansas City which was supported by House of Representatives at Washington 115th Congress, second session.
PAULINE ROUET-CHABAUX oboist, she started to play oboe when she was 5 years old. She began her musical education at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Metz (France) and after she studied at the Hochschule für Musik Saar (Germany, 2014-2019) in the class of Philippe Tondre. She received the 1st price at the competition “Concours artistique d’Epinal” (France) in 2011 in the category “excellence”. She played in 2018 and in 2019 at the “Alexander Arutiunian International Wind Festival” in Armenia as Soloist. And she performed as a member of the WCIT World Orchestra on October 6, 2019 in the Republic Square of Armenia, project which was the opening of the largest IT events in the world. She worked as Oboist at the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sergey Smbatyan from the 1st September 2019 until the 30th November 2020. She is soloist at the chamber orchestra “Kammerphilharmonie Europa”.
ROSARIA DINA RIZZO pianist, after obtaining her diploma in piano she took various Master Classes with J. Achucarro, C. Rosen, B. Canino, with Sergio Perticaroli at the Sommerakademie Mozarteum in Salzburg; furthermore she frequented advanced studies at the “Liszt Ferenc Music Academy” of Budapest. Her particular interests have been directed towards chamber music in fact she attained her diploma at the School of Chamber Music (Scuola S. di Musica da Camera) of Conservatory of Music “S. Cecilia” in Rome and at the International Advanced School of Chamber Music with the Trio di Trieste. She completed a Degree in Humanities achieving high grades and graduating with honours in Pedagogy and also in Discipline Musicali– Piano and in Discipline Musicali- Chamber Music. She has carried out intense concert activities performing as soloist and as part of various chamber music groups for important associations in Italy and in other countries: Germany, Egypt, Croazia, Belgium, Switzerland, Unghery, Russia, France, America, Kazakistan, Bulgaria, Messico, Spain, Slovenia, Macedonia, Czech Republic,tournèe in Romania e in Slovacchia; she played in Radiotelevision of Bucarest and in Radio Television Slovena in Lubiana. She was amongst the prize winners of various National and International Competitions and won, as part of the Trio, the Gold Medal (First Prize) at the XXX Grand Concours International 1999 in Paris. She has also performed with Orchestra Sinfonica of Piemonte, with Orchestra Giovanile Abruzzese “I Sinfonici”, Knox Galesburg Symphony (USA), Philarmonic Orchestra of Bacau (Romania), Chamber Orchestra of Romanian Radio in Bucarest, Philarmonic State Orchestra of Vidin (Bulgary), Philarmonic State Orchestra of Schumen (Bulgary), Orchestra Sinfonica “Silvestre Revueltas” of Messico. She plaied in Duo with the cellist Alexander Zagorinsky, the winner of 1° Prize in International Competition “P. Ciajkovskij” of Moscow and with the flautist Andrea Ceccomori, Anton Serra. She published three books about F. Rossomandi and she recorded a CD (absolute first performance of Florestano Rossomandi’s pieces for piano). She has been invited to give Master Class of Piano and Chamber Music in Italy at the Conservatory of Music of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Rimini, in Assisi for International Masterclasses of Internazional Musical Academy of Perugia, in France, in Kazakhstan National Academy of Music, University of Music in Lubiana (Slovenia), Knox College of Galesburg (USA), “Arena International” in Pola (Croazia), Italian Institut of Culture in Lubiana, Klaviergalery of Vienna. She teached in the Conservatory of Music of Ferrara, Campobasso and Lecce; now she is a teacher of Piano in “Liceo Musicale” of Foggia.
TOMASZ FECHNER guitarist, Doctor of Arts, currently lives in Los Angeles and works for Guitar Salon International, GSI Foundation and Elite Guitarist. In recent years he worked as a Teaching Assistant at the University of Southern California and studied with Pepe Romero, William Kanengiser and Scott Tennant. Dr. Fechner is a prize-winner of many international guitar competitions, including Weimar, Velbert (Germany) and Mottola (Italy), as well as prestigious scholarships such as Fulbright. From 2016-2017 he was a research assistant at the USC Polish Music Center where he researched the life and works of a Polish-American composer, Roman Ryterband. His research led to the publication of the performance edition of Ryterband’s “Sonatina for Guitar” by the Polish Publishing House (PWM). While a student at USC, Fechner became involved in the Graduate Student Government, first as a senator and then as the president of the Graduate Association of Music Students, then as a Director of Finance – Approvals for the whole university. In 2020 he was awarded with the GSI scholarship at USC; the Brendon Mehrle Service Award; graduation honor awards from the Classical Guitar as well as the Music Teaching and Learning departments at USC; and an Outstanding Student Award. Tomasz is also a very active recording artist for Guitar Salon International and EliteGuitarist.com.
DANUTA AUGUSTYN is a violinist and a chamber musician, as well as an Assistant Professor in the Contemporary Music and Percussion Department at the Academy of Music in Krakow, Poland. In 1998, she graduated with distinction from the Academy of Music in Kraków, where she studied violin playing under the academic supervision of professor Mieczysław Szlezer. In 2000, she was granted an honours degree at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Sienna under the professorship of Piero Farulli with the Quartetto Italiano. In 2004, she earned an honours degree in the master classes conducted by the Melos Quartet from Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Stuttgart. Since 1997, she has also been a violinist with the Dafô String Quartet. The ensemble has received numerous awards for performing and recording contemporary music in national and international competitions (1999 – the Fryderyk Music Award for the CD album ‘The Polish String Quartets of the 20th Century, Part I, PWM/DUX,’ 2002 – the Fryderyk Music Award for the CD album ‘The Polish String Quartets of the 20th Century, Part II, PWM/DUX,’ an award from Supersonic Pizzicato for ‘Penderecki – String Quartets, String Trio, Clarinet Quartet’ containing the first registration of III String Quartet, Gold Record DVD and the Fryderyk Music Award for ‘CD/DVD Łukaszewski&Bembinow: Christmas carols and songs,’ 2009 – the Fryderyk Music Award in the category ‘Album of the Year Contemporary Music’ for ‘Paweł Mykietyn: Speechless Song’ recorded with the Dafô String Quartet). The Dafô String Quartet has participated in numerous festivals in Poland and abroad, performing with the members of the Melos Quartet, the Silesian String Quartet, Olga Pasiecznik, Janusz Olejniczak, Andrea Nannoni, Krzysztof Meyer, Urszula Kryger, Agata Zubel, Jerzy Artysz, Andreas Higi, and David Krakauer. Dr. Augustyn has toured Europe with the American band Lambchop and participated in the concerts of the Bester Quartet as well as various theatrical projects. Finally, she has been a violinist in the Sinfonietta Cracovia under the baton of Robert Kabara (2007-2014) and Jurek Dybał (since May 2014).
NATALIA CHUDZICKA flutist, professor at the Academy of Music in Poznan. She’s a laureate of many competitions and a semi-finalist of prestigious polish and international music competitions. She is also a few-time scholarship holder of the Minister of Science and Higher Education. For her artistic achievements, she was also awarded the Artistic Scholarship of the City of Poznań and the Marshal of the Wielkopolska Province. In 2014, she graduated from the Academy of Music. I.J. Paderewski in Poznań in the flute class and in 2018 she completed postgraduate studies in chamber music at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien. Also in 2018, she obtained a doctorate in art at the Academy of Music in Poznań.
Natalia Warzecha-Karkus finished Krakow Academy of Music in viola class of prof. Janusz Pisarski and postgraduated studies chambermusic University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna in prof. Johannes Meissls class. She also studien in Zwolle (Holland) and in Katowice (Poland). She took part in many works shop and masterclasses with great musicians like Janusz Pisarski, Piotr Reichert, Grigorij Zyslin, Stefan Kamasa, Avri Levitan, Krzysztof Penderecki, Marek Mos. In 2002 she got III Prize on I All-polish Viola Competition in Duszniki Zdroj. Since 2007 she was a member of Airis Quartet which she plays concerts and took part masterclasses and festivals with. She was participate in European Chamber Music Academy in 2013. With her string quartet cooperate with many great chamber musicians, especially Apolon Musagete Quartet, Melos Quartet (Peter Buck), Fine Arts Quartet, Royal String Quartet, Quatuor Diotima, Quartet DAFO, Silesian Quartet, Camerata Quartet. They got 2nd prize on the International Contemporary Chamber Music Competition in Cracow in 2007 and Polish-Danish friendship prize in 2010. In July 2015 with quartet won distinction on International Chamber Music Competition in Matla, Grand Prix International Music Competition in Warsow, September 2015 she won distinction in I Viola Competition I Krakow. In 2017 won special prize on 2nd International String Quartet Competition and prize for the best performance composition by Krzysztof Penderecki on 2nd International Competition Chamber Music in Luslawice. She recorded many CD-s with Airis String Quartet, Amadrums Trio, many soloists and orchestras in Poland, Germany and Miami (USA). With Airis Quartet played many concert on festivals in Poland and abroad. Natalia is viola lider in Polish Art Philharmonic and gives concerts in the best concert hall – Musikverein in Vienna and many others in Germany. She gives viola and violin lessons for young adepts. From 2020 november plays on musical in Cracow Variete Theatre in spectacle “Pretty Woman”
Currently Paweł Kroczek is a lecturer – assistant professor – at the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznan, where in 2016 received a Ph.D. In 2011 graduated his studies with honors in clarinet class under the supervision of Professor Zdzisław Nowak at the same Academy. In the years 2011-2013 he studied at Musik Hogskolan I Malmo under the world famous teacher Olli Leppaniemi. As a soloist and chamber musician he is a laureate of many national and international competitions. In 2009 he received an Erasmus scholarship and studied at the Academy of Music in Ostrava (Igor Frantisak). He is a laureate of many musicians contests: 4th International Clarinet Festival in Szczecin, International Chamber Group Competition in Jawor, Polish – National Competition for Musical Interpretation in Krasiczyn, International Competition and Festival for Solist and Chamber Music Groups – Svirel – 3rd International Antonio Bertolini Chamber Music Competition. He is principal clarinetist of the Collegium F chamber orchestra in Poznań. As a soloist, he performed among others with the Poznań Opera Orchestra, the Collegium F Orchestra and with the orchestra of the Academy of Music in Poznań. He has performed at numerous national and international festivals, performing music of the 18th century, romanticism and contemporary music. His artistic output includes many radio, television and CD recordings as well as many composing dedications. He is one of the organizers of the oldest Polish clarinet competition named after Karol Kurpiński in Włoszakowice. He is also co-founder and vice-president of the Jozef Madeja Association, http://festiwalmadei.pl/stowarzyszenie/ He cooperates with many orchestras and co-creates several chamber ensembles. He is also active as a teacher and leads many master classes. He has been an artist of Royal Global Clarinets since 2020. Paweł Kroczek uses the Royal Global Firebaird and Buffet Crampon Festival clarinets.
DAMIAN KUREK trumpeter, received his conservatory diploma in Trumpet following studies with Roman Gryń ( Academy of Music in Poznań) and Gabriele Cassone (Conservatory of Novara -Italy) and Natural trumpet studying with Johann Plietsch in Academy of Music in Poznan. He took part in many courses conducted by the outstanding trumpeters and teachers such as: Wolfgang Bauer, Konradin Grot, Gabor Boldoczki, Marcus Wursch, Max Sommerhalder, Richard Giangiulio, Philip Smith. Damian Kurek is a prizewinner of many national and international trumpet contests i. a. in Katowice (Poland), Brno (the Czech Republic) , Tarnopol (Ukraine) , Dąbrowa Górnicza (Poland) and Kalisz (Poland). He has worked as a principal trumpeter in Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra and as a trumpet professor in Ignacy Jan Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznan. Damian Kurek collaborates with orchestras and ensembles at home and abroad inter aliaConcertogrosso Berlin, Chamber Orchestra of Polish Radio Amadeus, National Music Forum Orchestra Leopoldinum, National Wind Orchestra Lubin, Poznan Barock Trumpets and Castle Brass Quintet. Damian Kurek is a member and co-founder of Polish Brass Trio, an unique brass band with whom he can proudly boast many concerts in Poland and abroad and many records too. In addition to his concert activity he is an active as an educator conducting methodical masterclasses for students and teachers. He lead masterclasses for trumpet players from Poland and abroad.
HANNA LIZINKIEWICZ pianist and pedagogue at the Academy of Music in Poznan, where she received in 2017 PhD title. She cooperated with many cultural institutions, among which the most important are: the Swedish Lund University in Malmö, the Music School of F. Nowowiejski and Private Postsecondary College of Vocal Arts in Poznań. She finished her master’s degree with honors at Poznan Academy of Music under prof. Andrzej Tatarski and postgraduate studies in Malmö Academy of Music in Sweden under prof. Hans Pållson. She was scholar of Erasmus/Socrates program and studied in Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien under prof. Christopher Hinterhuber. Hanna Lizinkiewicz is laureate of national and international piano and chamber music competitions and also received diplomas for the outstanding accompanist. She co-creates a chamber ensemble – Apeiron Trio, with which she performs worldwide. The ensemble was awarded at the International Polish Music Competition in Rzeszów in 2019 and won 3rd prize at the International OnStage Classical Music Competition in 2020. The team was also selected as one of the five finalists of the Schoenfeld International String Competition in China, 2020. Hanna Lizinkiewicz was laureate of 45 Festival of Polish Pianism in Slupsk where she received special prizes. The same year she was invited to take part in international recording project in Italy and performed in Novara and at the international conference in Cremona. She awarded The Solti Foundation Prize (Belgium) and Marta Stuhre Foundation Prize (Sweden). She received I prize at the Chamber Music Competition Svirel (Slovenia), II prize at the International Independent Competition Individualis (Ukraine) and III prize at the International Chamber Music Competition (Poland). Hanna Lizinkiewicz performed at many festivals in Poland and abroad. She played as a soloist with orchestras and took part in international master classes. She collaborates with many musicians in Poland and abroad. Active chamber musician. She recorded pieces at the CD’s: Ewa Fabianska-Jelinska: Instrumental music, Studi per pianoforte: Fumagalli Adolfo, Sangalli Francesco and Polish and Norwegian Composers – New Chamber Works. She was invited as a pianist to the master classes and festivals i.a.: XIII International Clarinet and Saxophone Master Classes in Ostrava, Voce&Piano Chamber Music Master Classes for Vocalists and Pianists in Siedlce, International Cello Academy in Nysa. She is scholar of Minister of Culture and National Heritage in Poland and President of Poznan City.
GRZEGORZ PALUS accordionist, this one of the most outstanding Polish accordionists of the young generation (b. 1987 in Cracow) graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copengahen (an MMus course with Prof. Geir Draugsvoll), the Hochschule für Musik Detmold (postgraduate Konzertexamen studies with Prof. Grzegorz Stopa), and the Academy of Music in Cracow (BMus and MMus studies with Janusz Pater, DMus). In 2018 he obtained his DMA degree from the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, where he has taught an accordion class since 2016. His numerous accolades earned in music competitions in Poland and abroad include the Grand Prix of the International Accordion Competition in Poprad (Slovakia, 2007), the 1st prize in the 37th International Accordion Competition in Pula (Croatia, 2012), a special award in the ‘Arrasate Hiria’ International Accordion Competition (Spain, 2010), as well as prizes in the most important Polish accordion competitions in Chełm, Czechowice-Dziedzice, Gdańsk, Gorlice, Mława, Przemyśl, Sanok, and Szczecin. Palus has held numerous scholarships from the Minister of Culture, the ‘Young Poland’ programme, the ‘Sapere Auso’ foundation, and the President of the City of Cracow. The artist leads a busy concert life. He has performed solo and in chamber ensembles in Poland as well as Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, China, Denmark, Germany, Lithuania, Slovakia, Ukraine, and the USA. As a soloist he has appeared with such orchestras as the Karol Szymanowski Cracow Philharmonic, Przemyśl Chamber Orchestra, the Pantonale PhilHARMONIKA Festival Orchestra in Berlin, and many others. He has been invited to teach master classes and accordion performance workshops in the Krzysztof Penderecki European Centre for Music in Lusławice, the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre in Vilnius, as well as various music institutions in Poland. Palus has recorded for the German WDR3 channel and for Polish Radio. He regularly premieres contemporary solo and chamber music for accordion, as well as serving on the juries of Polish and international accordion competitions.
WERONIKA IZABELLA STRUGAŁA cellist was born in Poznań. At the age of seven she started her first cello lessons. In 2017 she graduated with distinction from the I. J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań in a cello class of Professor Maciej Mazurek. Since 2015 she is also a student of Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien where she is currently studying with Stefan Kropfitsch. During many Masterclasses Weronika was working alongside: Natalie Clein, Alexander Newtryev, Natalia Gutman, Friedrich Cerha, Vladimir Tonkha, Denis Severin, Kazimierz Michalik, Sebastian Bru, Markus Nyikos and Konstantin Heidrich. In 2017 she made her debut as a soloist with Poznań Philharmony Orchestra performing A. Dvorak Cello Concerto h-moll Op. 104. In the same year she performed with Anna Wałek (violin) J. Brahms Double Concerto a-moll Op. 102. In 2018 she performed E. Elgar Cello Concerto op. 85 with Soloist Kammerorchester Wien. Weronika Strugała has appeared in prestigious venues and festivals in Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Czech Republic, France, Slovakia, Indonesia and Taiwan. She cooperated with such orchestras as: Poznań Philharmony Orchestra, Camerata Polonia, Webern Kammerphilharmonie, Webern Symphony Orchester, Ultreia Ensemble, Junge Philharmonie Wien and C/O Chamber Orchester. Thanks to the above she had an opportunity to perform under the baton of: Zubin Mehta, Semyon Bychkov, Christoph von Dohnanyi, Lorenzo Viotti, Johannes Meissl and Christopher Meyer. Weronika Strugała is a prize-winner of many international competitions such as the 14th and 15th International J. Zarębski Music Competition in Łomianki, 2nd International Chamber Music Competition “W Trzech Odsłonach” in Bydgoszcz, 6th Polish National Forum of Young Instrumentalists in Rybnik. In 2020 has also received distinction for the best accompanying cello during 4th Cello and Double Bass Tournament in Warsaw For her artistic achievement she got a Cultural Scholarship of a Great Polen Voivodschaft (2017), Pro Cello Foundation Scholarship (2014, 2016, 2017), and multiple times Scholarship for the best Students of I. J. Paderewski Music Academy in Poznań.
WIESŁAW OCHWAT akordeonista, aktywnie udzielający się na wielu płaszczyznach instrumentalista, zaangażowany w działalność kulturalną poprzez czynne koncertowanie, współorganizowanie wydarzeń artystycznych oraz aktywną pracę w sferze dydaktyczno-naukowej. W 2014 r. ukończył z wyróżnieniem dwustopniowe studia w Akademii Muzycznej w Krakowie w klasie akordeonu dra Janusza Patera, a w roku 2018 obronił doktorat na tejże uczelni pod opieką naukową prof. Pawła Palucha. Ważnym punktem w osobistym rozwoju akordeonisty było ukończenie w 2016 r. dwuletniego projektu „Italian Accordion Accademy” – zaawansowanego pedagogicznie oraz wykonawczo programu podyplomowego dedykowanego sztuce akordeonowej, odbywającego się w Urbino we Włoszech oraz Amsterdamie w Holandii. Studia te prowadzone były przez wybitnego akordeonistę i pedagoga Claudio Jacomucci’ego (jednego z ostatnich uczniów Mogensa Ellegarda) oraz tancerkę i choreografkę, a także ekspertkę w zakresie Techniki Alexandra – Kathleen Delaney. Głównym nurtem zainteresowań akordeonisty jest wykonywanie i promowanie muzyki współczesnej. Ma on na swoim koncie kilkadziesiąt prawykonań nowopowstałych utworów, zarówno solowych jak i kameralnych, które często powstawały z jego inicjatywy. Wiesław Ochwat jest laureatem ponad dwudziestu konkursów i festiwali akordeonowych w Polsce, jak i za granicą, m.in. IBLA Grand Prize Competition 2019 – Ragusa, Włochy, Castelfidardo International Accordion Prize – Castelfidardo (Włochy), Konkurs Akordeonowy im. Andrzeja Krzanowskiego – Czechowice-Dziedzice, Międzynarodowy Festiwal Muzyki narodowej – Przemyśl, Międzynarodowy Konkurs Akordeonowy – Poprad (Słowacja). W kręgu zainteresowań instrumentalisty poza muzyką współczesną pojawia się również muzyka klasyczna i szeroko pojęta muzyka improwizowana (tango, jazz, ethno). W swoim dorobku posiada bogatą działalność koncertową prowadzoną zarówno w kraju podczas licznych festiwali muzycznych, jak i za granicą m.in.: Czechy, Francja, Holandia, Kanada, Litwa, Niemcy, Norwegia, Słowacja, Ukraina, Węgry, Włochy. Akordeonista kształcąc swoje umiejętności brał udział w licznych kursach mistrzowskich i warsztatach muzycznych prowadzonych przez uznanych pedagogów (m.in. Alexander Dimitriev, Claudio Jacomucci, Teodoro Anzellotti, Mika Väyrynen, Bogdan Dowlasz, Joseph Petric). Jest wielokrotnym stypendystą Ministra Kultury RP, Rektora Akademii Muzycznej w Krakowie, Burmistrza Brzeska, oraz Laureatem i stypendystą Tarnowskiego festiwalu “Tydzień Talentów”. Od kilku lat Wiesław Ochwat jest zaangażowany we współpracę z Fundacją Art Forum, gdzie aktywnie udziela się podczas organizacji kolejnych edycji Krakowskiego Festiwalu Akordeonowego oraz innych wydarzeń kulturalnych.
ANDRZEJ TKACZYK puzonista, ukończył z wyróżnieniem Akademię Muzyczną w Krakowie w klasie puzonu Prof. dr hab. Zdzisława Stolarczyka. W latach 2013-15 studiował na Universität der Künste w Berlinie w klasie puzonu prof. Stefana Schulza. Jest laureatem wielu ogólnopolskich i międzynarodowych konkursów instrumentalnych. Za swoje osiągnięcia artystyczne otrzymał liczne nagrody i stypendia, w tym: Stypendium ,,Młoda Polska”, dwukrotnie Stypendium Ministra Kultury i Dziedzictwa Narodowego, kilkukrotnie Stypendium Otwartej Filharmonii Agrafki Muzycznej, itp. Jest pierwszym Puzonistą Filharmonii im. Karola Szymanowskiego w Krakowie oraz pedagogiem w PSM I i II stopnia im. Bronisława Rutkowskiego w Krakowie. W 2018 roku rozpoczął współpracę z Akademia Muzyczną im. Krzysztofa Pendereckiego w Krakowie w Katedrze Muzyki Dawnej. Regularnie koncertuje kameralnie oraz jako muzyk orkiestrowy w kraju i zagranicą współpracując z wieloma orkiestrami, m. in.: Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, Orkiestra Akademii Beethovenowskiej, AUKSO, NFM Orkiestra Leopoldinum, Polska Orkiestra XVIII wieku, Starck Compagny i wiele innych. Bogaty wachlarz repertuarowy Andrzeja Tkaczyka zawiera utwory z każdej epoki. Andrzej Tkaczyk oprócz gry na puzonie tenorowym i altowym specjalizuje się także w grze na wszystkich odmianach puzonów barokowych.
MAŁGORZATA WYGODA fagocistka, ukończyła studia magisterskie w Akademii Muzycznej im. Krzysztofa Pendereckiego w Krakowie w klasie fagotu dra Damiana Lipienia. Swoje umiejętności doskonaliła podczas współpracy z takimi pedagogami jak David Tomas – Realp (Hochschule für Musik w Karlsruhe) oraz Frank Forst (professor at the Franz Liszt University in Weimer). Małgorzata jest laureatką wielu międzynarodowych konkursów, zarówno w kategorii solowej jak i kameralnej. Prowadzi aktywną działalność koncertową w kraju i za granicą. Wraz z zespołem Cracow Golden Quintet (kwintet dęty) w 2019 zdobyła II nagrodę podczas I Międzynarodowego Konkursu Muzyki Polskiej im. Stanisława Moniuszki w Rzeszowie. W listopadzie 2020 roku ukazała się debiutancka płyta zespołu „Polish Wind Quintets”, która otrzymała nominację Polskiej Akademii Fonograficznej do nagrody Fryderyk 2021. Małgorzata jest laureatką stypendium Ministra Kultury i Dziedzictwa Narodowego oraz stypendium programu Młoda Polska. Obecnie pracuje na stanowisku I fagocistki Filharmonii Warmińsko-Mazurskiej im. Feliksa Nowowiejskiego w Olsztynie oraz Sinfonii Iuventus im. Jerzego Semkowa w Warszawie.
NATALIA JARZĄBEK flecistka, ukończyła z wyróżnieniem Akademię Muzyczną w Krakowie w klasie prof. dr h.c. Barbary Świątek-Żelaznej. Studiowała również pod kierunkiem prof. Wally Hase w Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt w Weimarze w ramach programu Erasmus+. Uzyskała również tytuł magistra matematyki stosowanej, ukończywszy studia na Uniwersytecie Jagiellońskim w Krakowie. Obecnie pracuje na stanowisku pierwszej flecistki Filharmonii Krakowskiej, równocześnie studiując w Szkole Doktorskiej Akademii Muzycznej w Krakowie. Jej umiejętności oraz wyróżniającą się osobowość artystyczną doceniono na ogólnopolskich i międzynarodowych konkursach muzycznych. Za wybitne osiągnięcia otrzymała liczne stypendia, nagrody i wyróżnienia. Jako solistka występowała na prestiżowych festiwalach, wśród których warto wspomnieć Flutastique! BFS London Flute Festival 2016, Adams Flute Festival 2017, Alexander Arutiunian International Wind Festival 2019 w Erywaniu, Festival Universitario de Flauta Transversa 2019 w Mexico City, krakowski „Wawel o zmierzchu”, a także Festiwal Muzyczny w Łańcucie. Współpracuje z licznymi orkiestrami, zarówno w roli solistki, jak i muzyka orkiestrowego. Od 2017 roku Natalia Jarząbek jest również flecistką kwintetu dętego Cracow Golden Quintet, z którym zdobyła II nagrodę na Międzynarodowym Konkursie Muzyki Polskiej im. S. Moniuszki w Rzeszowie w 2019 roku. W roku 2017 wraz z profesor Barbarą Świątek-Żelazną otrzymała Nagrodę Województwa Małopolskiego Ars Quaerendi w kategorii „Mistrz i Uczeń” za wybitne działania na rzecz rozwoju i promocji kultury. Laureatki postanowiły przeznaczyć nagrodę na opracowanie metodyki nauczania techniki oddechu permanentnego i nagranie płyty CD inspirowanej tą techniką, wydanej przez DUX w 2019 roku.
KRZYSZTOF CHLIPAŁA saksofonista, muzyk instrumentalista, improwizator i edukator – absolwent Akademii Muzycznej w Krakowie w klasie saksofonu prof. dr hab. Ryszarda Krawczuka. Może pochwalić się gruntownym wykształceniem muzycznym oraz dużym doświadczeniem scenicznym i studyjnym. Pedagog i nauczyciel saksofonu w Państwowej Szkole Muzycznej w Domosławicach. Uczestnik wielu warsztatów, konkursów i festiwali. Zawodowo zajmuje się muzyką, jako nauczyciel, sideman i muzyk sesyjny. Na stałe związany z grupą Kraków Street Band. Współpracował i współpracuje z wieloma artystami polskiej sceny muzycznej.