Paweł Zawadzki (Chairman) - piano
Karolina Mikołajczyk - violin | Elżbieta Zawadzka - piano | Marta Nowicka - soprano | Adam Piechociński - violin
Grace Pinkowski - Secretary of the Jury
Michał Buczkowski - Wanda Wiłkomirska Award
Prof. Paweł Zawadzki (Wrocław, Poland) - piano , Chairman of the Jury
Paweł Zawadzki, PhD, Dsc, ProfTit - pianist and educator, laureate and juror of piano competitions. He graduated with distinctions from the Karol Lipiński Music Academy in Wrocław under the supervision of professor Grzegorz Kurzyński.
The artist has appeared on the stages of music halls around the world, performing piano concerts under the baton of renowned conductors such as Tadeusz Strugała, Marek Pijarowski, Jacek Kaspszyk, Tadeusz Wojciechowski, Szymon Makowski, Wojciech Rodek, Eugene Tzigane, Giancarlo de Lorenzo, Kai Baumann, Lee Hong-Jin, Alexiei Vasiliev, Massimiliano Caldi, Juan Cantarell. He gave concerts in Germany, France, Austria, the Netherlands, Turkey, Finland, Denmark, Scotland, Bulgaria, Russia, Belarus, South Korea and Australia. He has made multiple recordings for both the radio and the television and, in the phonographic field, he recorded albums of Frederic Chopin's and Ferenc Liszt's musical composition for the Selene recoding studio.
As a consultant of the Artistic Education Centre, he teaches numerous piano classes. Additionally, he is a lecturer of the piano master courses in Krynica-Zdrój, Opole and Łańcut. He is very active in the educational field and his students and pupils have received various awards in prominent competitions worldwide. They are scholars of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Młoda Polska scholarship programme, Prime Minister, Mayor of Wrocław and the National Children's Fund. In 2011, the pianist initiated the Lower Silesian Frederic Chopin Association and he was its chairman until 2020. His artistic and educational accomplishments were acknowledged by the President of the Artistic Education Centre in Warsaw as he was presented with an award for his significant contribution to the development of the artistic education in Poland. By the order of the President of Poland, he was decorated with the Silver Cross of Merit. In 2022, for his outstanding achievements in the pedagogical and artistic fields, he received the prestigious Annual Award of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage in the field of Artistic Education. At present, he is the Head of the Piano Department of the Karol Lipiński Music Academy in Wrocław.
Karolina Mikołajczyk (Warsaw, Poland) - violin
Karolina S. Mikołajczyk - a prize winner of violin and chamber music competitions. Doctor of Arts. In 2017, she graduated with honors from the Frederic Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. She also studied at Hochschule fur Musik und Tanz in Cologne in the master class of Zakhar Bron considered "one of the most influential violin teachers in the world” (The Violin Channel).
With her interpretations "resonating with individuality", as a soloist and chamber musician she has performed in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Chile, Croatia, Cuba, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Uruguay, United Arab Emirates, the United States in renowned concert halls such as: Carnegie Hall, Guangzhou Opera House, Den Norske Opera & Ballet in Oslo, the Esplanade Concert Hall in Singapore, The National Grand Theatre and National Philharmonic Hall in Warsaw.
In 2022 she was nominated to the prestigious "Fryderyk Award" (Polish equivalent of "Grammy") and made her successful debut in the South America. She has premiered many pieces that had been written and dedicated to her and has been awarded Polish
Society of Authors and Composers Special Prize. She also worked with Krzysztof Penderecki
in 2019 receiving an official approval to perform the violin-accordion arrangement of Sonata for violin and piano no. 1 from the Maestro.
In 2013 she co-founded "Duo Karolina Mikołajczyk & Iwo Jednocki" (violin and classical accordion) - a unique and globally renowned chamber ensemble. Ace of today the Duo has recorded three albums dedicated to contemporary music, which received an outstanding responses from critics. The Duo also shows up an up-to-date approach in promoting its work by presenting video recordings in social media: the one with
Mozart's Violin Sonata gained more than a million views, and was shared by the most popular internet platform devoted to classical music - Classic FM, followed up by Kreisler’s Chinese Tambourine performed on the Great Wall of China as well as Bach's Goldberg Variations and excerpts from film music-inspired The Hollywood Fantasy.
She is also an innovative concert programmer and an advocate for the underrepresented societies, with one of her most recent projects promoting the works of Polish-Jewish composers neglected and forgotten after WWII.
Karolina S. Mikołajczyk plays R. Duke Londini 1766 violin.
Elżbieta Zawadzka (Poland, Wrocław) - piano
Elżbieta Zawadzka is an accomplished pianist and chamber musician. She graduated with honors in 2002 from the piano class of Professor Grzegorz Kurzyński at the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław. That same year, she was awarded the Primus Inter Pares honorary diploma by the Council of Rectors at the Wrocław Academy of Music.
In 2006, she completed her doctoral dissertation and earned a PhD in music. Dr. Zawadzka currently teaches at her alma mater, where she serves on the faculty of the Piano Department while remaining actively involved in concert performance and academic life.
Her artistic achievements include numerous prizes at national and international piano competitions. She has received multiple scholarships from the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage as well as from the regional government of Lower Silesia.
Zawadzka has performed on many of Poland’s most prestigious concert stages, including the Royal Łazienki and Ostrogski Castle in Warsaw, the Pomeranian Philharmonic in Bydgoszcz, the Wrocław Philharmonic, the Kraków Philharmonic, and the National Philharmonic in Warsaw as part of its centennial celebrations.
Her international career has taken her across Europe and the United States, with solo and chamber performances in cities such as Leipzig, Frankfurt am Main, Wiesbaden, Munich, Weimar, Brno, Strasbourg, Paris, and Washington, D.C. At the invitation of the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Chicago, she also gave a series of recitals throughout the United States.
Together with flutist Elżbieta Woleńska, she recorded and released a world-premiere album featuring works by Johann Sedlatzek. The recording received enthusiastic reviews from music critics in France, the Netherlands, the United States, and Australia.
In recognition of her contributions to culture and the arts, she was awarded the Silver Medal for Long Service to Culture in 2021. In 2022, her combined artistic and educational work was further recognized with a distinction from the President of the Artistic Education Centre in Warsaw, honoring her significant contribution to the development of music education in Poland.
Marta Nowicka (Sydney) - soprano
Marta Nowicka is a Polish soprano and distinguished voice teacher, internationally recognised for her exceptional vocal artistry, interpretive depth, and commitment to nurturing emerging talent. Based in Sydney, she has performed on some of Europe’s most prestigious stages. Her acclaimed portrayals of roles such as Violetta (La Traviata), Vitellia (La clemenza di Tito), and Roxana (King Roger) have established her as one of the leading operatic voices of her generation.
A graduate of the renowned Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien (MDW), Marta holds a master’s degree in Opera and Musical Drama. Her scholarly work "Vitellia oder der Triumph der Hysterie" was published in Vienna in 2016.
Alongside her performance career, Marta is a passionate educator with extensive experience coaching singers across Europe and Australia. Her students have gone on to win major international competitions and perform with leading opera houses. She has served as an assistant at MDW and regularly delivers masterclasses, preparing vocalists for international study, young artist programs, and professional engagements.
In recognition of her extraordinary contributions to the arts, Marta was granted Australia’s Distinguished Talent Visa in 2023.
Marta brings a rare blend of world-class performance experience and profound expertise in vocal technique, performance practice, and artistic development—rooted in the belief that arts education nurtures not only skilled performers, but also curious, thoughtful, and well-rounded individuals.
Adam Piechociński (Melbourne) - violin
Adam Piechociński is a violinist and violin teacher. He was born in Poland and commenced his music education at the Szymanowski School of Music at the age of 7. A year after his matriculation he completed his Diploma of Music Grade 2 and furthered his studies at the Krakow Academy of Music.
After migrating to Australia in 1989, he became a member of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and performed with conductors and soloists, including Paul Dyer, Elizabeth Wallfish, Ivonne Kenny and Andreas Scholl. He also played in ARIA award-winning recordings for ABC Classics, at the opening Concert of the City Recital Hall Angel Place in Sydney and Diana, Princess of Wales.
Adam’s interest in romantic and contemporary music led him to additional study with Warwick Adeney and John Curro at the Queensland Conservatorium where in 2007 and 2009 he was awarded Griffith Award for Academic Excellence, and graduated with Master of Music Studies in Violin Performance and Orchestra Playing.
Since June 2012 Adam has lived in Melbourne playing as freelance violinist, soloist, and concertmaster of the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra. He works at Ivanhoe Grammar School as Head of Strings, teacher, chamber music and orchestra conductor, and judicator.
Jury in previous editions:
2024
Paweł Zawadzki (Chairman) - piano
Stanisław Deja - piano | Maciej Pawela - piano | Adam Piechociński - violin | Zdzisław Kowalik - viola
Grace Pinkowski - Secretary of the Jury
Marta Nowicka - Secretary of the Jury (Sydney)
Extended Jury of the first qualifying stage for the PolMusicA 2024 competition
Aleksandra Jeleńska -piano | Michał Buczkowski - violin | Mikołaj Kuńczyk - piano
2020 - 2023
Paweł Zawadzki (Chairman), Aleksandra Jeleńska, Mikołaj Kuńczyk - piano
Michał Buczkowski, Adam Piechociński - violin; Zdzisław Kowalik - viola
2019
Stanisław Deja (Chairman) - piano
Adam Piechociński - violin
Benjamin James - representative of the Friends of Chopin Australia
2018 - PolArt Brisbane - cancelled
2004 - 2015 Ewa Malewicz Competition - Sydney
(Executive Director, co-founder of the competition : Marianna Łacek)
2015
Maciej Pawela (Chairman) - piano
Robert Sęk, Joanna Kubiak-Sęk - violin
2012
Włodzimierz Kamirski (Chairman) – conductor
Maciej Pawela – piano
Robert Sęk – violin
2010
Wanda Wiłkomirska (Chairman) - violin
Maciej Pawela – piano
Robert Sęk – violin
2008, 2006, 2004
Wanda Wiłkomirska (Chairman, co-founder of the competition ) - violin
Włodzimierz Kamirski – conductor
Maciej Pawela – piano
