prof. dr hab. Jan Kalinowski
Jan Kalinowski studied at the Music Academy in Cracow, at the École Normale de Musique in Paris and the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Stuttgart under the guidance of Professors: Witold Herman, Paul Julien and Peter Buck. He has also taken part in master classes given by David Geringas, Ivan Monighetti and Arto Noras. He has held grants from Polish and foreign foundations (Friends of Cracow Society in Chicago, Zygmunt Zaleski Foundation, Grazella Foundation), as well as the City of Cracow, the Malopolska Region and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
In 2001 he started working together with pianist Marek Szlezer. Since then, they have been performing in Poland and abroad as Cracow Duo. In 2015, during tournée in Korea and USA, they debuted at such prestigious venues as Seul Arts Center in Seul, Alfred Newman Hall in Los Angeles and Carnegie Hall in New York (concert on the occasion of 205th birthday anniversary of Frederic Chopin). The artists performed two concert tours in Mexico and South America, which inaugurated their debut in the Palacio de Bellas Artes concert hall. In 2017, they were on one-month-tour in the United States. Many Polish and foreign composers have devoted their works to them, among others Krzysztof Meyer, whose Musica concertante for cello, piano, string orchestra and percussion, artists have performed with Sinfonietta Cracovia under the baton of Jurek Dybała in December 2017.
Jan Kalinowski has recorded for radio and television as well as for well-known music label DUX Recording Producers. He recorded works for piano and cello by Alexander Tansman in 2009, with pianist Marek Szlezer. Recording was awarded the La Clef de ResMusica. Published in 2010 Jan Kalinowski, Marek Szlezer and Bartłomiej Nizioł’s recording of Chopin chamber works has also received the prize of La Clef de ResMusica and nomination to the Polish Phonographic Award Fryderyk. In 2013 DUX Recording Producers published a CD with his artistic project “Polish Cello Music” containing works by polish composers for cello ensembles from one to eight instruments. In 2014 DUX Recording Producers issued a special CD (“Dedications”) devoted to the works written by composers from Krakow and dedicated to Jan Kalinowski and Marek Szlezer. He was involved in recording CD on the occasion of the 80th birthday anniversary of Krzysztof Penderecki. The recording was awarded the Gramophone Editor’s Choice 2015, and nominated to the Polish Phonographic Award Fryderyk 2015. Joanna Freszel’s album, real life song, recorded with the artist participation, received two nominations for the Polish Phonographic Award Fryderyk 2016.
As a solist he has been performing under the baton of many renowned conductors, such as: Rauf Abdullayev, Łukasz Borowicz, Wojciech Czepiel, Jacek Rafał Delekta, Michał Dworzyński, Jacek Kasprzyk, Adam Klocek, Paweł Kotla, Paweł Przytocki, Daniel Rajskin, Jacek Rogala and Maciej Tworek. Jan Kalinowski is an assistant professor at the Music Academy in Krakow, where in 2015 he has received a postdoctoral degree at the instrumental music department. He has led courses within the framework of an international academic exchange programme (Brem, Karlsruhe, Bratislava, Mannheim, Fermo and Tibilisi).
He plays on the cello made by Wojciech Topa in 2014.