Chamber music is an intrinsic element of the training process of every instrumentalist working under the guidance of teachers of the Academy of Music in Poznań. This essential branch of music, taking a significant part in shaping an instrumentalist’s artistic personality, has been promoted by eminent musicians – professors of the Academy – from the very beginning of its existence. One of them was Zdzisław Jahnke, who took up the post of violin professor at the then State Higher School of Music in Poznań; he was its rector and later the head of the Department of String Instruments. He led a violin class, chamber ensembles, and a symphony orchestra. He was also a co-founder of the Polish Quartet composed of Zdzisław Jahnke – 1st violin, Tadeusz Gonet – 2nd violin (succeeded by Władysław Witkowski and Ludwik Kwaśnik), Tadeusz Szulc – viola (succeeded by Jan Rakowski), Dezyderiusz Danczowski – cello. Another important person who influenced the development of chamber music in Poznań was Zdzislaw Jahnke’s successor – Edward Statkiewicz, a high class violinist, professor and head of the Department of String Instruments.

Over the years, the name of the unit has undergone some transformations. As the Department of String Instruments and Chamber Music it was headed by prof. Jadwiga Kaliszewska, an outstanding teacher and eminent violinist, doctor honoris causa of the Academy, the originator of the cycle “Masterpieces of Chamber Music” permanently inscribed in the cultural life of the city.

In the following years, the unit functioned as the Department of Chamber Music, and subsequently as the Inter-Faculty Department of Chamber Music. Since 2012, there have been two departments at the Academy of Music in Poznań: the Department of Piano Chamber Music and the Department of Chamber Music. For many years, heads were successful teachers and outstanding instrumentalists: prof. Bartosz Bryla, prof. Andrzej Tatarski, and prof. Bogumił Nowicki.

The main tasks of the Department include:

• developing academic research programs and substantive supervision of the research of the Department’s staff
• organizing concerts, courses, and academic conferences
• publishing academic, teaching, editorial, and audio materials related to the activities of instructors associated with the Department, representing various specialties, also in collaboration with others
• presenting the artistic and academic achievements of the staff
• collaboration with music centers and institutions in Poland and abroad.

The Department conducts artistic and academic activity in chamber music within the specialties represented by pedagogues associated with the unit. Students and teachers actively participate in many periodic concerts organized in Poznań regularly for many years, as well as in occasional events held outside the Academy. The specificity of the Department of Chamber Music encourages close collaboration with other departments, as exemplified by the organization of the Academic Conference “Musica Archi” together with the Department of String Instruments.

Members of the Department of Chamber Music

prof. dr hab. Mariusz Derewecki – Head
mderewecki@amuz.edu.pl

prof. dr hab. Bartosz Bryła
prof. dr hab. Ewa Guzowska
prof. dr hab. Marcin Murawski
prof. dr hab. Krzysztof Sowiński
prof. dr hab. Lech Bałaban
prof. AMP dr hab. Grażyna Czerwińska
prof. AMP dr hab. Arnold Dąbrowski
prof. AMP dr hab. Szymon Guzowski
prof. AMP dr hab. Dorota Kwiecińska-Erenz
prof. AMP dr hab. Piotr Niewiedział
dr hab. Tomasz Kandulski
dr hab. Izabela Mrozek
dr hab. Anna Starzec-Makandasis
dr Aleksandra Bryła
dr Joanna Zathey-Wójcińska
dr Eugeniusz Zboralski
mgr Mateusz Gidaszewski
mgr Michał Francuz
mgr Piotr Kosarga
mgr Paweł Mazur
mgr Marcin Suszycki
mgr Patrycja Wachowicz