Barbara Karaśkiewicz (pron.: car-ash-kiev-each)

was born in communist Poland and took her first piano lesson at the age of five. Barbara graduated in 1999 from the Academy of Music in Katowice/Poland with distinction. She has further honed her piano skills in postgraduate studies under the famous Polish pianist Prof. Wojciech Świtała. In 2013 Barbara had completed her Ph.D. in piano performance and in 2018 has received the post-doctoral degree (habilitation). Both degrees were awarded by the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw.

The artist is a laureate of many awards, including: the 4th International K. Szymanowski Competition in Lodz (the Award for the Best Pole funded by the Polish Ministry of Culture and Art); Young Stage of the XXIX Polish Piano Festival in Słupsk and the Special Prize for the best performance of works by K. Szymanowski; XXVII and XXVIII Competition for F. Chopin Artistic Scholarships in Warsaw; the 1st Polish National F. Chopin Competition in Warsaw and the 20th Century Music Competition in Warsaw.

The pianist has performed in almost all European countries as well as in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Uruguay. She performs piano recitals and is a soloist of symphonic concerts conducted by Stefan Bevier, Szymon Bywalec, Ernest Hoetzl, Ruben Silva, Jerzy Swoboda, Pavel Šnajder, Arvo Volmer, Józef Wiłkomirski, Monika Wolińska, Marcin Wolniewski, Joseph Svensen.

Barbara very much enjoys performing chamber music. In 2014, together with Sergei Rysanov (cello) and Alexander Mazepa (violin), she founded the Huberman Piano Trio. Next violinist of the ensemble was Magdalena Ziarkowska. At that time, the trio has released the album 20th Century Polish Chamber Music, which was nominated for the Fryderyk 2021 music award. Currently, the violinist of the trio is Dagmara Swystun, with whom the band recorded another album, containing chamber works by Rachmaninov.
On the same disc we may also listen to two Suites for two pianos by Rachmaninov. Here Barbara Karaśkiewicz collaborates with the excellent pianist of younger generation, Michał Rot. This newest Barbara’s album has been released in May 2023.

The artist is interested in music that is rarely or not performed at all. She has recorded all of Roman Statkowski’s piano works on 3 discs (2005, 2008, 2013). The piano works of this forgotten Polish composer were the subject of her research for her doctoral dissertation. The pianist also recorded the CD
in a jazz-rock-classical style by the English contemporary composer Michael Garrett.

Barbara has always been interested in music of Karol Szymanowski, and the fruit of this delight is the album recorded for Divine Art/Naxos. This recording was an artistic work in her habilitation thesis and has been nominated for the prestigous Polish musical award Fryderyki 2018 in the category Best Polish Album Abroad, where had to compete with albums by Krystian Zimerman and Rafał Blechacz.

The pianist has performed at many music festivals, such as the Festival Baroque d’Overgne in France,
Talent Week in Paderewski’s House, Gaude Mater, Master and Student, Karol Szymanowski Music Days in Szymanowski’s House in Zakopane, Trnava Musical Spring, Presentations – Żelazowa Wola/Chopin’s House, Piano Forum, Lublin Music September, Festival of Chamber and Organ Music in Trzebnica, Young Stage of the Polish Piano Festival in Słupsk, Festival Baroque d’Overgne in France, Bronisław Huberman Violinistic Festival in Częstochowa Philharmony.

Barbara Karaśkiewicz has released nine albums:

1. Roman Statkowski – Piano Works vol. 1 (Acte Prealable, 2005);
2. Roman Statkowski – Piano Works vol. 2 (Acte Prealable, 2008);
3. Michael Garrett – Piano works (Acte Prealable, 2009);
4. Roman Statkowski – Piano Music (Divine Art/Naxos, 2015);
5. Karol Szymanowski – Piano Works (Divine Art, 2017); (nomination to Fryderyki 2018)
6. Institute of Music of the University of J. Długosz in Częstochowa (piano solo works, 2018);
7. 20th Century Polish Chamber Music as a pianist of the Huberman Piano Trio and of the Huberman Duo (Divine Art/Naxos, 2020) (nomination to Fryderyki 2021)
8. Bronisław Huberman – In tribute to the genius of the violin with violinist Magdalena Ziarkowska-Kołacka (Academy of Music in Wrocław, 2020);
9. Rachmaninov – Suites For Two Pianos, Works For Piano Trio with pianist Michał Rot and with Huberman Piano Trio: Dagmara Swystun – violin, Sergei Rysanov – cello (Divine Art/Naxos, premiere planned for May, 2023).

You may listen to Barbara’s albums in the Discography section.