Bartosz Żurakowski – conductor (Poland)

“… I divide conductors into the “marching” and” singing” ones, with a strong preference for the latter. In my opinion, Bartosz Zurakowski belongs to the “singing” option. His narrative, the phrase and time offer pleasure and joy from listening to music, i.e. the things the listener looks for in a concert.” —Prof. Jerzy Marchwinski

Bartosz Zurakowski graduated from the Frederic Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw, the Grazyna and Kiejstut Bacewicz Academy of Music in Lódz, Faculty of Management at the University of Warsaw as well as management studies – Master Business of Administration (program of the Gdansk Foundation for Management Development, University of Gdansk and Rotterdam School of Management).

He was born in Opole, where, since early childhood, he entered the world of music – first through the family home atmosphere with strong musical tradition and then obtaining education at the Frederic Chopin National School of Music of I and II level. In high school, he became interested in the art of conducting, and it gradually became his passion. He began studies at the Academy of Music in Lódz, where he learned the secrets of the art of conducting under the direction of eminent conductor master and teacher Kazimierz Wiencek, and after his graduation studied conducting at the Academy of Music in Warsaw where he enjoyed direct contact with the most outstanding Polish conductors.

Bartosz Zurakowski participated in Master Class in Conducting courses – both Polish and international – including the courses led by Marek Tracz and Kurt Masur. He has worked with symphony orchestras in Poland and abroad, and toured Europe and China with the musicians of the Opole Philharmonic. He is a laureate of the Witold Lutoslawski’s International Conducting Competition.

Starting from the 50 th jubilee artistic season 2001/2002 he is associated with his home philharmonic as a conductor and manager. The main spheres of interest of the artist alongside symphonic music are Oratorio and Opera. He has performed with famous singers such as Gwendolyn Bradley (USA), Jonita Lattimore (USA), Kaludi Kaludov (Bulgaria), Marina Andreyeva (Russia), Malgorzata Walewska, Bozena Harasimowicz, Iwona Hossa, Wieslaw Ochman, Piotr Lempa, Rafal Bartminski, Ewa Podles, Izabela Klosinska as well as with eminent instrumentalists including Kaja Danczowska, Neal Larrabee, Ingolf Wunder, Marian Sobula, Eugene Indjic, Aleksei Volodin, Evgeni Mikhailov, Piotr Paleczny, Tomasz Tomaszewski, Simon Trpceski.

In 2007 he re-established the Opole Philharmonic Choir, of which he is the conductor. In October 2010, the artist led Gustav Mahler’s Third Symphony with Ewa Podles, choirs and the Opole Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, for which he received rave reviews.