Biography

A student in the class of professor Andrzej Jasiński, Piotr Banasik graduated with highest distinction from the Katowice Music Academy in 2006. In January 2015 he earned his PhD title and the position of Assistant Professor in his Alma Mater. He has participated in numerous master classes, working with such artists as Vera Gornostaeva, Alexei Orlovetsky, Dang Thai Son, Alexis Weissenberg, Arie Vardi and Krystian Zimerman.

He has won numerous awards and honours in competitions and festivals in Poland and abroad, such as the Medal of the 48th International Maria Canals Competition in Barcelona, the 1st prize in the Young Musicians Festival in Gdańsk (2002), the Grand Prix in the PARNASSOS International Piano Competition in Monterrey, Mexico, and the 1st prize in the National Chopin Piano Artist Scholarship Competition in Warsaw (2003). He was also awarded in the 36th Polish Piano Festival in Słupsk. In February 2005 he was awarded with the 2nd prize in the National Chopin Competition for the Candidates to the 15th International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, in which he received a number of special prizes on September 2005, e.g. for the best participant who did not qualify to the final. In 2009 he received distinction at the Ferenc Liszt International Piano Competition in Wrocław and in 2012 he received 1st prize at the National Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw. He was the scholarship holder of the Polish Ministry of Culture and Arts.

Since 1998 he has given countless recitals and performed as a soloist of symphonic concerts in Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico (e.g. Bellas Artes Palace in Mexico City), South Africa, Switzerland, USA and Ukraine, as well as in many important concert halls in Poland. He has cooperated, as a soloist, with the Polish Radio Orchestra in Warsaw, the Polish Radio Chamber Orchestra “Amadeus”, Sinfonietta Cracovia, Forchheimer Kammerorchester (as a soloist and conductor), Guanajuato Symphonic Orchestra, Orchestre National des Pays de La Loire and with many philharmonic orchestras in Poland.

Piotr Banasik has made recordings for the Polish Radio and Television, e.g. with the Polish Radio Orchestra, the Polish Radio Chamber Orchestra “Amadeus”, and the Mexican Radio (Chopin’s Concerto No. 1 with the Guanajuato Symphonic Orchestra). As a conductor and soloist he has recorded Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Karol Szymanowski Youth Symphony Orchestra in 2001. Two years later he recorded the same concert for the Polish Radio with the Polish Radio Orchestra.

Piotr Banasik has performed at such prestigious international piano festivals as the 22nd Septembre Musical de l’Orne in France (2004), International Chopin Festival in Duszniki in Poland (2005, 2012), Polish Piano Festival in Słupsk, Oficina de Music de Curitiba Festival in Brazil (2011, 2012), Alexis Weissenberg Piano Festival in Switzerland (2007) and the 8th Music Festival in Al-Ain (United Arab Emirates).