Szczepan Kończal (Polish pronunciation: ʂtʂɛpan kɔɲtʂal) (born on 27 May 1985, in

Katowice Katowice (, ) is the capital city of the Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland and the central city of the Katowice urban area. As of 2021, Katowice has an official population of 286,960, and a resident population estimate of around 315,000. K ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

) is a Polish classical pianist who has won prizes in many international music competitions held in more than a dozen different countries.

Education

Kończal graduated with the highest distinction (

Primus inter pares is a Latin phrase meaning first among equals. It is typically used as an honorary title for someone who is formally equal to other members of their group but is accorded unofficial respect, traditionally owing to their seniority in office. H ...

medal) from the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, where he studied under Prof. Józef Stompel's guidance. He has participated in masterclasses with such artists as Krystian Zimerman, Peter Donohoe, Dang Thai Son, Alexander Korsantia, Joan Havill, Bernard Ringeissen, John Perry, Andrzej Jasiński, Lee Kum-Sing, Victor Merzhanov.

Competitions

Kończal has been a prize-winner of several piano competitions: 16th Vianna da Motta International Music Competition (5th prize and special award for the best interpretation of the mandatory work,

Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

, 2007; WFIMC), 11th

UNISA The University of South Australia is a Public university, public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1991, it is the successor of the former South Australian Institute of Technology. Its main campuses along ...

International Piano Competition (6th prize,

Pretoria Pretoria ( ; ) is the Capital of South Africa, administrative capital of South Africa, serving as the seat of the Executive (government), executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to the country. Pretoria strad ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

, 2008; WFIMC), 4th

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...

International Piano Competition (3rd prize,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

, 2009; WFIMC), 2nd International Piano Competition Spazio Teatro (1st prize and special award,

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, 2010), 1st Luciano Luciani International Piano Competition (1st prize, Laurignano, Italy, 2011), 3rd Ella Philipp International Piano Competition (1st prize,

Timișoara Timișoara (, , ; , also or ; ; ; see #Etymology, other names) is the capital city of Timiș County, Banat, and the main economic, social and cultural center in Western Romania. Located on the Bega (Tisza), Bega River, Timișoara is consider ...

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, 2011), Campillos International Piano Competition (3rd prize,

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, 2009), 9th Concours

Grieg Edvard Hagerup Grieg ( , ; 15 June 18434 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the leading Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide. His use of N ...

– International Competition for Pianists (2nd prize and two special awards,

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

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, 2008). Finalist of the

Tallinn Tallinn is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Estonia, most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a Tallinn Bay, bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and ...

International Piano Competition (

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, 2006), triple laureate of the National Frederick Chopin Piano Competitions in

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

in 2003, 2004 and 2005, semi finalist of the 15th International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw (2005; WFIMC). Earlier, he was awarded 1st prizes in seven international and national piano competitions for youth, as well as 2nd prize in the 7th

Takasaki is a Cities of Japan, city located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 372,369 in 167,345 households, and a population density of 810 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Takasaki is famous as th ...

International Art and Music Competition (

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, 2001).

Festivals

Kończal participated in the 60th International Chopin Festival in

Duszniki-Zdrój Duszniki-Zdrój (; ; ), often simplified to Duszniki, is a spa town in Kłodzko Valley and Kłodzko County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in southwestern Poland. As of December 2021, the town has a population of 4,329. Situated on the Bystrzyca Rive ...

(2005), the 1st Warsaw Chopin Festival (2005), the 2nd Rubinstein Piano Festival in

Łódź Łódź is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located south-west of Warsaw. Łódź has a population of 655,279, making it the country's List of cities and towns in Polan ...

(2011), the 39th Festival of Polish Piano Art in

Słupsk Słupsk (; ; ) is a city with powiat rights located on the Słupia River in the Pomeranian Voivodeship in northern Poland, in the historical region of Pomerania or more specifically in its part known in contemporary Poland as Central Pomerania ...

(2005), the 13th Festival New Year Music Celebrations in Tbilisi (Georgia 2010), the 14th

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Kammermuusika Päevad (Estonia, 2008), Festival Premiar Excelência in Oeiras (Portugal, 2009), Festival La Grande Musica a Maso Spilzi in Folgaria (Italy, 2010) and in concert seasons: at the

Boğaziçi University Boğaziçi University (Turkish language, Turkish: ''Boğaziçi Üniversitesi''), also known as Bosphorus University, is a Public university, public research university in Istanbul, Turkey, historically tied to a former American educational insti ...

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(

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, 2009), Serate Musicali and Rassegna Musicali – both in Milan (Italy, 2010).

Scholarships

Kończal has received scholarships from: the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage on six occasions (1998, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008), the

Prime Minister of Poland A prime number (or a prime) is a natural number greater than 1 that is not a product of two smaller natural numbers. A natural number greater than 1 that is not prime is called a composite number. For example, 5 is prime because the only wa ...

(2002), the Hugo Kołłątaj Foundation (2003), the International Frederick Chopin Foundation (2003). During 1998-2004 he was supported by the Polish Children's Fund. In 2010 he became a laureate of the national program Młoda Polska (prestigious scholarship given by the Minister of Culture).

Performances

Kończal has performed with such orchestras as: Sinfonia Varsovia, Silesian Philharmonic,

Toruń Toruń is a city on the Vistula River in north-central Poland and a World Heritage Sites of Poland, UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its population was 196,935 as of December 2021. Previously, it was the capital of the Toruń Voivodeship (1975–199 ...

Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven Academy Orchestra, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Gulbenkian, Turkish Presidential Symphony Orchestra,CSO programme
/ref> Banatul Philharmonic of Timișoara, Chamber Orchestra of South Africa and such conductors as:

Antoni Wit Antoni Wit (born 7 February 1944) is a Polish conductor, composer, lawyer and professor at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music. Between 2002 and 2013, he served as the artistic director of the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra. Life a ...

, Tadeusz Strugała, Michał Klauza, Szymon Bywalec, Jerzy Swoboda, Marcin Nałęcz-Niesiołowski, Andres Mustonen, Mitsuyoshi Oikawa, Jüri Alperten, Heiko Mathias Förster, Per Sigmund Thorp, Péter Csaba, Gheorghe Costin, Arjan Tien. He has appeared at many venues in Poland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Turkey,

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

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, Norway, the

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Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

, Estonia, Romania, Georgia,

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia lying in the Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains, Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Kyrgyzstan, largest city. Kyrgyz ...

, South Africa, Japan and

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. In 2010 he toured Turkey (May) and England (June).

References

External links

National Philharmonic in Warsaw

Alink – Argerich Foundation

Artur Rubinstein Piano Festival

Sunderland Pianoforte Society
{{DEFAULTSORT:Konczal, Szczepan 1985 births Polish male classical pianists Living people 21st-century Polish classical pianists 21st-century Polish male musicians