Director
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photo Mikołaj KołodziejczykWojciech RodekDirectorWojciech Rodek was born in 1977 in Brzeg, Poland, the hometown of a famous conductor, Kurt Masur. Wojciech Rodek is one of the most prominent conductors of his generation. Following the traditions of Silesian musical culture cultivated in Wrocław, Otto Klemperer's birthplace, he continues the best traditions of the Polish school of conducting. Remaining under the influence of the German performing tradition, during his studies in Moscow he encountered the greatest geniuses of the Russian art of conducting: Mark Ermler, Evgeny Svetlanov, Yuri Simonov. He was an assistant to great masters such as Kurt Masur, Stanisław Skrowaczewski, Krzysztof Penderecki, Antoni Wit, Pinchas Steinberg, Marc Minkowski, Charles Dutoit.
Since 2005, he has been affiliated with the Polish Wieniawski Philharmonic Orchestra as a conductor and Music Director. Maestro Rodek was the Music Director of the Gliwice Music Theatre, Music Director of the Lower Silesian Philharmonic and Music Director of the Grand Opera Theatre in Łódź.MoreHe studied the piano from the age of eight in Namysłów and Wrocław. From 1998 to 2003, he studied conducting with Professor Marek Pijarowski at the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław; he also learnt Russian in the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute in Moscow and at the University of Wrocław. In 2005, he won a competition for the post of assistant to Maestro Antoni Wit at the National Philharmonic in Warsaw, where he worked from 2005 to 2007. Currently, he teaches conducting at the Academy of Music in Wrocław. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree and he is the winner of the 2nd prize at the 3rd National Witold Lutosławski Competition for Young Conductors (2002). In 2011, he was awarded the Polish Theatrical Music Award in the Best Conductor category. In 2015, he was awarded the Medal of the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage for “Merit to Culture-Gloria Artis”.
He conducted many symphonic ensembles, including Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra, Sinfonia Varsovia, Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra in Katowice, Polish Radio Orchestra in Warsaw, Cracow Philharmonic, Wrocław Philharmonic, Polish Baltic Sea Philharmonic, Ankara Presidential Symphony Orchestra, Antalya State Symphony Orchestra, Izmir State Symphony, European Johann Strauss Orchestra, Lviv Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Camerata Bucharest, Ostrava Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra, Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra. He performed with outstanding soloists, including Rafał Blechacz, Idil Biret, Gülsin Onay, Ingolf Wunder, Lukas Geniušas, Gidon Kremer, Alexandre Dubach, Alexander Markov, Konstanty A. Kulka, Krzysztof Jakowicz, Tomasz Strahl, Johannes Moser, Gautier Capuçon.
Wojciech Rodek prepared premieres for the Theatre Montansier in Versailles, the Wratislavia Cantans festival, The Grand Theatre-National Opera in Warsaw, the Grand Opera Theatre in Łódź, the Wrocław Opera. He has performed in the most prestigious concert halls across Europe, China, USA including Dresden, Hamburg, Munich, Salzburg, Vienna, Zürich, Beijing, Shanghai, Miami, New York. He took part in the most important classical music festivals. Mr. Rodek's recordings primarily include forgotten Polish music (”Janek” by Zelenski for Naxos), contemporary works, as well as film productions, among others with music by Jan A.P. Kaczmarek (”City Island”, “Get Low”).
Wojciech Rodek's conducting art is characterized by uncommon spontaneity. He has the ability to lead great musical forms with an extraordinary understanding of structures and details. Mr. Rodek believes in the necessity to introduce young people into the world of music. On his initiative, the Youth Orchestra of the Wieniawski Philharmonic was established, which brings together the most talented young musicians from across eastern Poland. In 2022, he conducted the Polish Wieniawski Philharmonic Tour in the USA at the invitation of Columbia Artists.
