Czarakcziew / Kowal Duo

The Czarakcziew/Kowal Duo is a group associated with the Krzysztof Penderecki Academy of Music in Krakow, specializing in the search for outstanding yet lesser-known music of the 20th and 21st centuries. Paweł Czarakcziew and Piotr Kowal are laureates of international cello and piano competitions and actively perform solo and chamber music both in their home country and abroad. In 2020, the musicians decided to embark on an artistic collaboration. During the celebration of the 200th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s death, they performed at the Dni Muzyki festival in a concert dedicated to all of Beethoven’s cello sonatas. Since then, they have been working together, expanding their repertoire, mainly focusing on works from the 20th and 21st-century chamber music literature. In 2021, the duo achieved notable recognition, including 2nd place at the International Instrumental Competition Golden Strings organized by the European Association of Folklore Festivals, the Excellence Award at The Sound of Music ORADEA International Competition, 2nd place, and an award for exceptional artistic potential at the I International Viennese Spring Music Competition. In February 2023, their debut album titled “Bruzdowicz: Works for Piano and Cello” was released by the DUX label. For this album, they were awarded the Silver Diploma at the 3rd International “Muzyczne Orły” Competition in November 2023. They showcased the compositions of Joanna Bruzdowicz on stages in Poland and during their tour in the United States, where they performed “The Song of Hope and Love” by the composer and a program inspired by jazz music, featuring works by American composer Frederick Katz. The latter works were the subject of Paweł Czarakcziew’s doctoral research, which he conducted in Los Angeles during a Fulbright scholarship.