PIOTR MACHNIK graduated with distinction from the piano class of Professor Stefan Wojtas at the Krakow Academy of Music in 1999. Subsequently he perfected his skills under Eugene Indijc in Paris. He also received artistic guidance from Rudolf Buchbinder and Krystian Zimerman.
He has received scholarships from the French Government and from the President of the city of Krakow. He was also awarded scholarships on two occasions by the Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage, and twice by the Frederic Chopin Institute in Warsaw.
He has won many prizes at national and international piano competitions, including the Chopin competitions in Marianske Lazne (the Czech Republic, 1999; 2nd prize) and in Ankara (Turkey, 1999; 2nd prize). However the most important success for him was winning the grand prix, gold medal and the special prize in the prestigious Maria Canals piano competition in Barcelona (2004). The following year he won the 1st prize and the special prize at the 32nd “Palma d'Oro” piano competition in Finale Ligure – Italy.
Piotr has performed both in Poland and abroad. He has given numerous concerts in Germany, Japan, Austria, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Georgia, Italy, Kuwait, Serbia, Spain and Switzerland. He has performed piano concertos with orchestras such as Capella Cracoviensis, Sinfonietta Cracovia, Kyoto City Philharmony Symphonic Orchestra, The North Bohemia Orchestra, Bilkent Symphony Orchestra, Orquestra Simfonica del Valles and Süd-West Rundfunk Orchester Stuttgart. Recently his experience and expertise has led him to being invited to join the jury at international piano competitions.
He has released three CD's to date, one with the music of Frederic Chopin, recorded on a Pleyel piano built in 1847 which have been played by Chopin himself (at present this instrument is situated in the museum of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow). The other CD, “SonARTe”, contains sonatas by Brahms, Haydn and Prokofiev. The most recent one consists of three cycles by Claude Debussy.
From 1999-2008 Piotr Machnik worked as an assistant to professor Ewa Bukojemska in the piano department at the Krakow Academy of Music, but since completing his PhD in 2008 has been running his own piano class there.
