RAFAŁ BARTMIŃSKI

He graduated from the Department of Voice and Instruments in the Music Academy of Karol Szymanowski in Katowice where he studied singing with Professor Eugeniusz Sąsiadek. He took part in several master courses. He was also given the title of “the most promising Polish tenor” at the 4th Stanisław Moniuszko International Vocal Competition in Warsaw (the non - competition award); in the 4th edition he won the 2nd prize, title of the “best Polish participant” and “the best tenor of the contest”. Already at the 1st year of studies he started to give concerts not only on the Polish, but also on foreign stages (Italy, France, Austria, Hungary, Canada, and Japan). In 2000 he participated in the prestigious New Year’s concert in Saint Magdalene Church in Paris, singing Messiah by G. F. Handel. Furthermore, he sang during the concert inaugurating the 1st Festival of Sacral Music in Pizza. He took part, among others, in the Festival “Viva il canto” in Cieszyn, monographic Festival of Witold Lutosławski’s compositions “Wratislavia Cantans”, Mozart Festival in Warsaw, “Paralada” in Spain, the Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival. As a student he debuted in the role of Leński in the Piotr Czajkowski opera Eugeniusz Oniegin. In 2003 he started his cooperation with the Great Theatre - the National Opera. Together with the ensemble’s group he performed in Great Britain, Spain, Lithuania, and Japan. He has been continuously cooperating with the Great Theatre in Poznań and the Wrocław Opera as well as with the ensembles of National Philharmonic, as well as the Białystok, Silesia, Łódź, Częstochowa, Lublin, Kraków Philharmonic, or Tomasz Radziwonowicz Sinfonia Viva. He has worked with such great conductors as: J. Kasprzyk, K. Kord, J. Maksymiuk, J. M. Florenco Junior, A. Zedda, W. Michniewski, Ł. Borowicz, M. Dworzyński, M. Prus, K. Zanussi, K. Warlikowski, B. Dobber, A. Strzelecki, T. Konina, M. Treliński. He performed in Messiah by G. F. Handel, singing with Emma Kirkby, Michael Chance, Robert Gierlach under the direction of Paweł Kos-Nowicki, in the stage performance of Falstaff by G. Verdi - the concert inaugurating the artistic season of the Polish Radio Orchestra in Warsaw as well as the ceremonial concert on the 75th anniversary of Wojciech Kilar’s birthday, with the compositor’s participation. He was distinguished by Maria Fołtyn, by the “Small Scepter”, as the continuator of the “Polish culture promotion in the world”.