Artist Bio

Violinist Blanka Bednarz is an alumna of the Jadwiga Kaliszewska Talent School in Poznan (Poland), University of Kansas and the New England Conservatory. She studied with Eric Rosenblith, Michelle Auclair, Ben Sayevich and (viola with) James Dunham, and chamber music with Patricia Zander and members of the Ying, Cavani, and Borromeo Quartets.

As soloist, she has performed with the Changsha Symphony, Connecticut Virtuosi, Symphony and Chamber orchestras of the New England Conservatory, Gettysburg Chamber Orchestra, Sinfonietta Polonia and the Delaware County Symphony. She has performed in the USA, United Kingdom, Poland, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Finland, China, the Netherlands and Lithuania, at the venues such as Jordan Hall in Boston, Miller Hall, An Die Musik, Philadelphia Ethical Society, Kosciuszko Foundation, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Grosser Sendesaal des Rundfunks Berlin-Brandenburg, the Beijing Concert Hall and Adam Mickiewicz University Auditorium in Poznan. She can be heard on Capstone Records, Acte Prealable and Musica Omnia.

Bednarz is an avid chamber musician. She participated in series and festivals, such as the Highlands-Cashier Chamber Music Festival, Candlelight Series in Baltimore, the Beethoven Festival Park City, Chopin Festival in Miami, FL in the USA, and “Chopinesque Confrontations”, “International Festival of Organ and Chamber Music” in Słupsk, Mozart Festival in Poznan and Chanterelle Festival in Gołuchów in Poland, on invitations from organizations such as the Chopin Foundation of the United States, Kościuszko Foundation, Karol Szymanowski Society, Polish Embassies in Beijing and Berlin. With Atma Trio she performed throughout Europe and the United States, and in China. Atma Trio’s CD, on the leading Polish label Acte Préalable, was highly praised in Muzyka 21: “Excellent piano trios by Mendelssohn and Ravel in masterful rendition.”

She collaborated with renowned artists such as John Novacek, Barry Snyder, Rita Sloan, Brian Ganz, Doris Stevenson, Jeffrey Solow, Simon Gollo, Manuel Ramos, Adrian Levine, Monte Belknap, Richard Stoltzman, Leslie and Russell Harlow, members of Boston, St. Louis, Baltimore Symphonies, Corigliano and Amernet Quartets, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Alarm Will Sound, Harrisburg, Utah and the Baltimore Symphonies. In 2007-08 Bednarz joined as the first violinist the Vega String Quartet-in-residence at Emory University in Atlanta, GA ("marvelous foursome").

Bednarz is currently faculty of the University of Utah, Utah Valley University, and the International Musicians Academy.

She taught at Dickinson College, the Young Artist Institute under Beethoven Festival Park City (UT), NEC Preparatory School and Emory University. She coached chamber music at International Musical Arts Institute, ME; the International Music Institute and Festival, MD, at Franklin Pond in Atlanta, at the Gifted Music School in Salt Lake City. She has given master classes at universities and colleges in the USA, Poland and China. Bednarz is concertmaster of Sinfonietta Polonia and Gettysburg Chamber Orchestra. She is also Executive Director of Utah Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Bednarz has led a number of unconducted ensembles from the concertmaster’s seat. At New England Conservatory, she was instrumental in the revival of the unconducted NEC chamber orchestra in 1997, which she led (as concertmaster) and co-coached with Donald Palma. That initiative caused the springing forth of ensembles such as A Far Cry orchestra.

CD of Matthew Bengtson and Blanka Bednarz, Karol Szymanowski: Music for Violin/Piano; Piano Solo (2017 on Musica Omnia) was awarded a Global Music Awards Silver Medal – Outstanding Achievement in classical and instrumental/instrumentalist category. Bednarz was also a finalist in chamber music category and received an honorable mention as soloist in the American Prize Competition.

Of Szymanowski CD:

“Blanka Bednarz is clearly a remarkable violinist…” –D. Morrison, Fanfare

“These are first rate performances of the music for violin and piano, moody and atmospheric in the soft passages, big-boned and dramatic in the more aggressive ones.” --Lynn René Bayley, The Art Music Lounge

“Bednarz’s violin playing illuminates every detail of these sometimes nigh-impossible works.” --O’Connor, American Record Guide

“An outstanding Polish violinist.” --Marek Zaradniak, Glos Wielkopolski