Piotr Wijatkowski has been professionally associated with the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin for over twenty years, carrying out research in the field of musical arts at the Faculty of Arts and lecturing (conducting, score reading and ear training). He is the author of publications and active participant in scientific conferences and foreign study and training visits (Germany, France, Luxembourg). Currently, he holds the position of a university professor. Since 2019, he has been the director of the Institute of Music and the chairperson of the Institute’s Scientific Council.
He graduated from the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music where he studied conducting under the supervision of Henryk Czyż (he performed his diploma concert with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra). He continued his education at the Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst Mozarteum in Salzburg with Michael Gielen. He took part in interpretation workshops with David Epstein. In 2008, the board of Composition, Conducting an Theory of Music at Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw awarded him with a doctor degree (DMA). In 2018, he obtained the degree of habilitated doctor of arts, in the field of musical arts, in the artistic discipline of conducting.
He launched his artistic activity in 1989. He has performed over 500 symphonic concerts in Poland and abroad, e.g. in the USA, South Korea, Egypt, Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Portugal, Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark, Ukraine, and Albania. He has also conducted over 50 theatre musical performances. He has participated in numerous national and international festivals. Piotr Wijatkowski performed in Poland with the majority of Polish philharmonic orchestras, including the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra. He performed with the famous European and Polish artist like: Wanda Wiłkomirska, İdil Biret, Aldona Dvarion- aitė, Marina Yashvili, David Garrett, Krzysztof Jakowicz, Jakub Jakowicz, Konstanty Andrzej Kulka, Alena Baeva, Avri Levitan, Radovan Vlatković, Ewa Pobłocka, Piotr Paleczny, Lidia Grychtołówna, Stanisław Drzewiecki, Jadwiga Rappé, Wiesław Ochman, or Leszek Możdżer.
His repertoire contains all important symphony and chamber pieces. Piotr Wijatkowski conducted the world and European premieres of numerous compositions (i.e. Philippe Chamouard's "Les Figures de I’invisible", 3rd Symphony, Bertold Hummel's Partite for Chamber Orchestra, Craig Russel's 'Concierto Romantico', Manuel Millan's 'Concierto para Guitarra y Orquesta de Cuerda', Daniel Galay's 3rd Symphony). He also recorded for radio and television: 2 Program of the Polish Radio, TVP2, TV Polonia,, Ukrainian TV, Egyptian TV (satellite broadcasting of two concerts with Cairo Symphony Orchestra), Albanian TV (satellite retransmission of the concert with the Symhony Orchestra of Albanian Radio and TV in Tirana).
There are eight albums in the artist's discography. Six CDs were released on the Polish record label DUX and two of them abroad (Orphée, France and SEM Gramophone, South Korea).
Since 1993 till 2011 Piotr Wijatkowski worked for the Lublin Philharmonic. He was a principal conductor (1997-2011) and artistic director (2009-2011). He performed with Wieniawski Philharmonic Orchestra in such important places like Warsaw Philharmonic Concert Hall (twice) or Lutosławski Concert Studio (Polish Radio in Warsaw). He conducted 10 foreign concert tours of the orchestra in European countries and South Korea. He introduced such significant works to the Lublin stage as the Symphony No. 7 by Dmitri Shostakovich, Faust Symphony by Franz Liszt, September Symphony, Missa pro Pace, Piano Concerto No. 2 by Wojciech Kilar or The Planets by Gustav Holst. He cooperated with Elżbieta Penderecka in organizing Lublin concerts under the 14th and 15th Beethoven Festival. In the years 2013–2015, he was associated with the Musical Theatre in Lublin, where he was the music director of four premiere productions and worked as the artistic director as well. Piotr Wijatkowski is also known as a promoter of Lublin region composers like Henryk Wieniawski, Karol Lipiński or Andrzej Nikodemowicz.
In 2008 he acted a conductor in the Uri Barbash film Spring 1941 (Polish-Israeli production).
In 1999 Piotr Wijatkowski was decorated with the Bronze Cross of Merit and in 2013 with the Silver Cross of Merit (by President of the Republic of Poland). In 2020 he was awarded the City of Lublin Medal of Merit „Merentibus Civitatis Lublini” (by Mayor of Lublin City).
Discography:
P. Tchaikovsky The Violin Concerto Op. 35 [D. Falger - violin], M. Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition - DUX (1997)
F. Chopin Piano Concerto F minor Op. 21 [Soo-Jung Ann – piano], L. van Beethoven Symphony no. 2 D major Op. 36 - SEM Gramophone (1999)
Ph. Chamouard L'esprit de la nuit, Symphony no. 3, Les Figures de l'invisible [Anna Sikorzak-Olek – celtic harp] - Orphée (2000)
K. Szymanowski Symphony no. 4 Op. 60 [A.Pikul – piano], A. Tansman Suite for Two Pianos [E. Wolak-Moszyńska, A. Pikul] - DUX - world premiere recording, the album was awarded the Klassik-Heute prize (2001
K. Lipiński Ouverture in D major, Symphony B flat major, Violin Concerto no. 2 D major Op. 21 [Dominika Falger – violin] - DUX (2003)
H. Wieniawski - Polonaise Brillante in D major Op. 4, Fantasie Brillante on Gounod's Faust Op. 20, Violin Concerto no. 2 D minor Op. 22 [Anna Maria Staśkiewicz – skrzypce] - DUX (2010)
A. Piazzolla Hommage à Liège for guitar, bandoneon and string orchestra, Escualo, Tanguedia [Kwintet Tanguillo], A. Szmerek Fantasy for accordion and chamber orchestra, Concerto for accordion and chamber orchestra [Jakub Niedoborek - guitar, Elwira Śliwkiewicz-Cisak - accordion, Tanguillo Quintett] - DUX (2015)
A. Hamann Suite „Azanca" for guitar, bandoneon and string orchestra, M. D. Pujol Suite „Buenos Aires” for accordion and guitar, R. Galliano Opale Concerto for accordion and string orchestra. [Jakub Niedoborek - guitar, Elwira Śliwkiewicz-Cisak - accordion, Silesian Chamber Players] - DUX (2022)
