Chopin 2025: Meet Piotr Pawlak - talented pianist and mathematician
Polish pianist Piotr Pawlak, who advanced to the third stage of the 19th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition on Sunday, balances two seemingly contradictory passions in his life: music and mathematics.
Born in 1998, Pawlak is a graduate of the Stanislaw Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdansk and currently studies at the International Piano Academy Lake Como in Italy. He has won numerous international competitions, including the 5th International Maj Lind Piano Competition in Helsinki and the 11th International Chopin Piano Competition in Darmstadt. He is also a laureate of the International Chopin Competitions in Beijing (2016), Budapest (2018) and Krakow (2019), the International Paderewski Piano Competition in Bydgoszcz (2022) and the International Chopin Competition on period instruments in Warsaw (2023).
He has performed in the United States, Canada, Japan, China, Russia, Georgia and most European countries. As a soloist, he has appeared with numerous orchestras and at numerous music festivals, including Kissinger Sommer in Bad Kissingen, Germany and 'Chopin and His Europe' in Warsaw.
Besides his passion for music, Pawlak pursues an interest in science. He is the winner of multiple mathematics competitions and is currently working on his PhD dissertation at the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics of the University of Gdansk.
Despite his success in both fields, Pawlak admits that music has always been his greatest love. "Music is a beautiful language that can express every emotion and feeling," he said in an interview for the Fryderyk Chopin Institute. "Through music, I can create a bond with each listener. This is the most beautiful aspect of this profession."
Although he grew up in a non-musical family, music quickly became part of his world. His relatives noticed his fascination with an old grandfather's piano and with toys that made sounds. "My favourite was a small toy with a dozen or so keys, on which I played melodies by ear," he said. "My parents encouraged my hobby, enrolled me in a music club, and from there I entered music school."
"Success doesn't come easily," he assessed. "There are many uncertain, unstable elements. Sometimes you feel you're moving forward, other times backwards. You can spend one hour at the piano and everything flows — and then, after several hours, you feel the piece is regressing, and you don't know what to do about it."
According to the contestant, piano playing demands physical, mental, and emotional discipline, engaging all aspects of human nature and fostering an intimate connection with others.
Pawlak is one of the three Polish pianists to reach the third stage of the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, which continues until October 16. Twenty participants will perform one-hour recitals, the programme of which must include selected sonata and a cycle of mazurkas, as well as any other piece or pieces by Fryderyk Chopin.
The 19th edition of the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, which runs from October 2 to October 23, is organised by Poland's Fryderyk Chopin Institute. (PAP)
The Polish Press Agency is the media partner of the event. (PAP)
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