Kamila Wąsik-Janiak (1986) — violin

She studied violin with Roman Lasocki at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music, graduating ‘Magna cum laude’ in 2010 with a medal for the best graduate of the year in recognition of her outstanding achievements. In 2018, she obtained a doctorate in musical arts.

Her honours include First Prize at the Karol Szymanowski International Competition in Łódź (2009), and Second Prize and a special award for the best Polish entrant at the 10th Karol Lipiński and Henryk Wieniawski International Competition in Lublin (2006). She was also a prizewinner at the 11th Internationaler Wettewerb für Violine in Kloster Schöntal, Germany (2005).

She has developed a fine career as a soloist, appearing with most of Poland’s symphony orchestras (including the Warsaw Philharmonic and the National Polish Radio SO in Katowice) under prominent Polish conductors such as Mirosław Jacek Błaszczyk, Tomasz Bugaj, Czesław Grabowski, Michał Klauza, Wojciech Michniewski, Marek Pijarowski, Wojciech Rajski, and Jerzy Salwarowski. She worked closely with many outstanding violinists, including Kaja Danczowska, Igor Frolov, Tadeusz Gadzina, Marina Jaszwili, Mirosław Ławrynowicz, Krzysztof Węgrzyn, Wanda Wiłkomirska.

She has given numerous world premieres of solo and chamber compositions, both in Poland and abroad. She was a featured artist at major events such as the Tallinn Afekt Festival (2018), the Festival of Premieres – Polish Newest Music in Katowice (2013), the 64th International Chopin Festival in Duszniki Zdrój (2009), Westdeutsche Rundfunk Musikfest in Münster (2009) and the International Student Festiwal in Kyoto (2007). She performs regularly and makes recordings with the Hashtag Ensemble, which she joined in 2015.

She has also developed a career in chamber music. Her awards include the 2017 Fryderyk Prize of the Polish recording industry for the CD ‘Musica Profana 1’, which features works by Paweł Łukaszewski. She has also won ‘Les Orphées d’Or-Prix de la SACD’ from French critics and two  nominations for the 2016 Fryderyk Prize for the CD ‘Real Life Song’, recorded with the singer Joanna Freszel. Both of these CDs were released by DUX Recording Producers. She held numerous grants in recognition of her outstanding achievements, including those from the Minister of Culture and National Heritage  (2005, 2009), the President of Gdańsk  (2009) and the Młoda Polska/Young Poland programme for the promotion of up-and-coming artists (2007).

She works as an assistant professor at her alma mater.