About the 2017 Bradetich Competition Finalists

There are four finalists for the 2017 Bradetich Competition.  Here’s a bit about each of them:

Szymon Marciniak

Szymon Marciniak’s desire is to share musical experiences with the audience at highest level through giving every piece of music an authenticity and freshness. Through his original approach to his instrument and lively interpretations of classical bass-repertoire as well as transcriptions, he constantly receives acclaim and enthusiastic reactions from listeners and critics alike.

Szymon’s concert activities took him all around Europe as well as Asia, Arabic Emmirates, Canada and United States. He performs frequently as soloist with orchestras as well recitals with piano. One of notable performances was his recital with pianist Evan Mitchell at the international TCU Bass Festival in Fort Worth (Texas) back in 2014 that was live-broadcasted on the web worldwide and can be seen now on youtube.

In 2012 Szymon’s debut CD recording with Complete Sonatas and Miniatures of Adolf Mišek has been released and received critical acclaim including reviews at The Strad and Fanfare.
In early 2016 Szymon has released his new DVD+CD „New Music for Double-Bass” (with Evan Mitchell on piano). Both discs include 4 major premiere works for bass and piano, including Frank Proto’s Sonata No 3 (2015) dedicated to Szymon.
Later in 2016 the release of 3 CD’s with chamber works by Jeffrey Roden (including 3 String Quintets with Bennewitz Quartet) is planned.

Besides his solo efforts Szymon has been lucky to enjoy busy career as chamber and orchestral player. 2007-2013 Szymon has been principal bassist for the Residentie Orkest Den Haag (The Hague Philharmonic Orchestra). He is also frequently invited as guest principal bassist for number of internationally renowed orchestras and ensembles such as The Philharmonia, BBC Orchestra of Wales, BBC Philharmonic Manchester, Rundfunk Sinfonie Orchester Berlin, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Münchener Kammerorchester, Ensemble Modern, Ensemble Insomnio, New European Ensemble and Spira Mirabillis.

His passion for chamber music has allowed him to explore traditional chamber repertoire with bass as well as some transcriptions of works orginally without bass. He appeared with such distinguished artists and ensembles as Gustav Rivinius, Philip Setzer (Emerson String Quartet), Dmitri Ashkenazy, James Campbel, Philippe Graffin, Vera Beths, Paolo Giacometti, Faure Quartett, to name a few. In addition between 2013-15 Szymon was a member of the Bass Monsters quartet performing rock and pop music on double-basses.
Contemporary or little known repertoire for bass is one of Szymon’s special interests. He has collaborated with number of composers and comissioned some new works. In 2005 a renowed german composer Jürg Baur wrote his opera „Der Roman mit dem Kontrabass” (based on A.Tchehov novel) with soloistic double-bass part especially with Szymon in mind. The premiere in 2005 was highly succesful.

Szymon’s collaboration with dutch composer Chiel Meijering resulted in 3 compositions: „The Ultimate Workout” for bass & piano and „Capriccio Olandese” for bass alone. (premiered respectively in 2012 and 2015) and the new composition for bass and piano „Kiss of Death” (2016- date of premiere to be announced).

Besides his passion for performing Szymon enjoys teaching and has given number of Masterclasses around Europe as well as UK and Hong Kong. In addition between 2011 and 2013 he taught double-bass at the Prins Claus Conservatory in Groningen (Netherlands). He served as jury member of national and international competitions.

Szymon Marciniak’s solo instrument was made by Charles Quenoil in 1945.

Marek Romanowski

Marek Romanowski graduated from Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice in class of Jan Kotula, which he finished with honorable mention.

He is the winner of Bronis?aw Ciechanski’s National Competition for Double Bass, Poznan, National Academic Double Bass Competition in Lodz, National Competition for Cello and Double Bass in Warsaw. He also received main prizes on several competitions : Second Prize on BASS2012 Copenhagen Double Bass Competition, Copenhagen, Denmark, Second Prize on the International Serge Koussevitzky Double Bass Competition in Sankt Petersburg, Russia, Third Prize at International Edouard Nanny Competition in Capbreton, France, Fourth Prize and two Special Prizes on the International Johann Matthias Sperger Competition, Andernach, Germany. He’s also a finalist of first Piano Duos Competition in Warsaw.

His other prizes are : First place in the Regional Double bass Auditions in Bytom, 2002, Second place at the National Meeting of Double Bassists in Mielec, April 2008 (younger category), Second place in National Double Bass Competition for Secondary Schools of Music in Lodz, April 2008, Fourth place at the Second Wiktor Gadzinski National Double Bass Competition in Katowice, June 2008, Second place at the National Meeting of Double Bassists in Mielec, April 2010 (older category), Second Prize on 1st International Double Bass Personalities Competition, Wroclaw, May 2013, Honourable mention at XIX International Leos Janacek Music Competition in Brno, Czech Republic, Special Prize founded by prof. Irena Olkiewicz at the 1st International Double Bass Competition „Golden Bass” in Lviv, Ukraine.

1st Prize at Academic Piano Duos Competition (with pianist Natalia Tomecka), Wroclaw, Poland, 3rd Prize at International Juliusz Zarebski Chamber Music Competition (with pianist Natalia Tomecka), ?omianki/Izabelin, Poland, Honourable Mention at Chamber Music Competition in Bydgoszcz, Poland (with pianist Natalia Tomecka).

He honed his skills at master classes in ?ancut, Glucholazy, Wroclaw, Baloszyce, Brno (Czech Republic) and Sion (Switzerland) with such professors like Bozo Paradzik, Miloslav Jelinek, Irena Olkiewicz, Boguslaw Furtok, Gunars Upatnieks, Klaus Trumpf, Krzysztof Firlus and Thierry Barbe. He also took lessons with Jadwiga Kaliszewska and Dominik Polonski. He performed on various music festivals like Young Competition Winners Festival, Student Art Festival, Chamber Music Festival “Kontrasty”, Summer Music Concerts at Grochowska (organized by Sinfonia Varsovia), Summer Concerts “Dziekanka” organized by Frideric Chopin Univerity of Music. As a soloist he had concerts with orchestras like Silesian Philharmonic Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfonica de Navarra, „Sinesian Ensemble” Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra „Archetti”. He also cooperated with Aukso Chamber Orchestra, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra of New Music. He cooperated with such artists like Krzysztof Penderecki, Gabriel Chmura, Jacek Kaspszyk and John Greenwood. He appeared on several music festivals in Katowice, Gdansk and Warsaw. He was performing in such concert halls like Wiener Musikverein or Barbican Hall.

He received scholarships from president of Katowice, Polish Children’s Found, Polish Ministry of Culture, Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education and from Rector of Academy of Music in Katowice. He also received special prize from Polish National Center of Culture.

He performs on a double bass made in Krakow by Polish maker Marian Pawlik in 2011. His repertoire includes pieces written originally for Double Bass as well as transcriptions, mainly of cello pieces.

Mikyung Soung

Mikyung Soung, a 23-year-old native from Seoul, South Korea, is forging a unique performing career as a solo double bassist.  Since her professional debut at age 12 with the Guri Philharmonic, she has performed as a soloist with orchestras including the Staatorchester Rheinische Philharmonic, Philharmonic Baden-Baden, Philharmonic Corea, the Concordia College Orchestra, the Korea National University of Arts Orchestra, and the Sunhwa Arts School Orchestra.  She has already established herself as a renowned concertizing solo bassist in South Korea, including performing solo recitals at the renowned Kumho Art Hall in 2010 and 2007, as well as the Changsoo Park concert series and the Korea National University of Arts concert series.

Born into a musical family, Mikyung enjoys collaborating with other musicians and performing a variety of musical genres.  During the summer of 2015, she performed at the Ditto Festival in Korea with a double bass quartet led by her brother, Minjie Soung.  In March 2015, she performed a double bass duo recital at the Sierra Madres Playhouse in the Los Angeles area with a mixed program of classical standards and arrangements of film scores.

Mikyung has received First Prize in numerous competitions in Korea, and in 2010 she was awarded First Prize, Audience Prize, and the Special Jury Prize at the Johann-Matthias-Sperger International Double Bass Competition in Germany.  She has also competed at the ISB Convention in Colorado in 2015, where she was awarded second place for the solo competition and first place for the Bottesini prize.  In addition, she auditioned at the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra in 2015 and was accepted as the Assistant Principal Bassist.  She has also performed in masterclasses for renowned artists such as Janne Saksala, Rinat Ibragimov, Klaus Trumpf, Hans Jørgen Jensen, Peter Wiley, and Joseph Conyers.  Mikyung earned a Bachelor of Music degree at the Korea National University, and is currently pursuing her Artist Diploma at the Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles, where she studies with Peter Lloyd.

Dominik Wagner

Dominik Wagner was born on July 8th, 1997 in Vienna. He started playing the cello in the year 2002 and in 2007 he switched to double bass.

From 2007 to 2011 he was a member of the Vienna Boys Choir and in the year 2008 he started being an alto soloist. During their Concerts he also performed as a soloist on the cello and the double bass.

In 2009, Dominik started studying at the “Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien” with Prof. Josef Niederhammer and Mag.Werner Fleischmann.

Besides national youth-competitions (Prima la musica: first prize, ESTA special prize, 2012 and 2014; Allegro Vivo: prize winner as a Soloist an in Chamber Music, 2012; second Hertha Binder Classic prize of “Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien”, 2012; musica juventutis: he won a performance at the “Wiener Konzerthaus”, 2014) and international youth-competitions (International Competition for young double bass players, Gnesin Academy, Moscow: first prize, 2012) he also participated in the biggest international competitions without age limit (International Leos Janacek Competition, Brno, Czech Republic: third prize, 2013; International Golden Bass Competition, Lviv, Ukraine: first prize and special prize for the youngest participant, 2013).

As a soloist (concerts by J.B. Vanhal, Karl D.v. Dittersdorf, G. Bottesini and Nino Rota) he performed with the Young Master Players of the Wiener Musikuniversität, the Polish Chamberphilharmoic Orchestra under Wojciech Rajski, the Moravian Chamber Orchestra under Richard Kruzik, the Franz Schmidt Kammerorchester under Nicolas Radulescu and the Opera Studio Orchestra, Lviv under Yuriy Bervetskij.

He participated in Master classes and took lessons with Petru Iuga, Bernhard Ziegler, Christine Hoock, Dorin Marc, Johannes Auersperg and Roman Patkolo and Catalin Rotaru.