Michał S. Sołtysik

A PhD student in arts studies at the University of Warsaw, a head of the librarian section at the Warsaw Philharmonic, a member of the Youth Circle of the Polish Composers’ Union, and a drummer.

He completed with distinction three master degree courses, in musicology (specialisation: editing), cultural studies (specialisation: culture management), and philosophy (specialisation: philosophy of culture, religion and politics). As part of the Erasmus programme, he studied at the University of Genoa (Italy), and as a scholarship holder under the “Programme of integrated development activities of the University of Warsaw”, he carried out library queries in London. He presented the findings of his musicological research at conferences in Cambridge, Paris, Geneva, and many cities in Poland. Author of articles on, among other topics, the G.F. Handel’s apotheoses in eighteenth-century literature and art, and the earliest Italian theatrical and musical phenomena.

He is a laureate of a competition for the best master’s degree thesis completed at the Institute of Musicology, University of Warsaw (2023) and of awards at composition competitions, e.g. of the 1^st place at the 1^st Renata Gleinert National Composition Competition, a special award at the 6^th International Composer’s Competition “Opus ignotum”, the 2^ndplace at the National Composition Competition “Legnica Cantat 2017”, and the 2^nd place at the 4^th National Composition Competition for a choral passion piece to lyrics in Kashubian. He has published two collections of his compositions: Usque ad finem for a mixed choir and Madonny kaszubskie for a baritone and piano. Recordings of his pieces have appeared on albums by, among others, the Poznań Group Ensemble, the Fermata Chamber Choir and the Choir of Cardinal S. Wyszyński University.

He cooperates professionally with such cultural institutions as the National Centre for Culture Poland (the International Music Festival of Central and Eastern Europe “Eufonie”), the Fryderyk Chopin Institute (the International F. Chopin Piano Competition, the International Music Festival „Chopin and His Europe”), the Polish Composers’ Union (the International Festival of Contemporary Music “Warsaw Autumn”), and the Ludwig van Beethoven Association (the Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival). In 2021–2024, he was an educator at the Royal Castle in Warsaw.