Rafał Blechacz

The Polish pianist Rafał Blechacz is considered an exceptional artist in every respect. His perfect mastery of the keyboard and the ability to unlock the instrument's full spectrum of expression form the foundation of his artistry – qualities that have underpinned Blechacz’s artistic and professional development since he won First Prize at the International Chopin Competition in 2005. Today, he is one of the world's leading pianists, highly sought after, primarily for the honesty and visionary power of all his performances, from Bach and Beethoven to Chopin and Szymanowski. At the Chopin Competition, just months after his 20th birthday, the expression and intensity of his performances were rewarded not only with the gold medal but also with all four special prizes of the competition and the audience award. In May 2006, he signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon, becoming the second Polish pianist after Krystian Zimerman to join the yellow label's international roster of artists. The new partnership began in 2007 with the release of Blechacz’s first solo album, which included all of Chopin's Préludes and the two Nocturnes Op. 62. His second album, a recital of piano sonatas by Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, was released in 2008. Subsequently, he returned to Chopin, recording his two piano concertos with the Concertgebouw Orchestra and Jerzy Semkow for an album released in 2009 in anticipation of the composer's upcoming 200th birthday. In 2012, his album featuring works by Debussy and Szymanowski was released, followed a year later by an album of Chopin's mature Polonaises. In 2017, Blechacz’s sixth DG album appeared, featuring Partitas Nos. 1 and 3, the Italian Concerto, and other works by J. S. Bach. Together with Korean violinist Bomsori Kim, he then recorded compositions by Fauré, Debussy, Szymanowski, and Chopin. The recording was released in 2019 and was his first chamber music album for Deutsche Grammophon. In 2023, Blechacz released the album Chopin, on which he linked Piano Sonatas Nos. 2 and 3 with the Nocturne Op. 48 No. 2 and the Barcarolle Op. 60. "[Blechacz] interprets the music of his compatriot powerfully, intensely, and with profound emotional devotion – he captivates his listeners as only a great actor can in a dramatic monologue." (Gramophone) His most recent recording project revolves around Chopin's Mazurkas, which have fascinated Blechacz for many years. In October 2025, the first of two planned parts will be released, featuring the Opus collections 6, 17, 24, 41, 50, 56, and 63. Blechacz’s upcoming engagements include Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Dresden Philharmonic and Kent Nagano in Dresden (October 26, 2025); recitals with works by Mozart, Beethoven, Paderewski, and Szymanowski alongside Bomsori in Barcelona, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Alicante, and Madrid (November 24, 27, December 1, 2); and Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Deutsche Streicherphilharmonie and Wolfgang Hentrich at the Salzburg Mozarteum and the Vienna Musikverein (January 9, 11, 2026). Rafał Blechacz was born in June 1985 in the small northern Polish town of Nakło nad Notecią. He showed early signs of musical talent and began piano lessons at the age of five. He initially attended the Arthur Rubinstein Music School in Bydgoszcz, then studied at the Feliks Nowowiejski Music Academy there, where he completed his degree in May 2007 under Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń. Blechacz’s exceptional technical and artistic abilities earned him a series of competition successes. In 2002, he received Second Prize at the International Arthur Rubinstein Competition for Young Pianists in Bydgoszcz; the following year, he won the International Piano Competition in Hamamatsu; and the pinnacle was in 2005, when he took First Prize at the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, becoming the first Polish musician to win since Krystian Zimerman 30 years prior. In 2010, Rafał Blechacz’s work was honored with the Premio Internazionale "Accademia Musicale Chigiana," which the eponymous Accademia in Siena awards annually to an outstanding pianist or violinist. In 2014, he received the Gilmore Artist Award, a coveted prize awarded every four years in recognition of "extraordinary pianistic abilities." In addition to prizes and awards, Blechacz also received the highest praise from older colleagues: Martha Argerich, winner of the 1965 Chopin Competition, called him "an extraordinary, very honest, and sensitive artist," and for Irish pianist and educator John O’Conor, he is "one of the greatest artists I have ever heard in my life." From 2016 to 2017, Blechacz withdrew from concert life to complete his PhD in Philosophy at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń (Poland). His dissertation focuses on aspects of metaphysics and aesthetics in music. And this work, as he explains, helped him "to better understand the freedoms and limits of musical interpretations." 10/2025