Cecylia Barczyk

Cecylia Barczyk was born in Bytom, Poland, and began studying cello at the age of 12. Among her mentors were Marian Miendlar, Kazimierz Wilkomirski, Natalia Gutman and Aldo Parisot. After graduating with highest honors from the Silesian School of Music in Bytom, and the Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw, she did post-graduate studies at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory of Music in Moscow. In 1977 she came to the USA to study at the Yale School of Music. Ms. Barczyk has continued her solo career while serving as professor of cello at Towson University for the past 17 years. She has also directed the Towson University - Maryland International Cello Festival since 1986.

Ms. Barczyk has won top prizes in many competitions including the Danczowski (Poznan), Pablo Casals (Budapest), and the Tchaikovsky International Cello Competition in Moscow. She has performed with major orchestras in New York, London, Berlin, Jakarta, Tokyo and Seoul, and her schedule this year includes concerts and recitals in Europe, the Middle East and nations of the Pacific Rim. In addition to numerous radio and television performances, Ms. Barczyk has recorded works by Bach, Chopin, Rachmaninov, Lutoslawski, Penderecki, Carter, Crumb and Rozycki. Her most recent recording is of contemporary American cello music published by CRS and Intermuse.