Barbara Marcinkowska
Cellist and soloist, painter
She has given concerts all over the world, with numerous recordings of classical and contemporary music. She is also an author and painter.
Solo cellist, Professeure hors-classe at the National Conservatory of Versailles, Doctorate at the Faculty of Aesthetics Plastic and Musical Arts at the Sorbonne.
Barbara Marcinkowska
Author of educational works, painter, long-time president of the Association of Polish Musicians in France and director of the European Artistic Meetings, Festival in Bydgoszcz. Awarded by the President of the Republic of Poland for her contribution to the development and promotion of Polish culture abroad with the distinctions: Medal of Merit for Polish Culture and Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland. In 2024, she received an important award from the French government, Chevalière de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
Born in Warsaw in a family of musicians, she began learning music at the age of 5, first the piano, then the cello. In 1970, she obtained a Master’s degree at the Frederic Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw in the cello class of Prof. Arnold Rezler.
In 1968, she became the principal cello of the Radio and Television Orchestra in Warsaw. In 1969, she also became the principal cello of the Chamber Orchestra of the National Philharmonic in Warsaw, conducted by Karol Teutsch. From 1972 to 1981, she gave concerts in many countries with the ‘Warsaw Trio’ (winner of the 1972 Belgrade International Competition). In 1977, Barbara Marcinkowska received a grant from the French government and went to Paris, where she studied for several years with André Navarra, a French cellist and one of the most remarkable soloists and pedagogues in the world. For the artist, this was an extremely rich period of exploration, development, and refinement. In addition to her music studies, she also studied drawing at the Beaux Arts) and painting at the American Academy of Painting.
From 1979 to 1986 she studied at the Sorbonne in Paris at the Faculty of Aesthetics Plastic and Musical Arts. These studies culminated in a doctoral thesis on André Navarra and his teaching method.
Barbara Marcinkowska gives concerts as a soloist around the world, makes several CD recordings and is invited to numerous festivals.
In 1991 she was appointed full professor (Professeure hors-classe) at the National Conservatory of Versailles and participated in numerous master classes, notably in Łańcut in Poland, Pont Saint-Esprit in France, South Africa and Taiwan.
For several years, she was also a professor at the International Academy of Music in the land of George Sand.
In 1988, she represented France and Europe at the first International Congress of String Instrument Teachers in Taiwan.
In addition to the classical repertoire, she also gives significant space to contemporary music. She often performs world premieres. Many composers have dedicated works to her. This collaboration has led her to form friendships with A. Tansman , K. Penderecki, W. Lutosławski, H. Dutilleux, P. Moss, and Y. Taïra, among others.
Barbara Marcinkowska is the author of the books
• “I begin to play the cello.”
• “We play the cello,”
• “An encounter with André Navarra and his method of teaching the cello”, published in France by ARMIANE, currently FORTIN-ARMIANE.
She is also the creator and director of the collections: “Around the Cello” and “Cello my friend”, a collection for young people, at the same publisher.
Barbara Marcinkowska has made numerous CD recordings, including: 6 suites by JS Bach for solo cello, Complete Works of A. Tansman , cello and piano, Cello ART. 2000 – works for solo cello: Britten, Cassado, Moss, Three Records for GJ International Record’s , Works for solo cello – Kodaly, Bach, Campo, Cello and Kora (African harp).
In 2004, Barbara Marcinkowska created the European Artistic Meetings at the Abbey of Saint Arnoult in France.
Since 2005, Barbara Marcinkowska has been the artistic director and founder of the European Artistic Meetings, Festival in Bydgoszcz.
In 2020, she founded the “Les Arts Passionnément” Association, which aims to create musical education opportunities for underprivileged children in South Africa.
In 2022, Barbara Marcinkowska published “Je veux jouer du violoncelle” (I Want to Play the Cello), an introduction to music and the cello for young children, with publisher Martine Betremieux. The book is illustrated by the author.
Barbara Marcinkowska and her career are featured in the Britishpedia “Encyclopedia of Personalities of the Republic of Poland.”.
In 2024, the Minister of Culture of the French Republic, Rachida Dati, awarded Barbara Marcinkowska the French Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalière de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres), which is one of the highest ministerial decorations of the French Republic.