Bio
Elwira Ślązak
Elwira Ślązak, native of Warsaw, graduated from the K.Szymanowski High School of Music in Warsaw, École Nationale de Musique (France), from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Brussels –percussion instruments (Master) and the Royal Music Conservatory of Antwerp — as Soloist Postgraduate Studies with focus on marimba (as first student of Ludwig Albert`s class). Her diplomas hold the highest merits in all the Universities she finished (“La plus haute distinction”).
She perfected her skills with prominent figures of international percussion art including John Beck (USA), Frédéric Macarez, Nicolas Martynciow (Orchestre de Paris, Babette Haag (Germany), David Friedman (USA/Germany).
Performance highlights include
- The Ten Days on the Island Festival (Tasmania)
- Braunschweig Festival Classix, Niemcy
- Auditorio deTenerife
- International Marimba Festival, Belgia
- International Seoul Drum Festival, Korea Płd
- Warsaw Autumn International Festival od Contemporary Music
- Music Polonica Nova Festival
- Duszniki International Piano Chopin Festival
- Jerzy Waldorff Summer Festival, Radziejowice Poland
- Rachid Behboudov Theater, Baku , Azerbejdżan
- Shanghai Concert Hall
- The European Parliament (Brussels)
Elwira Ślązak is a laureate of many national and international awards and competitions.
She has premiered as a soloist, with orchestras, and with Axoum Duo, many pieces written especially for her by composers incl.Krzysztof Wołek, Jacek Sotomski, Ryszard Osada, Jan Bus and Silvia Berg.
She has collaborated with renowned musicians and artists incl.Janusz Olejniczak, Charles Kleinberg (dramatic actor, Belgium) and Zeng Yi Gang (Shanghai Animation Studio).
Elwira is a lecturer at master classes in Europe, Asia and Australia and a juror of international competitions (“IV Universal Marimba Competition” in Belgium, XXV Drum Fest Marimba and Vibraphone Competition, Opole, VIII Novosibirsk Music Assemblies).
She considers it her artistic mission to popularize the marimba as an instrument with special sound qualities, as well as to initiate the creation of new musical works and expand the marimba`s repertoire.
In the last 2 years, she inspired the following pieces written especially for her:
- “Symphonic Syncopations” by Mateusz Smoczyński, for violin, baritone violin, marimba and symphony orchestra. This concert is a new look at the marimba – where Smoczyński makes extensive use of repetitive structures, exposing the element of rhythm and its transformation into marimba and orchestral grooves, with elements of improvisation.
- “Mickiewicz for 3 voices”, a unique song cycle for baritone and 2 marimbas to poems by Adam Mickiewicz, composed by Gabriel Collet.
Elwira Ślązak is also the founder and President of the Krea Music Foundation, whose activities include educational projects for children and youth, records, audiobooks and many other wide-ranging cultural activities.
“She carried out her part, impressing with her lightness, decisiveness and precision”
– artpapier.com –
AXOUM DUO
2000-2023 The duo presented mainly works composed by Gabriel Collet, as well as performed contemporary and film music, along with arrangements of classical works.
Since 2008, the duo collaborated with globally recognised baritone Marcin Bronikowski (1968-2024). The trio gave concerts in Poland and abroad with an original repertoire for baritone and 2 marimbas.
They recorded 2 albums, as a duo and a trio.