Krzysztof Komendarek-Tymendorf
has been among the eminent Polish musicians of his generation for many years now. He comes from a family with long musical traditions and is a descendant of the renowned Polish composer Michał Kleofas Ogiński. In 2012, Komendarek-Tymendorf graduated with honours from the Stanisław Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdańsk in the Master’s viola class of Prof. Irena Albrecht. He perfected his skills at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien with Prof. Wolfgang Klos and Ulrich Schönauer and as a guest student of the Swedish National Orchester Academy in Göteborg. He has also studied under eminent viola masters such as Alexander Zemtsov, Matthias Buchholz, Avri Levitan, György Gulyás Nagy (Auer String Quartet), and Piotr Szumieł. Komendarek-Tymendorf is a laureate of many music competitions, e.g. he took the first place at the Macroregional Competition for Young Violists in Warsaw, first place at the 25th Young Musician International Competition ‘Città di Barletta’ in Italy, and is a past winner of Polish Rising Music Stars Competition. At the age of 24, after winning two official competitions for the position of assistant, he began to teach at his alma mater where he currently works as an assistant professor in the viola and chamber music class. In 2018, he defended his doctoral dissertation.

He made his debut as a soloist with the Polish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Sopot and as a chamber musician with the famous Polish oboist Tytus Wojnowicz in the Tadeusz Baird Zielona Góra Philharmonic. Komendarek-Tymendorf has been invited to perform concerts as a viola soloist with the Lower Silesian Philharmonic, Cappella Gedanensis, Baltic Youth Philharmonic, and the Chamber orchestra of the Stanisław Moniuszko Music Academy. He has worked as a soloist leader of the viola section in many international symphony and chamber orchestras. He has performed under the baton of such excellent conductors as Pierre Boulez, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Krzysztof Penderecki, Marek Moś, Tadeusz Strugała as well as with prominent soloists: Ivry Gitlis, Kolja Blacher, Quatuor Ebène, Krystian Zimerman, Piotr Beczała, Konstanty Andrzej Kulka, and Łukasz Długosz. Komendarek-Tymendorf has acquired his knowledge of chamber music from renowned musicians such as Valentin Erben (Alban Berg Quartett), Peter Schuhmayer (Artis Quartett), Apollon Musagète Quartett, Quatuor Ebène, Eberhard Feltz, Peter Matzka, and Averis Kuyumjian.

He is a co-founder and member of the Balthus Quartet and Duo del Gesù; he has performed together with eminent artists such as Christoph Hartmann, Avri Levitan, Wolfgang Klos, Joanna Woś, Krzysztof Podejko, Janusz Wawrowski, Bartosz Koziak, Anna Staśkiewicz, Bartosz Woroch, Mateusz Smoczyński, and NeoQuartet. He has performed in many ensembles and orchestras in the most prestigious European halls, including the Berliner Philharmonie, Konzerthaus Berlin, Herkulessaal in Munich (Germany), Musikverein, Wiener Konzerthaus, Musik Theater Schönbrunn (Austria), Tivolis Konzertsal (Denmark), Konserthuset Gothenburg (Sweden) and Obecní Dům (Czech Republic). He has also performed and participated in various international festivals: Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Usedomer Music Festival, La Folle Journée, Puplinge Classique Festival, Alba Music Festival, International Viola Congress, Spectrum Music Festival, Aurora Music Festival, Apollon Musagète Festival – Internationales Musikfest, Wörthersee Classics Festival. He has recorded for radio stations such as Deutschlandfunk Kultur, Bayerischer Rundfunk, ORF Vienna Radio, Radio 1 (Poland), and television, notably TVP 1 and Telewizja Polsat. As a musician, he worked on the set during the shooting of Agnieszka Holland’s film In the Dark.

Komendarek-Tymendorf is the winner of prominent scholarship programs: Nordic Baltic Festival Platform Fellowship, Erasmus +, Scholarship of the Marshal of the Pomeranian Voivodeship for creators of Culture, Scholarship Program of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage ‘Young Poland’, Easter Festival Ludwig van Beethoven. As the only lecturer in music universities, he received a prestigious three-year scholarship for the most outstanding young scientists from the Minister of Science and Higher Education. In 2016, he won the City of Gdańsk Award for Young Artists in the fi eld of Culture and was awarded the Gazeta Wyborcza audience award. In the same year, he received the title of ambassador of the national social campaign Save the Music. Dziennik Bałtycki and Poland Press honoured him with the titles Personality of Pomerania and Personality of Gdansk of the Year 2016 in the Culture category. In 2017, he received the honourary award Distinguished for Polish Culture and an award from the Minister of Culture and National Heritage. He is regularly invited to lecture in viola masterclasses, among others by the University of North Texas College of Music, Conservatory M. R. Korsakov in St. Petersburg, Tallinn Music Academy, Turku Arts Academy, 46. International Music Courses Z. Brzewski in Łańcut; he also sits on the jury of music competitions. He has been art director of many initiatives, including EURO Chamber Music Festival, Space Art Festival, Viva Viola Festivity. The artist is a protagonist of viola and new music and has performed over 20 world premieres. Contemporary composers dedicate his works to him. His articles are published, among others in the Journal of the American Viola Society (USA) and on meakultura.pl.