Bartek Niziol

In fact, there are just two such quartets worldwide: the Tokyo String Quartet (founded in New York in 1969) and the Stradivari Quartet.

Bartłomiej "Bartek" Nizioł (born 1 February 1974) is a Polish violinist playing in a bel canto style.

His interpretations tend to be objective and comprehensive.

Born in Szczecin, Niziol started learning the violin at the age of five.

"I have loved music since I was a child. I did what my big sister did: I played the violin, and it suited my inclinations and my talent. Out of this has grown a great love, together with a need to place my gifts at the service of music and of the public. This is something I have never questioned. Consequently, for me, making music has become as natural a process as walking. Without music there is nothing for me", says Niziol.

His first teacher was Stanisław Ślusarek (at Państwowa Szkoła Muzyczna I stopnia im. Tadeusza Szeligowskiego in Szczecin, 1979–1984).

We can read on the website of his first school: "Very active musically from the beginning of his study, we found him diligent and patient as a pupil of a difficult study of playing the violin".

Following this Niziol received tuition in Stanisław Hajzer's class (at Zespół Szkół Muzycznych im. Feliksa Nowowiejskiego in Szczecin, 1984–1987).

Niziol entered the music school for gifted children in Poznań at the age of twelve to receive tuition in the class of Prof. Jadwiga Kaliszewska who told him that "a gift of music like Bartek's happens once a hundred years or even more rarely".

Seven years later (in 1993), Niziol graduated with honour from the Academy of Music in Poznań to continue his study in Lausanne under Pierre Amoyal.

Besides his regular studies, he took part in several master classes where he worked with such musicians as Zakhar Bron, Mauricio Fuks, Ruggiero Ricci and Michael Frischenschlager.

Bartłomiej Niziol has won top prizes at many violin competitions:

After winning at the J. Thibaud Competition, Niziol signed a special contract with the Alliance française to give over 100 concerts all over the world, including 11 countries in Asia and many countries in South America.

He has performed in such cities as Tokyo, Mexico City, Caracas, São Paulo, Bogotá, Rio de Janeiro), and even in small towns in Africa.

Niziol, when being interviewed in 1995 for Studio (Polish magazine on classical music), was asked why he had taken part in so many competitions.

He answered that "Probably only the latest Parisian competition actually gave me full satisfaction. That's why my activities so far have included such a great number of competitions".

In reference to the Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition in Poznań Niziol stated: "It was, of course, a great satisfaction [to win the competition], as the Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition is regarded in our country [in Poland] as one of the most important artistic events. But, unfortunately, I must sincerely say that winning the First Prize in Poznań doesn't bring many profits. Naturally, I was noticed in the country [in Poland], I gained some prestige, but nothing matters as, actually, I had only a few subsequent concerts, and exclusively in the country (...)".

Niziol has performed as a soloist with many renowned orchestras: Tonhalle Orchester Zurich, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, English Chamber Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, North German Radio Symphony Orchestra, Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia Helvetica, Sinfonia Varsovia, in many famous concert halls: Barbican Centre in London (upon the invitation of Yehudi Menuhin), Salle Pleyel in Paris, Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, Schauspielhaus in Berlin, Suntory Hall in Tokyo.

He has collaborated with many famous conductors: Yehudi Menuhin, Jan Krenz, Marek Janowski, David Zinman, Heinrich Schiff, Grzegorz Nowak, Jacek Kaspszyk, Wojciech Michniewski, Andrey Boreyko, Yoav Talmi, Philippe Entremont.

Niziol has participated in music festivals, the most important being: MIDEM in Cannes (where his interpretation of Wieniawski’s Violin Concerto No. 2 (Wieniawski) received an enthusiastic reception), Festival de Radio France et Montpellier in Montpelier, “Zino Francescatti” Violin Festival, Festival de Carcassonne and “Musique et Amitié” in Switzerland.

From 1997 to 2003, Niziol was concertmaster of the Tonhalle Orchester Zurich.

Their debut took place on the October 5, 2000 at the Tonhalle Zurich (sold out).

On Niziol's official website we can read: "The Niziol Quartet performs with passion, virtuosity and a wide palette of tone colours and touches its audience through the depth of its playing. Its members are from Poland, United States, Switzerland and Russia. They came together as players in the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra".

The Niziol Quartet has recorded two albums, the second of them including String Quartets by Paul Juon (world premiere recording).

He has also appeared on Europalia Poland 2001 in Belgium, Warsaw Autumn in Poland and Musica Polonica Nova in Wrocław, Poland (2006).

In October 2006 Niziol was a member of the jury of the 13th Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition, the youngest juror in the history of this competition (he was 32 years old).

As we can read on the site of the Henryk Wieniawski Musical Society of Poznań, "assisted by a group of domestic and international consultants, as well as the Board of the Wieniawski Society of Poznań, Konstanty Andrzej Kulka, one of the most illustrious Polish musical artists prepared the competition. With Wanda Wilkomirska and Bartlomiej Niziol, who represent two very different generations of the Competition’s laureates, and eight other international violin luminaries, he looked for young virtuosos most worthy of the Wieniawski 2006 laurel".

In 2007 the Stradivari Quartet was founded in Zürich where Niziol plays 1st violin.

To find four Stradivarius instruments in one quartet is very rare.

In May 2008, the two quartets together performed the Octet in E-flat, Op. 20 by Felix Mendelssohn.

The quartet has signed a contract with the prestigious mark of SONY.

Since autumn 2008 Niziol has been teaching at the Musikhochschule in Bern (Switzerland).

As he himself stated in an interview for Polish Radio (broadcast on January 5, 2009), “many of the best violinists, such as Joseph Joachim or Eugène Ysaÿe, for example, were all concertmasters in various orchestras.” Niziol added that he does not agree with a new image of “only-virtuoso violinist who doesn't perform in ensembles.” Since 2003 Niziol has been concertmaster of the Zurich Opera.

Niziol is the founder of the Niziol Quartet.

Their debut disc will include String Quartets, Op. 50 by Joseph Haydn and is due to appear in 2009.

Apart from the two quartets, Niziol gives regular recitals and sonata evenings in many prestigious venues, also appearing with different ensembles: he has performed with Pinchas Zukerman, Elisabeth Leonskaja, the Imperial Piano Trio & the Limming Ensemble.

He has also formed a part-time trio with the Yofin Ensemble, including Konstantin Timokhine (natural horn) and Daniela Timokhine (piano, organ).

Their recording of Esquisse by Georges Barboteu can be found on YouTube.

Niziol has also collaborated with the renowned film music composer Vladimir Cosma (performing his “Concerto de Berlin”).

Niziol's repertoire includes a few dozen violin concertos, from J.S. Bach and Vivaldi to Penderecki, whose 2nd Violin Concerto was performed at the Warsaw Autumn with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra under Jan Krenz.