Mrs. Halina Czerny-Stefańska was born in Cracow, Poland. Her first piano teacher was her father, professor Stanisław Czerny. Later, she studied with Alfrede Corcot in Paris, and next, with Józef Turczyński, a famaus Chopin expert, and also with Zbigniew Drzewiecki, an outstanding educator. The turning point in her life came in 1949. It was the first prize and a special mention for the best rendition of Chopin's mazurkas at the Fourth International F.Chopin Piano Competition. This marked the beginning of Mrs. Czerny-Stefańska's rapid rise in international repute which has made her a frequent guest in concert halls over the world.

      Halina Czerny-Stefańska vast repertoire, ranging from J.S.Bach to contemporary masters, mainly comprises romantic music, F.Chopin's in particular.

      As a soloist, she has often toured with the Natianal Philharmonic and tbe Cracow Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as the Orchestra of Katowice Radio and Television. She has also appeared as a soloist with a number of symphony orchestras in the USA, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, and Japan and with such outstanding conductors as Georg Solti, Adrian Boulr, Zubin Mehta, Smetacek, and the others.

      Mrs. Halina Czerny-Stefańska has given several concerts with Salzburg's Mozarteum Orchestra and has toured the USSR over twenty times.

      Halina Czerny-Stefańska's solo appearances are know to musik lovers in all the European countries, and North and Souht America. She has had a recital in the United Nations Building in New York City, two in Carnegie Hall, and a cycle of recitals in Japanese cities. She is also a noted chamber music performer.

      Halina Czerny-Stefańska has received prestigious Minister of Culture and Art Award, and a number of important State decorations.

      She was invited many times to participate as a jury member at various international competitions, and so she was a juror of the following international events: A.Rubinsteis Competition in Tel-Aviv, Chopin Competition in Warsaw, Hummel Competition in Bratislava, and Sibelius Competition in Helsinki, furthermore in Paris, Bucharest, Zwickau, Leeds, Leipzig, Moscow, Athens, Bremen, Havana, Pretoria, and other centres.

      She also conducts master courses in Weimar, Darmstadt, Hamburg, Lugano and Tokyo; she was also a guest-professor in the Academy of Arts in Nagoya; in October 1993 she began her activities at the "Gedai" University of Arts in Tokyo.

      Halina Czerny-Stefańska has made a great number of recordings for Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaf, Telefunken-Decca, His Master's Voice, RCA in Japan, and for the others. In the years 1989-1993, several compact discs of the company Pony Canyan-Takyo, Japan, appeared with her playing. They include all mazurkas and Nocturnes of F.Chopin and compositions of Ignacy Paderewski.

come back
webmaster