Krzysztof Karpeta – cellist, multi-instrumentalist, pedagogue, and culture animator. Krzysztof Karpeta leads a very rich concert life, performing repertoire from the Renaissance through modern music and jazz. He specializes in playing string instruments – both modern and historical cello, and also viola da gamba, violone, and bass guitar. The artist holds very broad interests, which engages him on many parallel levels and leads to invitations to participate in a wide variety of projects, both in Poland and abroad. He takes part in about 100 artistic events per year. Krzysztof Karpeta holds a doctorate in Musical Arts and works extensively as a teacher, at both the secondary and university level. His knowledge and teaching methods have been recognized by a broad pedagogical sphere. In 2021 he was invited to join the group of the Centre of the Art Education consultants because of his artistic and pedagogical achievements. The artist was a scholarship recipient of the Ministry of Culture, and in 2014 he was distinguished for outstanding achievements in the field of arts by the Jerzy Grotowski Scholarship Committee, which works in the framework of the Wroclaw Scholarship Program.
The main focus of the cellist’s work is his beloved chamber music. In 2008, together with the pianist Michał Rot, they founded the Reger Duo. In 2018 they published a CD with compositions by Victoria Yagling, which was the world premiere of these compositions. The artist is also a co-founder of the Polish Cello Quartet ensemble, which, during its 10 years of existence, has distinguished itself on the Europe stage by its rich concert, phonographic and pedagogical activity. Both the Polish Cello Quartet and Reger Duo have recently been intensely active in their home country and abroad, promoting little-known chamber music masterpieces by different composers. Krzysztof Karpeta is also a concertmaster of the cello group of the Polish Baltic Philharmonic in Gdańsk.
Since 2007 the artist has been active in the field of early music. Together with his wife, they form the Fernabucco Ensemble, which specializes in performing baroque music. In their repertoire there are also modern pieces dedicated to them. Playing cello, viola da gamba and violone, Krzysztof Karpeta performs with other outstanding early music ensembles, such as Il Giardino Armonico, Arte dei Suonatori, the Wrocław Baroque Ensemble, the {oh!} Orkiestra and Holland Baroque. The artist also performs romantic music on period instruments.
On the jazz and pop music scene, Krzysztof Karpeta has had the pleasure to work with Leszek Możdżer, Wojciech Myrczek, Stephan Braun, Lars Danielsson, Ernst Reijseger and Tony Malaby.
The musician regularly takes part in CD and TV recordings (TVP Kultura, ZDF); he has made recordings for publishers CD Accord, DUX, Musicon, Chandos and Outside Music. His recordings have received the Fryderyk award in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Such varied activity has created opportunities for Krzysztof Karpeta to take part in many artistic ensembles and perform in many festivals and symposiums around the world. The inspirations, music challenges and experiences acquired during these projects have had a direct influence on the organizational activity that the musician undertakes in Poland. He is the vice-president of the Art of Music Foundation, which supports young cellists and annually organizes the International Cello Academy in Nysa. The Cello Quartet Ensemble is the originator, founder, and artistic guardian of this project. Krzysztof Karpeta is also a board member of the Bridges of Culture Association. In 2022 he became the Artistic Director of the Felix Mendelssohn International Chamber Music Festival in Duszniki- Zdrój.
The artist is extremely active in the field of education. He is a graduate of the Primary and Secondary F. Chopin State Music School in Opole and a distinguished graduate of the Grażyna and Kiejstut Bacewicz Academy of Music in Łódź, where he studied cello with Prof. Stanisław Firlej. He also studied at Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Mannheim under Prof. Michael Flaksman and Prof. Jelena Očić. Prof. Roberto Trainini also had big influence on his artistic development. Krzysztof Karpeta is regularly invited to do masterclasses, methodological workshops, and lectures all over Europe (the Netherlands, Greece, Spain, Italy, Denmark). He also works as a member and chair of competition jury committees. Teaching is his great passion. He started working as a pedagogue right after finishing his studies, as an assistant to Prof. Stanisław Firlej at the Music Academy in Łódź. He is still affiliated with this institution, teaching Improvisation class for cellists. He permanently works at the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław where he teaches cello and chamber music. In 2017 he defended (with distinction) his dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Arts.
