JOEY CALDERAZZO

PETRONEL MALAN

ALEXANDER PALEY

CLEMENS UNTERREINER

OVIDIO DE FERRARI

MIKHAIL PLETNEV

 

After Professor Drzewiecki's death, he moved to Krakow where he graduated from the local PWSM (High School of Music) as a student of Jan Hoffman. His first noticeable success, both within Poland and abroad, came with his recording of the 12 Piano Sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti, issued in 1975.  After listening to this recording, Leonard Bernstein invited Mr. Drewnowski to perform with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.  He went on to play concerts in some of the most splendid and famous concert halls in Europe, the United States and Japan.

In September 1989 Mr. Drewnowski, alongside world-famous artists such as Leonard Bernstein, Barbara Hendricks, Herman Prey and Liv Ulman, participated in the performance of a solemn concert marking the occasion of the 50th anniversary of World War II.  The entire event was broadcast by television stations throughout the world.  In 1991 Mr. Drewnowski received the prestigious "Orpheus" award from the SPAM (Stowarzyszenia Polskich Artystów Muzyków, Polish Artists and Musicians Association) Music Critics for his performance of the world premiere of Stefan Kisielewski's Piano Concerto at the Warsaw Autumn contemporary music festival.

His recordings include Domenico Scarlatti's Sonatas, the Piano Concertos of C.M. von Weber released by FREQUENZ, ARTE, and a series of records with TONPRESS and of Chopin music and piano concertos in chamber form (quintet) which have been brought back to concert stages thanks to him.  His recent recordings include Tansman's 2nd Piano Concerto and Szymanowski's 4th Symphony Concertante.  He recorded Chopin's piano concertos and 19 waltzes on video compact for NVC Arts in London and New York.  He received high critical acclaim for his recordings of Chopin's renowned Piano Concertos for BELOVED ENTERTAINMENT GROUP (Dinemec) in New York and for his recordings with EXTON (OCTAVIA records) in Tokyo.

Mr. Drewnowski is the founder and manager of the Hofmann and I.J. Paderewski Festivals in Nalecow, as well as the the famous Chopin Soloists Quintet and Chopin Soloists Orchestra.  He acted the role of Frederick Chopin in the movie, "The Chopin's Concert" ("Koncert Chopina”) by Krzysztof Zanussi and co-produced the film, "The Fascination of Frederick" ("Oczarowanie Fryderyka") by Izabela Cywinska.

Mr. Drewnowski is also known for his remarkable skills as a conductor.

Historical Composers & Artists

"After my coffee and cigar we went to one of the recording rooms where they had a Blüthner piano Well, this Blüthner had the most beautiful singing tone I had ever found. I became quite enthusiastic and decided to play my beloved Barcarolle of Chopin. The piano inspired me. I don’t think I ever played better in my life.“

Arthur Rubinstein 

„My Many Years“ (page 281)

 

„In das Exil nach Amerika begleiteten mich nur zwei Wesen von Bedeutung: meine Frau Natalja und mein kostbarer Blüthner.“

“There are only two important things which I took with me on my way to America. My wife Natalia and my precious Blüthner.”

Sergei Rachmaninoff

 

 “Almost in the middle of the room, the black Blüthner grand stood, free of music, book or photographs. Debussy was proud of his grand piano, and before I played he showed me a new device invented by Blüthner: an extra string set on top of the others. Although not touched by the hammers, it caught the overtones, thus increasing the vibrations and enriching the sonority. This was a piano he had rented during a stay in Bournemouth, and liked so well that he had bought it and had it shipped to Paris.” “He played a number of passages and the tone he extracted from the Blüthner was the loveliest, the most elusive and ethereal I have ever heard”. 

letter from Maurice Dumesnil, friend

Claude Debussy

Debussy's Blüthner at the Musée Labenche