Two personalities forming harmony
The musicians are graduates of the Academy of Music in Katowice, won many national and international music competitions. Their artistic performance focuses on solo as well as chamber music. They collaborated with many great artists. Their duet have been touring for the last three years, appearing not only in music festivals, but more often at numerous chamber music concerts, where unique atmosphere is being created by close contact with the audience.
The accordion is an instrument of surprising performance abilities. In addition to original compositions, being created especially for accordion, this instrument is also perfect for the implementation of the music of past eras, created for old instruments. The idea for the concerts is to show, through a wide tonal abilities of the accordion, many kinds of music and the diversity of its styles. Therefore, the repertoire includes baroque compositions of both, romantic and twentieth-century, as well as songs with elements of folk music and entertainment.
Extremely important during the concert is also a word that brings the listener to the music performed and facilitates more complete reception of their wealth. Interesting and open way of conducting concerts by artists themselves may void the distance between the contractor and recipient, allowing perfect participation in art.
Ewa Grabowska-Lis
She graduated from the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, which she completed with honours in 1995. She has been the winner of the second prize at the International Accordion Competition in Reinach (Switzerland, 1994) and the third prize at the International Accordion Competition in Assenovgrad (Bulgaria, 1998). In 2001 she completed postgraduate studies at the Academy of Music in Katowice. In 2015 she obtained a post-doctoral degree in music as an accordionist. As a soloist, Grabowska-Lis has given numerous concert performances in Poland, e.g. with the Orkiestra Filharmonii Częstochowskiej (Częstochowa Philharmonic Orchestra). Between 1995 and 2005 she was a member of the Śląski Kwintet Akordeonowy (Silesian Accordion Quintet) with whom she released a record with Polish music and gave concerts in Poland and abroad, e.g. Austria, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Slovakia, and Hungary. She has appeared at many prestigious festivals, including Gwiazdy Promują (The Stars Promote), Alkagran, Kwartet Śląski i jego goście (The Silesian Quartet and their guests) and the International Festival of Accordion Music in Przemyśl. She has organised three editions of the International Accordion Popular Music Festival in Częstochowa. She has been a juror at numerous national and international accordion competitions. Grabowska-Lis has given lectures and workshops devoted to the accordion at home and abroad. Her students have won numerous prizes and honourable mentions at prestigious accordion competitions. In 2013 The Acte Préalable Publishing House released her CD with world premiere recordings of pieces by Andrzej Krzanowski and Edward Bogusławski.
Daniel Lis
He graduated from the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice in the class of accordion of Prof. J. Pichura. He won scholarships awarded by the Minister of Culture and Art in 1997/98 and 1999/2000. He has performed as a soloist and recitalist in Poland, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, China, Hungary, and Slovakia. He has been invited to a number of prestigious music festivals, such as Warszawska Jesień (Warsaw Autumn), Kwartet Śląski i jego goście (The Silesian Quartet and their guests), Gwiazdy Promują (The Stars Promote), Alkagran, the International Festival of Accordion Music in Przemyśl and many others. He has also made numer¬ous recordings for radio and television. He has been the prize-winner at many national and international competitions: he won the first prize at the International Accordion Competition in Fürstenfeld (Austria, 2000) in the category of chamber ensembles, the Andrzej Krzanowski National Accordion Competition Alkagran in Czechowice-Dziedzice (2000), the Eighth Festival of Accordion Music in Przemyśl in the category of cham¬ber ensembles (1998), the International Accordion Competition in Reinach (Switzerland, 1997), the Sixth Accordion Festival in Przemyśl (1996), the Fourth Accordion Festival in Przemyśl (1994), the Fifth Accordions Meetings in Sanok (1992), the second prize at the International Accordion Competition in Assenovgrad (Bulgaria, 1998), and the third prize at the International Accordion Competition “Coupe Mondiale” in Nijmegen (Netherlands, 1998). He is currently working at the Faculty of Accordion of the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice.