Mateusz Kowalski

Polish guitarist Mateusz Kowalski is a rapidly rising star in guitar world. He has recently received international acclaim after winning several international competitions, including: 1st prize in the International Guitar Festival RUST, Austria (2018), 1st prize in the Joaquin Rodrigo International Guitar Competition in Olsztyn, Poland (2018) 1st prize in the XIX International Guitar Competition in Krynica-Zdrój, Poland (2018), 1st prize + audience prize in the XVIII International Guitar Competition in Anthony, Paris, France (2017).

After winning the prestigious Eurostrings competition in London in 2019, Mateusz is performing solo concerts in 17 countries around Europe, tour in USA and China.

Mateusz started playing the guitar at the age of 7. In 2014 he began his studies at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music and graduated with the highest grade possible. Mateusz has given concerts in Spain, France, Belgium, Slovakia, Germany, Austria, and many others.

Furthermore, he recorded his debut CD in 2018 with the Polish label CDaccord, distributed by NAXOS. He is a member of the EuroStrings Artist programme for the 2018/19 season. He is also a scholarship winner of the polish KFnRD and Ministry of Culture and National Heritage programme „Young Poland”. He took part in numerous guitar courses and masterclasses, including lessons with Sergio Assad, Alvaro Pierri, Zoran Dukic.

Ema Kapor

Ema Kapor was born in 1998 in Belgrade (Serbia) where she graduated from primary music school and music high school “Stanković” in the class of Professor Boris Đujić. Afterwards, she completed two years of studies at the Koblenz International Guitar Academy (Germany) in Professor Hubert Käppel’s class. Currently, she is studying at the Cologne University of Music and Dance, also with Professor H. Käppel.

In 2014, she completed a course of the Summer Academy at the University of Mozarteum in Salzburg (Austria), in Professor Marco Tamayo’s class. In 2019, she participated at the Zbaszyn International Masterclass (Poland) held by Professor Lukasz Kuropaczewski and also completed a course at the International Music Academy – MusicAlp in Tignes (France) in the class of Professor Judicaël Perroy. Furthermore, she has attended masterclasses with many famous guitarists and pedagogues such as Oscar Ghiglia, Pepe Romero, David Russell, Costas Cotsiolis, Aniello Desiderio, Zoran Dukić, Alvaro Pierri, Marcin Dylla and others.

At guitar competitions, national and international, Ema has won more than 40 prizes: in Germany (Stuttgart, Oberhausen, Gevelsberg, Jüchen, Monheim, Velbert), Estonia (Tallinn), Austria (Vienna, Rust), Slovakia (Bratislava), Italy (Mottola, Alessandria, Gorizia), Greece (Molyvos – Lesvos, Hermoupolis – Syros, Volos, Thessaloniki), Croatia (Omiš), Liechtenstein, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia.

She has given solo concerts in Germany, Greece and Serbia and also performed in France, Poland, Spain and Austria. As a soloist accompanied by an orchestra, she has performed Joaquin Rodrigo’s “Fantasia para un Gentilhombre” in Timisoara (Romania) and in Belgrade (Serbia) at the Guitar Art Festival 2019.

Ema Kapor is promoted by the association Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now – Cologne, which organizes concerts in social and medical institutions, for people of all ages who otherwise would not be able to experience public concerts live. In 2019, winning the first prize at the Tallinn Guitar Festival, she became part of the EuroStrings Artists Exchange Programme, earning the opportunity to tour festivals of the EuroStrings Platform.