Beata Urbanek-Kalinowska

Beata Urbanek-Kalinowska graduated with honors from the Music Academy in Kraków in the cello class of prof. Zdzisław Łapiński, she obtained the Diplôme Supérieur d’Enseignement – A l’unanimité at the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris Alfred Cortot in the class of prof. Paul Julien. She completed post-graduate studies at the Solistenklasse at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Stuttgart in the cello class of Professor Peter Buck.

Since 2007 she is a professor in the Chamber Music Department of the Music Academy in Krakow. In 2018, she received habilitation in musical arts.

Since 2014, Beata co-creates Messages Quartet, which is one of a leading among the best Polish string quartets.

She is a laureate of competitions – Beata won the 2nd place and the Special Award “Shostakovich Prize” at the 2nd International Chamber Music Competition in Plovdiv in Bulgaria (with the Messages Quartet in 2015), the 3rd prize at the 4th International Chamber Music Competition J. Brahms in Gdańsk (2006), Special Award “Bräuer Optik Spezial preis für Kammermusik” at the 13th Internationales Klassikfestival in Allgäu in Germany (2005), 1st place at the Competition for the best interpretation of works by Krzysztof Penderecki for solo cello, Music Academy in Kraków (2003), 1st place in the Trio category at the 7th International Competition of Contemporary Chamber Music in Kraków (2003). She took part in masterclasses under the direction of: Krzysztof Penderecki, Stanisław Firlej, Angelika Mai, Peter Buck, Christian Euler, Marco Ylönen, Ralf Gothóni and Arvid Engegard. She perform at festivals in the country and abroad. With Nigel Kennnedy, with whom she has worked since 2010, she has recorded albums for Sony Classical – The Four Elements, The new Four Seasons and in 2018 for Warner Classics – Kennedy meets Gershwin. She performed in the most prestigious concert halls of Germany, Great Britain, France and Switzerland. She has an honor to be a duo partner of  Nigel Kennedy in Two Part Inventions by J. S. Bach. As a guest concertmaster, she has worked with orchestras: Russische Kammerphilharmonie of St. Petersburg, Oberösterreichische Jugendsinfonieorchester, Capella Gedanensis, Orchester Philharmonique de Nice. As a cello leader, since 2003, she also collaborates with the Beethoven Academy Orchestra, which she has been co-creating from the beginning of the orchestra existence. Beata has also made recordings for the DUX publishing house as well as for the labels: Acte Préalable, Solo Musica and Universal Music Polska.

She is a scholarship holder of the “Young Poland” program, a laureate of the scholarship of the Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage and other Foundations supporting young talents.