violinist and chamber musician; b. 22nd January 1953 in Bytom; d. 22nd September 2021 in Warsaw. He graduated from the Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw where he studied the violin with Professor Krzysztof Jakowicz.
He received an honourable mention at the Niccolò Paganini International Violin Competition in Genoa in 1976.
He played with many distinguished musicians including: Sir Yehudu Menuhin, Maurice André, Michaela Petri, Wanda Wiłkomirska, Krzysztof Jakowicz, Krzysztof Jabłoński, Nigel Kennedy, Guy Touwron, János Starker, Barbara Hendricks, Maurice Bourgue, Lidia Grzanka-Urbaniak, Grzegorz Nowak, Tadeusz Wojciechowski, Ewa Pobłocka. He performed in the most prestigious concert halls all over the world: Carnegie Hall (New York), Berliner Philharmonie, Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Auditorio Nacional de Música (Madrid), Barbican Centre (London) and Royal Albert Hall (London — BBC Henry Wood Promenade Concerts), Santa Cecilia (Vatican), and many others.
He joined Jerzy Maksymiuk’s famous Polish Chamber Orchestra in 1975 and began to perform with the orchestra in 1977 on nearly all the continents, both as concertmaster and soloist. In 1986–1990 he was the concertmaster of "Sinfonia Varsovia" and in 1991–1992 he was first violinist of Orchestre de Chambre National de Touluse. On 1 January 1992, with this orchestra and the outstanding soprano Barbara Hendricks, he took part in the concert "Music Against the Tumult of War" in Dubrovnik. In 1992–1995 he was the artistic director of the "Leopoldinum" Chamber Orchestra and since 1996 he was the artistic director of the "Wratislavia" Chamber Orchestra.
Jan Stanienda made many recordings for Polish Radio, RFI, Polish Television and French Television. He also recorded for such record companies as: Aperto, Linn Records, Pavane, Kos Records, DUX and Tonpres.
He was the originator, creator and artistic director of the "Arsenal Nights" Chamber Music Festival, which has been held in Wrocław every year since 1997. In 2006 he received the "Wrocław Music Award" for ambitious and consistent implementation of this festival (together with Tomasz Kwieciński).
Jan Stanienda also taught the violin at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw.
update: 2021 (ac)
