Biography
“Marian Sobula is one of the most talented pianist of his generation”.
He is a very active pianist, has performed more than 500 concerts on 5 continents in more than 50 countries (Albania, Austria, Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Brasil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Macedonia, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajland, Turkey, USA, Venezuela).
Marian Sobula gave concerts in prestigious concert halls: Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, Sala Sao Paolo, Palacio de Bellas Artes Mexico City, Lima Gran Teatro Nacional, Beethovenhalle in Bonn, Gasteig Munich, Auditorio Parco Della Musica Rome, Rudolfinum Prague, Teatro Municipal Santiago de Chile, Hamer Hall and Town Hall Melbourne, Denki Bunka Kaikan Nagoya, Warsaw Philharmonic Hall to name just a few.
In his concert alphabet we can find cities such as: New York, Miami, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis, Toronto, Ottawa, Buenos Aires, Bogota, Havana, Mexico City, Prague, Berlin, Geneve, Vienna, Madrid, Paris, Lyon, Milan, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Budapest, Bratislava, Belgrade, Tirana, Podgorica, Amman, Beirut, Jeruzalem, Shanghai, Xiamen, Tokyo, Bangkok, Tbilisi, Baku, Bishkek, Almaty, Adelaide, Melbourne, Hobart, Canberra, Auckland, Wellington and many others.
Marian Sobula is the winner of several national and international piano competitions; medalist at “Maria Canals Piano Competition” in Barcelona, laureate of the Special Prize during the International Music Competition “Dr. Luis Sigall” in Vina del Mar, Chile, The Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe Competition, as well as many contests in Italy.
He was only 12 when he played with a symphony orchestra for the first time (Wrocław Philharmonic). His debut with Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra took place in the Teatro Teresa Carreno in Caracas in Venezuela in 2008 with 1st Piano Concerto by Chopin. He gives concerts with symphonic orchestras in the world: Orquesta Sinfonica Simon Bolivar, Slovak Philharmonic, Slovak Radio Orchestra, Filarmonica de Chile, Castile and Leon Symphony Orchestra, Filarmonica Marchigiana, Orchestra Sinfonica di Sanremo, Tajland Philharmonic Orchestra, Radio and TV Orchestra in Tirana, Orquesta Filarmonica de Mendoza, West Bohemian Symphony Orchestra, Alba Regia Symphony Orchestra, Montenegrin Symphony Orchestra, Banatul State Philharmonic Orchestra, Irkutsk Philharmonic Orchestra, Lviv Virtuosi, OSUSP, Orquestra Sinfonica de Campinas, Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional del Ecuador, Orquesta Sinfonica de Loja, Orquesta Sinfonica de Yucatan, Orquesta Sinfonica Universidade Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Orquesta de Camara de Bellas Artes, Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional Juvenil del Peru, Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra, Zelman Symphony Orchestra, Kosciuszko Festival Orchestra. He has performed with the majority of Polish philharmonic orchestras.
He has received a number of awards and scholarships both from national and international foundations and institutions: UNESCO in Paris, JESC in Japan, Italian Government, Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Ministry of Science and Higher Education in Poland, Crescendum Est – Polonia. In 2008 Marian received a prestigious award of the Kraków Region „Ars Quaerendi” and in 2017 „Bene Merito” from Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland for his remarkable services to promoting Polish Culture abroad.
Graduate of the K. Szymanowski Music School in Wrocław, Poland, from prof. Janina Butor (1989-2000), Academy of Music in Cracow, Poland from professor Andrzej Pikul’s class (2000-2005), Marian Sobula has also completed his studies at Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome with professor Sergio Perticaroli (the best 2008 diploma award); additionally he participated in several masteclasses of professor Arie Vardi. In 2011 he received his PhD for Etudes d’execution transcendante by Ferenc Liszt. In 2019 he received postdoctoral degree in arts.
He performed during prestigious festivals e.g.: Beethovenfest in Bonn, Easter Beethoven Festival, Campos do Jordao, KotorArt, Ohrid Summer, FIMA, Music & Beyond, Chopin festivals in: Marienbad, Buenos Aires, Geneve, Brussel. He also performed at the World Exhibition EXPO in Aichi in Japan and Zaragoza in Spain, 20th Economic Forum in Krynica-Zdroj in Poland, Nobel-Prize meeting in Warsaw, William Walton’s Foundation in London. His concert in Sydney Opera House celebrated the welcome of the General Consul to Poland in Sydney.
He has cooperated with outstanding Polish and international conductors – Łukasz Borowicz, Tomasz Bugaj, Wojciech Czepiel, Michał Dworzyński, Michał Nestorowicz, Marek Pijarowski, Jacek Rogala, Jerzy Salwarowski, Mariusz Smolij, Piotr Sułkowski, Jan Miłosz Zarzycki, Bartosz Żurakowski, Jesus Medina, Juan Carlos Lomonaco, Masimiliano Caldi, Mladen Tarbuk, Peter Guelke, Guido Ajmon-Marsan, Dietrich Paredes, Alejandro Posada, Wagner Polistchuk, Victor Hugo Torro, Roberto Tibiriçá and many others. His recordings have been broadcasted by several international media (Deutsche Welle, TVP Polonia, RMF Classic, ABC Classic FM Australia, RAI).
In addition to concerts Marian Sobula realizes his passion for teaching, leading numerous piano masterclasses in Poland and abroad: in Bratislava, Leipzig, Lecce, Calgary, Central Conservatory in China. Since 2007 Marian Sobula has been working in the Piano Department of Academy of Music in Cracow (Poland). He served as a jury member in competitions for young pianists in Leipzig, Kosice, Usti nad Labem, Shanghai. In 2017 he was president of the jury during Chopin International Piano Competition in Lima in Peru.
Marian Sobula is President of the PianoClassic Association and Artistic Director of the International Royal Cracow Piano Festival (since 2009), International PianoSeries as well as International ClassicSeries. He is also Director of the Polish Music Days project (since 2013).