Krzysztof Szydzisz

Choirmaster, musicologist, vocal consultant, speech-language therapist and a cultural manager. Conductor of the Adam Mickiewicz University Chamber Choir in Poznań (www.choir.amu.edu.pl), with which he has given a variety of concerts on five continents and in over twenty countries, including Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, the USA, Australia, South Korea, France, the Czech Republic, Greece, Spain, Ireland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Lithuania and Italy. Together with this ensemble he has won numerous awards at national and international competitions in Legnica, Międzyzdroje, Llangolen, Malta, Vienna, Busan and at the Euroradio’s international choral competition Let the Peoples Sing – Oslo 2009. He was recognized for his artistry, receiving the Best Conductor award at the National Choral Championship Legnica Cantat, at the International Choral Festival in Busan and on other occasions. When working with the choir, he devotes special attention to teaching his singers the ins and outs of singing technique, and thus instructs them on tone quality of the whole ensemble. He takes an interest in a diverse repertoire, in particular 19th to 21st century European choral literature.
Professor Krzysztof Szydzisz is a vocal consultant for many choral ensembles at home and abroad. He is a member of the jury at national and international choral competitions: Legnica Cantat, Canti Veris Praga, IFAS Pardubice, Advent and Christmas Music Festival Praga, Folk Festival in Bratislava, Tonen 2000, „European Music Festival for Young People – Neerpelt”, International Choir Festival and the International Choir Festival Per Musicam ad Astra in Toruń.
As the conductor of the AMU Chamber Choir he has won a number of honourable mentions and awards, including:
1996 – Jerzy Liban Silver Lute, challenge trophy of the 27th National Choral Championshop Legnica Cantat 96 in Legnica, Poland.
1996 – Grand Prix of the unofficial jury at the 27th National Choral Championship Legnica Cantat 96 in Legnica, Poland
1998 – Jerzy Liban Golden Lute, challenge trophy of the 29th National Choral Championship Legnica Cantat 98 in Legnica, and the President of Poland Cup.
1998 – Special award of the Polish Radio 2 director for outstanding choral tone quality at the 29th National Choir Championship Legnica Cantat 98.
1998 – Grand Prix of the unofficial jury at the 29th National Choral Championship Legnica Cantat 98 in Legnica, Poland
1999 – 1st prize in the contemporary choral music competition at the 34th International Festival of Choral Music in Międzyzdroje, Poland.
1999 – Grand Prix at the 7th International Festival Academic Banska Bystrica in Slovakia.
2000 – 1st prize in the student choir category at the 31st National Choir Championship Legnica Cantat 2000
2000 – Grand Prix of the unofficial jury at the 31st National Choral Championshop Legnica Cantat 2000 in Legnica.
2000 – 2nd prize at the 12th Malta International Choir Festival.
2001 – 2nd prize in the mixed choir category at the 18th International Franz Schubert Choir Competition in Vienna.
2005 – Grand Prix at the 8th Hora Cantavi 2005 International Choir Recitals in Suwałki, Poland.
2007 – Best performance of a compulsory piece and best conductor at the International Choral Festival in Busan, Korea.
2009 – 2nd prize in the youth choir category at the international choir competition Let the Peoples Sing, organised by the European Broadcasting Union.
2012 – Laureate of the Wielkopolska Region Marshal’s Culture Award.
2013 – Laureate of the Kurczewski Award for outstanding achievements in the field of choral singing and the organization of the International Festival of University Choirs “Universitas Cantat
2014 – He was awarded the Bronze Cross by the President of Poland Bronisław Komorowski

Since 2004 he has been the head of the Department of Vocal Projection at the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz (www.amuz.bydgoszcz.pl). Apart from being in charge of the department’s scholarly and teaching activity, he regularly organizes national seminars and workshops in vocal projection and speech-language therapy (using voice in one’s occupation), vocal ensemble directing, musical traditions and performance practices throughout history. He has been the director of the International Festival of University Choirs Universitas Cantat in Poznań since 1998 (http://www.cantat.amu.edu.pl/).