Jerzy Kaszuba

Jerzy Kaszuba (full professor), an accordionist and teacher, was born in Piotrków Trybunalski in 1956. He graduated from the State Higher School of Music in Warsaw, in the accordion class of Professor Włodzimierz Lech Puchnowski. He has won many national and international music competitions (France and Germany). Since 1980 he has been active as a soloist and chamber musician, performing at home and abroad (Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, Austria and France). In addition, he has toured the country, performing at many festivals, including the Warsaw Autumn festival or the Poznań Musical Spring festival. He specializes in contemporary music performance. His phonographic output includes numerous recordings for the radio, television, as well as CDs.

Since 1990 he has been Vice-President of the Board of the Polish Accordionists’ Association. He is the author of two published works: 20 Years of the Polish Accordionists’ Association (1979), and Methods of Teaching Children to Play the Accordion (1992). He has received numerous awards and prizes, including the Order of Polonia Restituta, the Badge of Merit for Cultural Activities, the Stanisław Wyspiański Award for Young Artists, as well as awards of the Rector of the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz. He has been invited to the jury panels of national and international accordion competitions.

He has been associated with the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz since 1980. Since 1996 he has been professor of the Academy, in 1993-1996 he was Dean of the Faculty of Instrumental Music, in 1996-1999 – Deputy Rector, in 1999-2005 – Rector of the Academy. From 2005 to 2012 he served as Deputy Rector for Educational Matters, and in September 2012 he once again became Rector. He teaches accordion at the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz and the Academy of Music in Poznań. He has trained nearly 50 graduates, many of whom are winners of national and international music competitions.