Marek Romanowski - NOSPR

Marek Romanowski is a double bassist whose artistry embraces the worlds of solo, chamber, and orchestral performance. His repertoire extends from the Baroque to the most recent contemporary works, and his curiosity continually leads him to explore new possibilities for his instrument. He often reaches beyond the traditional double bass literature, performing his own transcriptions of masterpieces originally written for other instruments, including works by Vivaldi, Beethoven, Sarasate, and Ravel.

He is a member of the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Polish Art Philharmonic, and the Przemyśl Music Society, and teaches at the Krzysztof Penderecki Academy of Music in Kraków. As a pedagogue, he is also regularly invited to the Barbara Halska International Masterclasses in Nowy Sącz.

Romanowski is the winner of the 9th Johann Matthias Sperger International Double Bass Competition, the International Music Competition in Überlingen, the 9th Michał Spisak International Music Competition, and the Adam Bronisław Ciechański National Double Bass Competition. He was a semi-finalist of the ARD International Music Competition in Munich and a prizewinner at some of the most prestigious competitions in Europe and beyond, including the Bradetich Foundation International Double Bass Competition (USA), the Markneukirchen International Instrumental Competition, the Serge Koussevitzky International Double Bass Competition (St. Petersburg), and the Edouard Nanny International Double Bass Competition (Capbreton). He has also received top awards in Andernach, Amsterdam, Brno, Katowice, Copenhagen, Lviv, Łódź, Mielec, Warsaw, and Wrocław.

He studied with Jan Kotula at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, graduating with the Primus Inter Pares medal for the best graduate of his year. He went on to refine his artistry at the Bern University of the Arts in the class of Ruslan Lutsyk, where he earned the Master of Arts Specialized in Music Performance – Soloist Diploma with distinction.

As a soloist, he has appeared with ensembles including the Munich Chamber Orchestra, Südwestdeutsches Kammerorchester Pforzheim, Brandenburg State Orchestra Frankfurt, Orquestra Filharmónica de Navarra, Sinfonieorchester Biel-Solothurn, the Silesian Philharmonic, the Lower Silesian Philharmonic, the Zabrze Philharmonic, and the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Since 2011, he has collaborated with pianist Hanna Holeksa. Their artistic partnership led to the release of their debut album Contemporary Sonatas for Double Bass & Piano (2021), featuring works by Sofia Gubaidulina, Lowell Liebermann, and Frank Proto. Their second album, Beethoven: Reimagined for Double Bass and Piano (2025), presents original transcriptions of the Viennese master’s works, offering a fresh perspective on Beethoven’s music through the unique voice of the double bass.