Krzysztof Chorzelski

Krzysztof Chorzelski is the violist and founding member of the world-acclaimed Belcea Quartet. He also enjoys a diverse career as a chamber musician, soloist and, more recently, conductor. In 1992 he won the Wronski Solo Violin Competition in Warsaw and has subsequently performed as a recitalist and concerto soloist in Europe, making recordings for Polish Radio and the BBC. In 2006 he was invited by the Alban Berg Quartet to perform as a guest violist in a series of concerts celebrating the 250th Anniversary of Mozart’s birth in the Konzerthaus, Vienna. He performs as soloist with European orchestras, such as the Warsaw Philharmonic, Sinfonia Varsovia and Real Filarmonia de Galicia. He also has a keen interest in commissioning new works for the viola from today’s leading composers. Recent premieres include a Viola Sonata by Pawel Szymanski and “Letters from Warsaw” by Joseph Phibbs. In August 2015 in Warsaw he also gave the world premiere of a recently discovered Viola Sonata by André Tchaikowsky.

Together with the pianist Katya Apekisheva he recorded a cd of works by Schumann, Britten and Shostakovich for Champs Hill Records.

As a conductor, Krzysztof returns regularly to Israel to work with the Young Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra. He is also active as a mentor to young quartets, most notably under the auspices of the Belcea Quartet Coaching Scheme, a project supported by the Belcea Quartet Charitable Trust.

From 2020 to 2022 Krzysztof was Chamber Music and Viola Professor at the Barenboim-Said Academy in Berlin. Since 2022 he is Chamber Music Professor at the Hochschule für Musik Saar in Saarbrücken.