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Meet the Soloist: Adam Żukiewicz

By January 29, 2025 No Comments

The Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra will kick off the 2025 portion of Season 75 with a Valentine’s evening concert featuring incredible piano soloist Adam Żukiewicz who will be performing Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini by Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Adam Piotr Żukiewicz is an award-winning, internationally acclaimed concert pianist and Associate Professor of Piano at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado.

We got to sit down with him for an interview so that you can get to know him a little more before the concert!

Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself and your musical origins?

A: My background is quite diverse. I was born and raised in Poland, and studied there in the beautiful city of Wroclaw. During the last two years of my high school I received a music scholarship to study with the legendary Italian musicians of the Trio di Trieste, with whom I worked at the United World College of the Adriatic, pursuing music studies and an International Baccalaureate. Afterwards I had an immense pleasure to work with a great pianist Arnaldo Cohen at the Royal Academy of Music and, later on, Indiana University Bloomington. I have always been quite drawn to understand music on a deeper level, and that led me to pursue doctoral studies at the University of Toronto, which provided me with many wonderful performance and learning opportunities. Since then I have been developing a multifaceted
career as a performed and educator, with especial emphasis on diverse repertoire.

Although it sounds like a cliché to some, the music has an incredible power to change lives. I do not come from a family of musical professionals, and my parents never wanted me to become musician, understanding to an extent the challenges of the profession. There was a moment in my life when I just became fascinated with the music and the piano, and realized that it was something that I wanted to pursue in my life. Today I think I was lucky to discover this life-long passion at a younger age. I have always seen music as an adventure, and with every new piece I learn, I feel like I discover a new part of life that draws me further into the musical world. The expressive and emotional range of music is inexhaustible, and I find it extremely attractive.

Q: You will be performing Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra. What makes this piece special to you?

A: It was an instant “classic”. It is a different Rachmaninoff, less broody and dark, more fun, jazzy, sarcastic, American. I always felt that parts of the piece are musical visualizations of American landscape: the Wild-West, Grand Canyon, and many others. It would have come naturally to incorporate that into a musical piece to a composer who spent years traveling across this great continent concertizing and admiring all the local curiosities, many of which are still around today, 100 years later. It is also a piece of music that, like all of Rachmaninoff, is incredibly beautiful and rewarding to perform and to hear. All the pianistic fireworks serve a larger purpose, not just entertaining, but creating a structural arch that takes an audience on a very exciting journey, mixing the quintessentially Russian qualities of Rachmaninoff’s music with the American playfulness and grandeur of the early 20th Century.

Q: How do you prepare mentally and physically for a big performance like this? Any pre-
concert rituals?

A: I think every performer has their own routine. Practice and rest are a key, so, for me, having a very ordinary and planned timeline focused on those is beneficial to building up mental focus to
the moment of performance. Every performance is different, and there are so many variables, most notably the instrument. Pianists are always at the mercy of the instrument and the technician who prepares it for the performance, so making adjustments to the routine to address those are necessary.

Q: As a soloist, what’s your favorite part about collaborating with a symphony orchestra?

A: It’s a very unique experience to share music with the conductor and a large group of excellent musicians. It is always a great honor. Joining forces to produce a beautiful performance together is a wonderful journey. Its hard to pinpoint one favorite part of the experience. Perhaps it is a very unique bond that is developed between the soloist, conductor, and the orchestra, that required of every successful performance.

Q: Can you tell us about your in-depth study and interest in the composer Chopin?

A: It is one of my lifelong passions. Chopin is a phenomenon. He is one of the most popular piano composers, and his music is one of the most performed around the world. I became interested in Chopin in the early years of my life, as I was naturally surrounded by his music in my native Poland. He was truly unique as a composer, performed, and educator. His music possesses universal quality that makes the music timelessly beautiful and appealing to anyone, regardless of their knowledge or musical sensitivity. I have studied his music all my life, and continue my explorations of his compositions and contextual studies, which enhance my perspectives. I am frequently asked to share those with music enthusiasts, students, and audiences, which is a great pleasure and honor.

Q: When you’re not practicing or performing, what’s something you enjoy doing for fun?

A: I like being outdoors, admiring nature around us. I also have a passion for cooking, reading, and
love learning about the history. When the opportunity is there, I will be seen at a theatre enjoying a good play…

Q: What message would you like to share with the audience before your performance?

A: Thank you for supporting the Flagstaff Symphony! It is a great institution with wonderful tradition and reputation for excellence, a true gem of the region. It is an honor to perform with Maestro Latshaw, a wonderful musician and conductor, in this wonderful program. It will be a beautiful Valentine’s Day celebration. I hope to see you there!