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Bio
Tomasz Zając is celebrated as one of the most outstanding Polish pianists of his generation, captivating audiences in Poland and abroad throughout his career and creating unforgettable musical experiences. His artistry and passion for music have graced the stages of some of the world's most prestigious concert halls, including the Vahdat Hall in Tehran, Radiokulturhaus in Vienna, NOSPR in Katowice, Rudolfinum in Prague, Graz Opera House, Göteborg Opera House, Vitebsk Philharmonic, and Krakow Philharmonic. The artist has collaborated with renowned orchestras such as the Sinfonietta Cracovia, "Kyiv Soloists," Capella Gedanensis, and the Świętokrzyska Philharmonic under the baton of distinguished conductors, including Łukasz Borowicz, Adam Klocek, and Robert Kabara.
Among his most significant recording achievements is his album Slavic Impressions, recorded on a historic piano from piano maker Andrzej Włodarczyk's collection, paying tribute to Slavic repertoire and his musical identity. Previously, in 2013, he released an album of violin and piano miniatures with Natalia Walewska, concertmaster of the Polish Baltic Philharmonic.
In the summer of 2014, the young concert pianist toured in Japan with Fryderyk Chopin’s music, performing in Hamamatsu, Nagoya, and Gifu. In November 2018, the pianist was invited by the Polish embassy to perform in Tehran, where he played Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor with the Nilper Orchestra conducted by Martyna Kosecka, celebrating the centenary of Poland's independence.
Tomasz Zając is a laureate of numerous international and national piano competitions. His victories at prestigious events include prizes at the International Fryderyk Chopin Competition in Szafarnia, the International Piano Competition in Cyprus, Concertino Praga, the EPTA Competition in Croatia, the PIANALE Competition in Fulda, Germany, the International Citta di Cantu Competition in Italy, and the International Competition of Polish Music in Rzeszów.
Currently, Tomasz Zając holds a teaching position at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Graz, one of Europe's most prestigious universities for music and performing arts. As faculty of the Institute for Wind and Percussion Instruments, he shares his knowledge and experience, training young artists in their chamber music skills and musical interpretation.
The artist has trained under renowned educators. After graduating from the Zygmunt Noskowski Music School under Julita Książkowska and Anna Wołczecka, he continued his studies at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw under Prof. Alicja Paleta-Bugaj, Dr. Agnieszka Przemyk-Bryła, and Prof. Katarzyna Jankowska-Borzykowska, graduating with two master's degrees—in solo piano and chamber music. His artistic journey then led him to Graz, Austria, where he refined his craft under Prof. Markus Schirmer and Prof. Chia Chou at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Graz.
Tomasz Zając further honed his skills under the guidance of some of the greatest pianists of our time, including Lylia Zilberstein, Tobias Koch, Dina Yoffe, Beata Bilińska, Andrzej Jasiński, Janusz Olejniczak, Tamás Ungar, Ewa Pobłocka, and Hubert Rutkowski, participating in numerous international masterclasses throughout Europe.
For his achievements, he has received prestigious scholarships and awards, including honors granted by the President of the City of Gdynia, the Marshal of the Pomeranian Voivodeship, the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, and the ENERGA Foundation.
Concerts & Work
Tomasz Zając is a Polish pianist whose musical path merges refined solo performance with a deep commitment to artistic dialogue and education. Firmly rooted in the classical tradition, he cultivates a thoughtful and evolving pianistic voice shaped by discipline, reflection, and the enduring values of European musical culture.
As a concert artist, Tomasz is primarily active as a solo recitalist. His programmes often focus on the Romantic repertoire, with particular attention given to Polish composers – especially Chopin, but also lesser-known voices such as Nowakowski, Zarębski, or Friedman. Since 2017, he has been a regular performer in the Time for Chopin series at Warsaw’s Old Town, where his playing is met with attentive, often international audiences. These concerts serve as an artistic anchor – a continuous opportunity to cultivate the Polish pianistic tradition and to return to familiar works with ever-deepening insight.
Tomasz’s approach to performance is centred on aesthetic coherence and emotional transparency. He strives to create a space in which both listener and performer can step outside of daily rhythms and enter a zone of contemplative stillness. He sees the concert not as a spectacle, but as a shared act of presence – a meeting of minds, sounds, and silences. Each interpretation is shaped by intellectual rigour and a profound respect for the musical text, but always in the service of feeling, colour, and truth.
Alongside his concert work, Tomasz holds the position of répétiteur and collaborative pianist at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz, Austria. He works with students from the Wind and Percussion Department, forming close partnerships in the rehearsal studio and on stage. His pedagogical vision is not based on technical correction alone, but on awakening artistic intuition, independence, and responsibility. He believes in guiding students not toward perfection, but toward authenticity – helping them trust their musical instincts while remaining faithful to style, context, and structure. This daily contact with young musicians and a vibrant academic environment continually enriches his own artistic process. Surrounded by diverse repertoires, temperaments, and creative energies, he remains in a state of constant renewal and intellectual alertness.
Tomasz’s artistic identity is shaped by an inner pursuit of meaning. His grounding lies in the Chopin tradition – not as a fixed formula, but as a lifelong search for ideal sound, clarity of texture, and poetic understatement. As a pianist, he strives to balance fidelity and freedom: to serve the score while also offering a personal voice. What he seeks in music is not virtuosity or novelty, but the rare possibility of transcendence – a moment of resonance, when time seems to pause, and the invisible becomes audible.
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