Adam Kałduński

Adam Kałduński is a young Polish pianist who has caught the attention of critics with his lyrical tone and captivating interpretations. A two-time participant in the International Chopin Piano Competition, he reached Stage II in the 18th edition and will appear again in the 19th edition in October 2025.

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Adam Kałduński, photo: International Chopin Piano Competition

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Born on 31 July 1996 in Gdańsk, Kałduński came to the piano almost by chance. At seven, just before entering music school, he had also taken up the violin – but when the instrument was stolen, his plans were cut short, and he focused on the piano. As he recalls, a decisive moment in his path came in 2010: both the Chopin Competition and the celebrations marking the composer’s 200th anniversary left a profound impression on the young pianist. In 2015, he graduated from the Feliks Nowowiejski General Music School in Gdańsk, where he studied piano under Mariusz Trzebniak. He went on to study at the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz with Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń and Jerzy Sulikowski, earning a Master’s degree in 2020 and completing postgraduate studies in 2022.

In 2020, he won second prize at the 50th National Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, which secured his place in the 18th International Chopin Competition in Warsaw (2021), where he performed in the first two stages. Critic Dariusz Marciniszyn praised him as the artist with ‘the most beautiful tone’, summarizing the Competition in Ruch Muzyczny:

‘The artist paid great attention to the piano’s tone. I will long remember the beautiful forte in the coda of the Ballade in F minor, op. 52, and the exquisite piano passages in the Nocturne in B major, op. 62, no. 1’.

The same critic had previously spoken highly of Kałduński’s interpretations of works by other composers:

‘I first encountered Adam Kałduński’s playing in 2019 at the 74th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Festival in Duszniki-Zdrój. In his half-recital, he revealed himself as an outstanding interpreter of Ignacy Jan Paderewski. Listening to the Minuet in G major and the Nocturne in B-flat major, I was astonished – and hours after the concert ended, it occurred to me that only Paderewski himself could have played these works with greater perfection. (...) Without doubt, Kałduński’s main interpretive strengths lie in the intellectual, noble approach to the performed pieces, and the singing quality mastered by this young Polish musician’.

Michał Kubiński also noticed the pianist at the Duszniki festival:

‘Adam Kałduński is a pianist who is clearly lyrical and analytical. He lets time flow gently in his playing, rationally chooses his means, ensures clarity of interpretation, and is a melancholic artist who often looks beyond the notes’.

In 2025, Kałduński was one of 13 Polish pianists to qualify for the 19th Chopin Competition. Speaking to Presto magazine about his preparations for such a demanding artistic event, he remarked:

‘I’m focused on growth – on how much preparing for the competition can offer me. The work, engaging with Chopin’s music, is a joy. The competition itself can’t be the most important thing; otherwise, one could easily break under the pressure of such a race! All past winners have distanced themselves from this “sporting” atmosphere’.

Kałduński regularly performs in Poland and abroad, with recitals in venues such as the National Philharmonic in Warsaw and NOSPR in Katowice. Acclaimed above all for his interpretations of Chopin, he is also drawn to the music of Ludwig van Beethoven and Karol Szymanowski.

chopin competition

classical music