Prof. Krzysztof Szydzisz

Poland

The choirmaster, musicologist, specialist in voice production and cultural manager. As a conductor of the Adam Mickiewicz University Chamber Choir he has been moulding its sound and repertoire profile since 1992, when the choir was founded. A graduate of the Catholic University of Lublin (musicology) as well as the Academy of Music in Poznań (vocal-actor faculty) and the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz (choral conducting), he also completed postgraduate studies in voice production, speech therapy, higher education management and culture management. At present, Krzysztof Szydzisz works at the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz as Professor and Head of the Department of Voice Production, which was founded in 2004. Besides his academic and didactic activity, he regularly organizes workshops and courses in cooperation with recognized musicologists, conductors and specialists in speech therapy and voice production. Since 1998 he has been the Artistic Director of the International Festival of University Choirs ‘Universitas Cantat’. Together with the AMU Chamber Choir he has performed on five continents in over twenty countries, always winning the highest laurels of competitions both within Poland and abroad. Many times he has been awarded for his artistic work e.g. the prizes for the Best Conductor at the International Festival of Choral Music in Międzyzdroje, the Polish Choir Competition ‘Legnica Cantat’ or Busan International Choral Competition and Festival in South Korea. In his work with the choir he introduces to his singers the arcana of vocal techniques which results in the ‘uncanny’ quality of the choir’s sound. Although the man has a broad and incredibly diverse range of musical interests, the 19th and 20th century European choral literature is his chosen forte.