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Przemysław Pujanek

Violist & Composer

Current Position

Tutti violist with the prestigious Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, one of the world's leading orchestras with a rich history dating back to 1743.

Education & Training

Graduate of the University of Arts Berlin under the guidance of Professor Hartmut Rohde, with additional studies at the Julius-Stern-Institute and foundational training at the Henryk Wieniawski Music High School in Poznań.

Orchestral Experience

Previously held principal viola positions at Deutsche Opera Berlin, Hessischer Rundfunk, and London Philharmonic Orchestra. Has performed with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and served in an academy position with the Konzerthaus Orchestra Berlin.

Competition Success

Special Prize winner at the Max Rostal Competition and recipient of the DAAD Prize for outstanding foreign students. Distinguished performances in the Johannes Brahms and ARD Competitions, alongside prizes in violin competitions including the All-Poland J.S. Bach Competition.

Chamber Music

Active chamber musician with performances at prestigious festivals including Krzyżowa Music, Molyvos International Music Festival and HARMOS Festival in Porto, Portugal

Composition & Arrangement

As a composer, he creates works that bridge classical traditions with contemporary soundscapes, exploring orchestral textures and modern compositional techniques. As an arranger he works with clarity, efficiency and a deep respect for the artistic spirit of each project. His newest collaboration is with Natxo de Felipe, opening a fresh chapter of creative exchange with this legendary Basque singer.

Artistic Philosophy

Authentic and dedicated is a fair description of his attitude towards music. In his versatility across performance and composition, he is bringing discipline and passion to every musical endeavor. Whether performing as a violist with world-class orchestras or crafting original compositions, the focus remains on artistic excellence and emotional authenticity.

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UN PEU DE FLAINE

for string quartet

Mother Nature, eternal inspiration — you could spend your whole life trying to capture her immense beauty. In this music, you can get a glimpse of her. Once you close your eyes and hear the sounds, it unveils in front of you.

UN PEU DE FLAINE


Un peu de Flaine is a piece for string quartet composed by Przemyslaw Pujanek in 2025 and commissioned from Freyja Quartet as a part of their residency in Flaine, France.

The piece is about nature and specifically about the composers imagination of the natural surroundings of Flaine. It's a programmatic piece, a piece which tells a story. A story of a journey.

The journey takes place in winter, around December-January :

With your eyes closed you can only hear the wind blowing. Different colors from the instruments imitate the sounds of the wind. When you slowly open your eyes you can see the fog over the mountains. There are shapes appearing from time to time, and then they are once again swallowed by the fog. After a while the fog clears up and the sun comes out.

You can hear the golden eagle call. At the same time water starts dropping from the source in the mountain. The water starts flowing and flowing, taking more speed each second until it arrives in Lac de Flaine. You can see the suns reflections on the water.

There is an ibex drinking from the lake, presented by a viola solo. Suddenly the second Ibex arrives in the cello voice. After short exchange of melodies, they start fighting. The fight is aggressive and through the fight the avalanche comes down. Piece concludes with the view of the mountains through the glittering snow.

AL ALBA

for viola and piano

At dawn
The world is waking slowly
Revealing it's colors
To the silent observer

AL ALBA


Written in 2021 is a short piece for viola and piano in a neo-romantic style. It was written as a commision from Christoff Schlesinger.

Its captivating melody and fast middle part are memorable, it showcases the beautiful sound of viola and its ability to dialogue with its piano counterpart. Various influences are to be heard, from impressionist harmonies, to a Shostakovich-like rhythms in the Allegro.

Layers

for viola duo

To create from nothing
Layer after layer
is an artists task

Layers

'Warstwy' for two violas

Warstwy (Polish for 'Layers') is a piece in 6 parts created in 2024 and dedicated to Elżbieta Mrożek-Loska and Wojciech Kołaczyk.

This piece is inspired by melodies collected by Oskar Kolberg in the Volhynia region at the beginning of the 20th century. The title 'Layers' symbolizes different stages of music creation, each part is a different phase of the compositional process.

It all starts with the first part, in which the composer searches for and determines the tonal center. The note D is sustained as a drone throughout this movement. As if from nowhere, the first ideas appear - different melodic ideas that determine the path of the piece's development. All these motifs and material run through both instruments, giving the artists a challenge to create a dialogue and simultaneously search for the coherence of the sound of the two instruments.

The second movement begins with a bang, like Lutosławski's third Symphony, then the main motif, repeating like an obsessive thought, is interrupted by various episodes in different characters.

The third movement contains motifs from each of the other movements, but they are not yet sorted. It symbolizes what happens in the composer's head when all the materials are collected and it is time to start working on the final piece.

The inspiration for the fourth movement was the wedding song 'Korowaju w raju' from the Tahaczyn area. It was sung while baking the wedding cake (Korowaj - a type of cake). Traditionally, the korowaj was prepared in the bride's home by women who sang traditional songs to help them in the baking process. In this movement, the composer first focuses on using the different tones of the two violas, and later it turns into a dance.

The fifth part was inspired by the song 'Hey mom chumak idę' from the area of ​the city of Kovel. This is a short, humorous part full of sudden twists and turns.

In the sixth part of the piece, we will hear reminiscences of the song ‘Oj ohlań sia Hanuseńko’ from the area of ​​Krzemieniec.

TEMPO DI VALSE

for violin duo

The waltz is waking up my soul
Finally I feel alive
The mellow sounds captivate with their rhythm
Dance, dance people!

TEMPO DI VALSE


This duet is called "Tempo di Valse" and is inspired by Ravel's famous La Valse. It is an intimate dance between two instruments, but with a wink. Its frivolous nature and internal jokes make this piece captivating to the listener with its humor, but also its melodic and danceable character.

Uncertainty

for clarinet, violin, piano and percussion

The feeling arises
Uncertainty is overwhelming
I scream unheard in its torment.
Old pond of wisdom.

Uncertainty


written during SYNTHETIS summer course in Radziejowice, Poland in summer 2024 is a short, 5-minute piece for clarinet (Contrabass Clarinet and B Clarinet), Violin, Piano and Percussion. It was first performed during a masterclass by the marvelous KWARTLUDIUM ensemble.

The ability to work with various composers like Jessy Marino and Marc Andre and as well the opportunity of working with the members of Kwartludium ensemble resulted in this piece, which was tailored to the possibilities of each instrument and each individual performer.

Sonata

for viola solo

The sound of one instrument
Can change so much
Taking you for a journey
To different worlds of color

Sonata for viola solo


Sonata for viola solo is showcasing the possibilities of a viola as a concert instrument. It's written in four movements :

1.Fantasia
2.Capriccio
3. Passacagalia
4.Oberek

Each movement has a different character and places various technical and musical challenges in front of the performer.

The overall inspiration for the piece were emotions and colors which a sound of viola can awaken in the listener. It is a journey through different sonic landscapes with elements of folk music.

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Get in touch for professional inquiries, collaborations, or if you'd like to purchase my scores!