Bianka Szalaty
Born in Wrocław, Poland, in 1994, Bianka Szalaty is one of the most promising young guitarists of her generation. She is currently preparing for her Konzertexamen with Tomasz Zawierucha at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen, having previously completed her Master’s degree at the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań under Łukasz Kuropaczewski.
Bianka has won numerous international competitions, including First Prize at the 10th J.S. Bach International Guitar Competition in Tokyo, and has received scholarships from the Ministry of Culture and the Prime Minister of Poland. Her repertoire reflects both tradition and innovation — from the music of John Dowland and J.S. Bach to contemporary works by Leo Brouwer, Stephen Dodgson, and Pēteris Vasks.
As a passionate chamber musician, Bianka forms the Meninas Duo with lyric mezzo-soprano Ewelina Koniec, creating original transcriptions of works by Leonard Bernstein, Benjamin Britten, Francis Poulenc, Manuel de Falla, and Karol Szymanowski.
She has performed at international festivals in Moscow, Brno, and Copenhagen, both as a soloist and as part of her duo. Her first orchestral appearance came at just 13 years old, performing Vivaldi’s Concerto in D major with the Koszalin Philharmonic Orchestra. Since then, she has interpreted major concertos by Joaquín Rodrigo, Manuel Maria Ponce, and Heitor Villa-Lobos.
After winning the 1st Nürtingen International Online Guitar Competition, Bianka was named EuroStrings Artist 2021, further affirming her place among today’s leading young guitarists.
