The Calisia Arts foundation was established on the initiative of artists, educators and cultural animators associated with Kalisz. Its aim is to promote classical music and expand the cultural offer of Kalisz and Greater Poland by organising artistic events of national and international scope. The Calisia Arts foundation is based in Kalisz, the oldest Polish city, which is known for the Calisia grand and upright piano factory. Kalisz is also famous for one of the few schools in the world which educates grand and upright piano builders, renovators and tuners, the Arnold Fibiger Piano Building School, so naturally the promotion of piano music is a key aspect of the Foundation’s activities.

Born in 1993 in Kalisz. A graduate of Jadwiga Kaliszewska Music High School in Poznan (piano class of prof. Waldemar Andrzejewski) and Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna in piano class of Professor Manfred Wagner-Artzt (diploma with honors) as well as composition class of Professor Martin Lichtfuss. Award winner of numerous international piano and composing competitions. He has given concerts as a soloist and his works have been premiered in many European countries, incl. Norway, Iceland, Malta, Latvia, Hungary, Italy, Austria, Germany, Switzerland. In 2018 his first album, that included Johann Sebastian Bach works, was released. The CD was sponsored by Piotr Kler Foundation, which supports Filip Pinczewski as their scholar since 2017. Filip Pinczewski’s work often concentrates on promoting culture. As a cultural manager and animator, he was a co-organizer of two concert series: “Let’s open up to new music” and “Student Music Quarters”, which were held in Poland, as well as the International Composers’ Competition “Over the Rainbow. Compositions for Human Rights ”in Austria. Since 2020, he is a member of the Student Parliament as well as Equality Office at the student council of the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna. He’s also working as a piano teacher in Vienna and Lower Austria.

A graduate of Adam Asnyk High School in Kalisz and the Henryk Melcer Satate Music School. She has graduated with honours from the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław, where she has studied at the Faculty of Composition, Music Theory and Conducting. Since 1991, she is working at the Pedagogical-Artistic Faculty of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. For many years she has worked as the deputy dean responsible for student affairs and education and was a member of the University Senate for four terms. In the years 2007-2012 she was the Director of the Henryk Melcer Primary and Secondary Music School in Kalisz. K. Piątkowska-Pinczewska does a lot of scientific and educational research. She gives papers at scientific conferences in Poland and abroad, has published several dozen articles in magazines and scientific publishing houses, is an author of encyclopaedic entries as well as the first in the polish history of music monograph of H. Melcer (polish composer born in Kalisz): “Henryk Melcer – Szczawiński. Life and works”. She has been thesis advisor of dozens of BA and MA degrees in arts. She also works as a lecturer at the “Calisia” University of the Third Age. Organizing events and popularizing music – especially Polish, is a significant part of K. Piątkowska-Pinczewska’s work. For years she is organizing organ and chamber music concerts in Kalisz and Wielkopolska region on which she additionally gives lectures. Moreover she is a co-founder of the International Festival of Organ and Chamber Music “Kalisz Organ Forum” and the International Vocal Competition “Viva Calisia”. She cooperates with the Warsaw-based “Ave” Foundation in promoting Henryk Melcer’s works and collaborates with the piano duo Joanna Kaczmarska- Bieżyńska and Robert Adamczak by being a compére at their concerts. She is a member of the management board and the secretary of “prof. Jerzy Rubiński Everything for Kalisz” association, a member of the programme committee of the Ewa Iżykowska “Arte Eva” Foundation co-founder and member of Pedagogical-Artistic Faculty of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań association “Artem Docendi” and co-founder of Kalisz State Music School association “Triton”. From April 2021 she is a member of the Kalisz Women’s Council, where she intends to conduct educational activities in the field of music and art. Decorated with Commission of National Education Medal.

He has studied in prof. Waldemar Andrzejewski and prof. Joanna Marcinkowska piano class at the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznan and in prof. Klaus Hellwig’s class at the Universität der Künste in Berlin. He is a prize-winner of numerous international piano competitions includig: 2nd prize on International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Hannover (Germany, 2019), 3rd prize on 1st Beijing International Chopin Competition for Young Pianists (China, 2016), 3rd prize on IV International Piano Competition „in memoriam Pietro Iadeluca” in Arsoli – Rome (Italy, 2016), 1st prize on International Malta Music Competition in Mdina (Malta, 2016), 2nd prize on Ischia International Piano Competition (Italy, 2017) and various top prizes on such competitions as Arthur Rubinstein in memoriam in Bydgoszcz (Poland, 2014), Halina Czerny-Stefanska in memoriam in Poznań (Poland, 2014), the Annual International Music Competition & Festival IBLA Grand Prize in Ragusa (Italy, 2015) among others. As a member of Paderewski Piano Trio Lukasz has won chamber music competitions in Geneva and Bydgoszcz. In 2015 he has qualified and reached II round of the XVII International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw. He has received scholarships to music courses in Calgary (Morningside Music Bridge 2010 and 2011) and Aspen (Music Festival, 2012). Lukasz gave concerts on EXPO in Milan (Italy, 2015), “Chopin and His Europe” festival in Warsaw, International Paderewski Festival in Warsaw and “Chopin a Paris” festival in Paris as well as on festivals in Chengdu, Moscow, Duszniki-Zdroj, Slupsk and in the Young Talents cycle of concerts organised by the Fryderyk Chopin Institute. In Poland Lukasz performed in almost all philharmonic halls, Fryderyk Chopin’s birthplace in Żelazowa Wola, Fryderyk Chopin Museum in Warsaw, Polish Radio’s Concert Studio in Warsaw, Royal Castle and the Royal Lazienki Park in Warsaw and Polish Radio’s National Orchestra Concert Hall. Besides Poland he gave concerts in the USA, Canada, China, Russia, Austria, France, Lithuania, Norway, Italy, Malta and Germany. Lukasz has been awarded scholarships from the Polish Ministry of Culture and Prime Minister of Poland . In 2017 his first CD featuring Chopin’s and Mozart’s concertos in chamber version, recorded together with Altra Volta string quartet was released. In 2018 Lukasz Byrdy has been appointed teaching assistant at the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań.