Mateusz Mańka
cello
Mateusz started his cello education at the age of 7 at the Fryderyk Chopin Music School in Bytom and studied there for 12 years in a cello class of prof. Bernard Szczędzina. In 2010 he got accepted for the bachelor’s and master’s studies at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice in a cello class of prof. Piotr Janosik and graduated in 2015. He developed his solo instrumental and chamber music skills on numerous workshops and masterclasses with artists like: Ivan Monighetti, Cecylia Barczyk, Kazimierz Michalik, Paweł Głombik, Stanisław Firlej, Andrzej Orkisz, Alexander Gebert, Claus-Christian Schuster, Tim Frederiksen and Roland Baldini.
Mateusz is a laureate of scholarships e.g. scholarship of the President of his home town Piekary Śląskie or Young Poland scholarship from Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. He also successfully attended a number of competitions: Distinction at the V National Chamber Music Competition for ensembles with guitar in Tychy (guitar-cello duo), 1st prize at the V National Chamber Music Competition in Świdnica (guitar-cello duo), 2nd prize and Special at the National Chamber Music Competition in Cracow, 2nd prize at the XII International Guitar Music Festival in Trzęsacz (guitar-cello duo), Distinction at the XIV Juliusz Zarębski International Music Competition in Łomianki.
Mateusz Mańka is an extremely active and open-minded musician. He shares his love and passion to both chamber music and orchestra. Since 2015 he holds a position of the cello section leader in Archetti Chamber Orchestra and since 2018 works as a cellist at the Silesian Opera Ensemble in Bytom. When joining Airis String Quartet in 2019, Mateusz already had years of string quartet work experience with musicians from AUKSO orchestra. He is also a member of the cello quartet called Cello Maniax where he performs and records with. Mateusz is also often invited as a guest player and cello section leader for other orchestras and ensembles. His professional activities are complemented with his pedagogical work as a successful cello teacher at the primary and secondary Music School in Bytom.
In previous years he co-operated as a guest musician with orchestras such as National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice, AUKSO Orchestra, New Music Orchestra, Gorzów Philharmonic Orchestra, Kalisz Philharmonic Orchestra, Radom Chamber Orchestra, Sinfonietta Cracovia. He performed under direction of Larry Livingston, Paul McCreesh, George Tchitchinadze, Krzysztof Penderecki, Gabriel Chmura, Antoni Wit,Mirosław Jacek Błaszczyk, Marek Moś, Michał Klauza, Szymon Bywalec in Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, France, Holland, USA, Canada.