Daniel Stabrawa

Long-time concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic.

A graduate of the Academy of Music in Kraków (in the violin class of Prof. Zbigniew Szlezer), laureate of international music competitions (including the Niccolò Paganini Competition in Genoa). He began his musical career as concertmaster of the Polish Radio and Television Orchestra in Kraków. In 1983 he became a member of the famous Berlin Philharmonic, where he served as first concertmaster and soloist for 35 years.

He performed with the orchestra, among others, Sergei Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1, Kurt Weill’s Violin Concerto, Jenő Hubay’s Violin Concerto No. 3, Rudi Stephan’s Music for Violin and Orchestra, Andrzej Panufnik’s Violin Concerto, and the sensationally received Violin Concerto No. 1 by Karol Szymanowski, performed for the first time by the Berlin Philharmonic in June 1994 under the baton of Mariss Jansons. Daniel Stabrawa promotes the music of Karol Szymanowski worldwide as a soloist and chamber musician. He also performed this concerto with great success in London (Royal Festival Hall) and Madrid with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Performing in the largest concert halls of Europe, the artist has repeatedly led the Berlin Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra from the concertmaster’s desk, and together with Nigel Kennedy, as a soloist, performed Johann Sebastian Bach’s Double Violin Concerto in D minor. The artists also jointly recorded Bach’s violin concertos for EMI, and this album became one of the highest-rated recordings of the Bach Year.

Daniel Stabrawa was also the first violinist of the string quartet Philharmonia Quartet Berlin, which rapidly gained international recognition and reputation, performing in the most prestigious concert halls—from Japan to the United States. Critics rank it among the world elite of such ensembles, and one American reviewer even wrote that it sets the world artistic standard for string quartets. The ensemble recorded many albums, the best of which received awards, including twice the prestigious German critics’ award Echo Klassik.

Daniel Stabrawa regularly performs as a soloist—with various orchestras, from Scandinavia to South America—as well as in recitals at leading music centers around the world. He also serves on the juries of many international violin competitions.

For 20 years he has also been engaged in conducting. Among others, he was chief conductor of the chamber orchestra Capella Bydgostiensis, with which he toured, among other places, Switzerland and recorded several albums (for CD Accord and Cavalli Records).