Jacek Kortus

     Country: Poland
     Instrument: Piano

Jacek Kortus was born on 12 July 1988 in Poznań, Poland. He is a student at The Henryk Wieniawski Music School in Poznań and attends the class of Waldemar Andrzejewski, under whose tutelage he has been for nine years. He is a prize-winner of many national and international piano competitions, i.e. the first prize and “Grand Prix” in the 9th Frederic Chopin International Piano Competition in Antonin (February 2005), first prize in the Ludwik Stefański Piano Competition in Płock (December 2002), second prize (no first prize granted) in The Władysław Kędra All-Poland Competition in Łódź (January 2001), second prize in the Ignacy Jan Paderewski National Pianists Competition in Piotrków Trybunalski (November 2000), second prize in the National Piano Competition in Żagań (January 2001), third prize in the International Piano Competition in Szafarnia (May 1999), second prize in the national Polish auditions of first-level piano classes in Warsaw, distinction at the International Piano Festival in Siedlce (2002), fifth place in the national Polish auditions of second-level piano classes in Warsaw (2003).

Jacek Kortus was awarded the scholarship of the Jolanta and Alexander Kwaśniewscy Foundation, “Pomoc Młodym Talentom”. He was also twice awarded the Minister of Culture Scholarship (in 2002 and 2005). He reached the final of the Seiler International Piano Competition in Kitzingen in 2003 and in April 2004 was laureate of a special prize at the 6th International “Arthur Rubinstein In Memoriam” Competition for Young Pianists in Kąśna. He was a finalist of the 15th Frederic Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw.

He has performed in many cities in Poland (Poznań, Warsaw, Gdansk, Gorzów Wielkopolski, Głogów, Konin, Rydzyna and Lublin) and abroad (Kiev, Lvov, Munich and Berlin). He was honoured with a prestigious “Young Art Medal” award, granted to young artists for artistic achievements in the current year, and also with the Hipolit Cegielski Medal of the Young Positivists for achievements in his work. Bank Zachodni WBK awarded Jacek Kortus a “Uśmiechy Dziecięce” scholarship.

Repertoire - Semi Finals

• F. Liszt: Tarantella
• F. Chopin: Etude Op. 25, No. 11 in A minor