International Cochran Music Festival
International Cochran Music Festival
About the Festival
The 5th International Cochran Music Festival will feature a concert dedicated to Julian Cochran’s music at the prestigious Witold Lutosławski Concert Studio of Polish Radio in Warsaw. At the special invitation of Julian Cochran Foundation, the composer will travel from Adelaide to Warsaw to attend the event in person.
The International Cochran Music Festival is a series of concerts and events dedicated to the music of Julian Cochran - an Australian pianist, composer and mathematician. His compositions intertwine the aesthetics of Romanticism with early 20th-century musical styles, creating a distinctive musical language inspired by the piano heritage of Franz Liszt, Frédéric Chopin, Sergei Prokofiev and Maurice Ravel.
Following last year’s edition in Adelaide, Australia, the Festival returns to Warsaw, where it has been rooted since its beginnings. It continues to grow as an international platform for musical dialogue, bringing together outstanding artists from Poland and abroad.
The first edition of the Festival under the name "Cochran Days" took place in December 2022. We hosted the world-famous German pianist Tobias Koch.
The second edition of the Festival under the name "Cochran Days: All about the Music of Cochran" took place in June 2023. We hosted outstanding international artists:
Sophia Pileggi (Miami) - piano
Viacheslav Shelepov (Hanover) - piano
Marie François (Antwerp) - piano
Gabriela Grabon (Lodz) - violin
Pawel Popko (Warsaw) - piano
Magdalena Lucjan (Vienna) - soprano
Andrzej Wiercinski (Warsaw) - piano
The third edition of the Festival took place in November 2024. We hosted outstanding international artists:
Anca Stana (Romania) - piano
Matteo Cardelli - (Italy) - piano
Julia Dmochowska-Paech (Poland) - piano
Maciej Lobos & Lukasz Kózka (Poland) - piano and tenor
Cuore Piano Trio (Poland)
Shoven Quartet (Poland)
The festival included masterclasses with Julian Cochran. Participating artists were able to meet the composer in person and work with him on the interpretation of pieces.
The masterclasses were held at the Pasja Piano Salon in Warsaw.
 |  |
|---|---|
 |  |
 |  |
2026 Edition
The 2026 edition of the International Cochran Music Festival will take place at the Witold Lutosławski Concert Studio of Polish Radio in Warsaw.
2026 Edition Events
November 30, 2026 | 7:00 PM
Witold Lutosławski Concert Studio of Polish Radio, Warsaw
A classical music concert dedicated to the works of Australian composer Julian Cochran, featuring outstanding artists from Poland and Belgium.
Performing artists:
Krzysztof Wierciński (Poland) - piano
Tomasz Kłeczek (Poland) - piano
Piotr Grelowski (Poland) - piano
Ryelandt Trio (Belgium)
Pieter-Jan Verhoyen - piano
Jeroen De Beer - violin
Pieter-Jan De Smet - cello
Organizers
Honorary Patronages
Main Partner
Partners
Media Partners
Julian Cochran
"Cochran marries simplicity with virtuosity to stunning effect. He is clearly in love with the sonorities, rhythms and harmonies of Eastern Europe, and explores the whole range of possibilities they afford."~ Levon Parikian
The great Australian composer, Julian Cochran (b. 1974) was formally trained as a pure mathematician; however, at the age of fourteen, received a scholarship to Adelaide's Elder Conservatorium for advanced piano studies. Following this Cochran taught himself to play many instruments, some of them virtuosically, and this foundation of folk-music and melodic invention remained central to Cochran's compositional approach. Cochran's music is today performed all over the world, from Carnegie Hall to Amsterdam's Concertgebouw and St. Petersburg's Philharmonic Hall, and continues to inspire an increasing number of pianists. The public's affection with Cochran is drawn from the remarkable inner logic interlaced throughout the music, an often present dance-like characteristic, and together its mysteriousness and refined opulence.
2025 Edition
The fourth edition of the International Cochran Music Festival was the first to take place in Adelaide, Australia. Held from 18 September to 1 November 2025, the Festival featured a series of piano recitals by outstanding pianists Julia Dmochowska-Paech and Matteo Cardelli at the North Adelaide Baroque Hall.
2025 Edition Events
September 18, 2025
Piano recital of Julia Dmochowska-Paech
September 20, 2025
Piano recital of Julia Dmochowska-Paech
October 30, 2025
Piano recital of Matteo Cardelli
November 1, 2025
Piano recital of Matteo Cardelli
2024 Edition
2024 Edition Events
November 26, 2024
Concert as part of the “Classics at Koszyki” series, concert open for public
November 27, 2024
A grand gala dedicated to the work of Julian Cochran
November 29, 2024
Concert
Artists
Piotr Grelowski - piano
Poland
Piotr Grelowski is a Polish pianist whose artistic career encompasses solo performance, chamber music and a particular interest in both contemporary repertoire and historical keyboard instruments.
He graduated with distinction from the Music School Complex in Piła, where he studied with Jolanta Reszelska, before continuing his education at the Academy of Music in Katowice under Monika Sikorska-Wojtacha and at the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg with Alexei Lubimov and Christoph Lieske. In 2021, he received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Academy of Music in Katowice, where he worked under the supervision of Zbigniew Raubo. His musical education also includes studies in harpsichord, clavichord and historical piano. He has further refined his artistry through masterclasses with distinguished musicians such as Yefim Bronfman, Eugen Indjic, Andrzej Jasiński, Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń, Lee Kum Sing and Krystian Zimerman.
Among his notable achievements are First Prize and the award for the best performance of works by Julian Cochran at the 2016 International Cochran Piano Competition, as well as special prizes at the Arthur Rubinstein in memoriam International Competition for Young Pianists and the International Paderewski Piano Competition, both held in Bydgoszcz in 2004.
Grelowski released his debut solo album, Sonatas of Today, in 2017. In 2021, he recorded Gabriela Moyseowicz’s Piano Concerto No. 4 with the Koszalin Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra for the album (Re)Discovering Gabriela Moyseowicz.
He has performed extensively across Poland, Austria, Germany, Russia and Italy, appearing at venues and festivals including Klavier-Festival Ruhr, Auditorium Seraphicum in Rome, Żelazowa Wola and the Chamber Music Hall of the Warsaw Philharmonic. His orchestral collaborations include the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra in Piła, the Silesian Chamber Orchestra and the Koszalin Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra.
Alongside his performing career, Piotr Grelowski is dedicated to music education. He teaches piano at the Grażyna Bacewicz State Music School Complex in Koszalin and the Academy of Art in Szczecin.
Krzysztof Wierciński - piano
Poland
Krzysztof Wierciński is a Polish pianist whose musical journey has taken him to concert stages across Europe, North America and Asia. Born in 2003, he began studying piano at the age of seven and has since established an international performing career, distinguished by numerous competition successes and appearances at major musical events.
He currently studies at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw under the guidance of Professor Joanna Ławrynowicz-Just. His artistic development has also been shaped by masterclasses with internationally renowned pianists, including Dang Thai Son, Arie Vardi, Janusz Olejniczak, Andrzej Jasiński, Nikolai Demidenko, Vanessa Latarche, Alexander Gavrylyuk and Eldar Nebolsin.
A laureate of numerous national and international piano competitions, Wierciński has received awards at the Karol Szymanowski International Music Competition in Katowice, the International Chopin Competition in Narva, the International Chopin Competition in Rzeszów, the Arthur Rubinstein in memoriam International Competition for Young Pianists in Bydgoszcz and the Maurycy Moszkowski International Piano Competition Per aspera ad astra. His success at the 53rd National Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw secured his participation in the 19th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition.
His concert appearances include the International Chopin Festival in Duszniki-Zdrój, the Chopin and His Europe International Music Festival in Warsaw, the Warsaw Philharmonic, the Krzysztof Penderecki European Centre for Music in Lusławice and numerous philharmonic halls throughout Poland and abroad. He has also performed at Palais Wittgenstein in Düsseldorf, Casa Convalescència in Barcelona, the Polish Embassy in Vienna and the Orangerie in Paris’s Parc de Bagatelle. His international engagements include performances at Expo 2020 Dubai and Expo 2025 Osaka.
Wierciński has recorded Karol Szymanowski’s Symphonie concertante, Op. 60, for Polish Radio with the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra under the baton of José Maria Florêncio.
His artistic achievements have been recognised through several prestigious scholarships, including the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage’s Młoda Polska 2024 programme and support from the Polish Children’s Fund.
Tomasz Kłeczek - Harpsichord & Piano
Poland
Tomasz Kłeczek is a Polish harpsichordist and pianist whose artistic interests span early music, solo performance and chamber repertoire. Born in Virginia, USA, he is the founder and artistic director of ECHO, an early music ensemble dedicated to exploring the expressive richness of historical repertoire.
In 2026, ECHO received a Fryderyk Award, Poland’s prestigious music industry distinction, for its debut album Echo, devoted to English Baroque music. The award marked an important milestone in Kłeczek’s artistic career and the ensemble’s development.
As a soloist, he has appeared at renowned venues including Carnegie Hall in New York, Phoenix Hall in Hiroshima, the Fryderyk Chopin Museum in Warsaw and the Chopin Centre in Szafarnia. He has also performed at numerous music festivals, including Pianofonie in Kraków, Próba Dźwięku in Bydgoszcz and Polish Chamber Music in Szczecin.
Kłeczek is a finalist of the Wanda Landowska International Harpsichord Competition in Poznań and the 22nd Kiejstut Bacewicz International Chamber Music Competition in Łódź. His achievements as a pianist include First Prize at the Washington Steinway Piano Competition.
He studied both piano and harpsichord at the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz, completing his bachelor’s degree in piano in 2024 under Ewa Pobłocka and Adam Kośmiej, followed by a bachelor’s degree in harpsichord in 2025 under Urszula Bartkiewicz and Dorota Zimna. He continues his piano studies with Professor Adam Kośmiej and has also pursued chamber music studies with Professor Marcin Sikorski.
His artistic development has been enriched by masterclasses with distinguished musicians such as Garrick Ohlsson, Rafał Blechacz, Christophe Rousset, Alexander Kobrin, Sofya Gulyak and Eugene Tzigane.
Ryelandt Trio
Pieter-Jan Verhoyen - Piano
Jeroen De Beer - Violin
Pieter-Jan De Smet - Cello
Belgium
Ryelandt Trio is a Belgian piano trio dedicated to rediscovering, performing and sharing the rich musical heritage of Flanders. Bringing together pianist Pieter-Jan Verhoyen, violinist Jeroen De Beer and cellist Pieter-Jan De Smet, the ensemble combines a passion for lesser-known repertoire with a fresh approach to classical chamber music.
At the heart of the trio’s artistic identity lies a commitment to bringing forgotten musical treasures back to the concert stage. Its programmes frequently feature works by Flemish composers such as Joseph Ryelandt, Joseph Callaerts and Karel Mestdagh, placing their music alongside established chamber masterpieces and contemporary compositions. Through imaginative programming, the ensemble seeks to introduce this remarkable repertoire to audiences both within Belgium and internationally.
Ryelandt Trio has received national and international recognition, including First Prize at the Concours Léopold Bellan in Paris and the Audience Award at the Supernova competition at deSingel.
The ensemble’s discography includes Late Romantic Piano Trios from Flanders and Bruges and the Romantic Imagination, both warmly received by critics, including the Belgian newspaper De Standaard. Its recordings are regularly broadcast by European radio stations such as Klara, BRF 1 and France Musique.
Beyond the traditional concert format, Ryelandt Trio is known for developing original artistic projects that explore new connections between music, theatre and contemporary culture. These include Ryelandt Trio plays Frank Zappa at BOZAR and Liefs, Beethoven, a musical theatre production featuring tenor Thomas Blondelle. The ensemble is equally committed to contemporary music and has collaborated with composers including Robert Groslot, Jasper Charlet and Mathias Coppens, whose work was recorded at Concertgebouw Brugge and released on the album Collection of Curiosities.
Since 2024, Ryelandt Trio has curated ACHTDUUST, its own concert series in its home city of Bruges. Presenting four concerts annually in distinctive venues throughout Bruges and the surrounding region, the initiative celebrates Flemish musical heritage while creating space for contemporary chamber music and new artistic encounters.
Through its recordings, performances and original projects, Ryelandt Trio continues to connect the musical traditions of the past with the creative voices of today.
Energy Chamber Orchestra
Poland
Energy Chamber Orchestra is a distinctive string ensemble founded at the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz by Paweł Zalejski, first violinist of the internationally acclaimed Apollon Musagète Quartett, one of Europe’s leading string quartets.
The orchestra brings together a new generation of charismatic young musicians, each with a strong individual voice and artistic sensibility. On stage, these distinct personalities come together with remarkable intensity, creating an ensemble whose character reaches far beyond the sum of its individual talents. At its heart is a shared musical energy - instinctive, vibrant and deeply attuned to the emotional world of the music they perform.
Energy Chamber Orchestra approaches the classical concert as a space for genuine encounter. Its performances are creative and interactive, inviting audiences into a closer relationship with the musicians and moving beyond the conventional boundaries between stage and auditorium. Spontaneity and authenticity are central to the ensemble’s artistic identity, making each performance a unique experience shaped by the music, the moment and the connection with its listeners.
The orchestra’s mission is rooted in the idea of music as a living exchange of energy. Rather than simply presenting music to an audience, the ensemble seeks to create a shared emotional experience in which communication flows in both directions. For Energy Chamber Orchestra, performance is ultimately a form of dialogue - with the audience, with emotion and with the immediacy of the present moment.
Workshops with Julian Cochran
The festival will include masterclasses with Julian Cochran. Participating artists will be able to meet the composer in person and work with him on the interpretation of pieces.
