Arek Tesarczyk
Cello
Minnesota Orchestra
A native of Poland, Arek Tesarczyk was born into a family of musicians. Before graduating with honors from the Karol Szymanowski School of Music in Katowice, he distinguished himself by winning three first prizes in the Polish National Cello and Chamber Music Competitions. He continued his studies in the United States with Stephen Kates at the Peabody Conservatory of Music, as the recipient of the Gregor Piatigorsky Memorial Scholarship. While there, he completed two artist diplomas: one in cello performance, the other in chamber music as a member of the Peabody String Quartet. Before coming to the Twin Cities, he served as Principal Cello of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra for eleven years. Mr. Tesarczyk joined the Minnesota Orchestra in September 2004. Mr. Tesarczyk has been a soloist with a number of orchestras, including the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Silesian Chamber Orchestra, Orchesta Sinfónica de Chile and Concert Artists of Baltimore. Active as a chamber musician, Mr. Tesarczyk has performed in festivals in Europe and the United States. He has appeared at the Kennedy Center and the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C. and Merkin Hall in New York. Other performances have taken him to Finland, Switzerland, Germany, England, Scotland and Russia. Together with his wife, pianist Claudia Chen, Arek has given duo recitals in the United States, Canada, Chile and Poland. His performances have been frequently aired on CBC (Canada) as well as Polish Radio and Television.