We’re thrilled for the Kupiński Guitar Duo to close our 2018-19 International Series Season! This delightful Polish couple will be making their Austin debut on Saturday, April 27th, and we recently had the chance to speak with them about how they got into music, why they began performing together, and what they enjoy most about concerts.
Soloists Ewa Jabłczyńska and Dariusz Kupiński met at the Polish Academy of Music, and completed their post-graduate studies at the Universität der Künste in Berlin and the Hochschule für Musik in Weimar. They’ve performed across Europe, the US, Mexico, China and Japan, and they’re frequently invited to give masterclasses.
Their paths into guitar performance were quite different. Ewa began music lessons at the age of 7, guitar being a natural choice as it was a less expensive option than piano. She told us there wasn’t anything unusual about this, as most children in Poland learned a musical instrument from a young age.
Dariusz’s father used to play guitar, accordion, and piano casually, but Dariusz didn’t venture into music until much later in life; growing up, he was primarily focused on running. While on summer holiday when he was 17, one of his friends brought a guitar along, and Dariusz became intrigued with it when he and his friends were singing around the fireplace.
Ewa and Dariusz fell in love when they were studying at the Polish Academy, and three years after marrying they had a moment of inspiration.
“We had this idea: how about we play together?” And the Kupiński Duo was born.
Both individually praised and masters of the instrument in their own right, Ewa and Dariusz combine their talents and personal connection in a way that’s an absolute joy to watch. You can feel their compassion for each other flowing through the music, their mutual understanding and trust always guiding them through passages of technical complexity with grace and ease.
At the core of their charm, though, is the pure fun they have while playing together: it radiates with a warmth that feels like they’re sharing with you something special.
The Kupiński Duo will be giving their Austin debut on April 27th, and they’re both greatly looking forward to sharing their passion for music with an audience of more than 1000 people.
“I love performing because the atmosphere, the emotions, everything about it – you can’t find in a practice room,” Ewa said. “Also, I love the interactions with people after the concert. Every time, you hear something surprising – whether good or bad.”