mgr Radosław Michałek

ORCID: 0009-0007-9732-6603

The topic of my dissertationis: „Virtuosity in selected works by Francisco Tarrega and their influence on guitar pedagogy.”

Francisco Tarrega was a distinguished Spanish composer, guitarist and pedagogue who lived between 1852 and 1909 and played a key role in the development of guitar techniques and innovative approaches to learning the instrument.  He composed some 78 original pieces and made 120 transcriptions of works by, among others, F. Chopin, L.V. Beethoven, or F. Mendelsohn. His compositions are imbued with many techniques that can only be performed in a virtuoso manner by outstanding and very well-trained guitarists. They develop technical proficiency while honing interpretive skills and musical sensitivity. This composer's teaching methods and philosophical approach to the guitar and its possibilities have been and continue to be an inspiration for many musicians and educators who draw on Francisco Tarrega's intellectual output.

Despite the wealth of knowledge about Francisco Tarrega's life and works, there is a significant research gap regarding specific examples of virtuosity in his selected works and the demonstration of a possible influence on the development of guitar pedagogy. This provides an opportunity to present possible solutions in the form of exercises and exercises, using the scientific literature to identify and solve research problems.

Following the realisation of the CD recording and the writing of the analysis for this project, this work can develop new strategies for teaching guitar playing in the context of overcoming technical problems in a selection of the most difficult passages of songs. In addition, the recorded CD will demonstrate the effectiveness of these methods in practice. The work should also serve as an inspiration for teachers to use Francisco Tarrega's works as often as possible in their students' education, but also for guitarists to present this composer's works in their concert repertoire, not only for reasons of musical value, but also to improve and maintain their technical proficiency.

Awards:
-3rd Prize at the International Guitar Meetings - Sanok, 2007

-3rd Place at the Regional Guitar Students’ Auditions - Strzyżów, 2008

-Distinction at the National Guitar Competition "Gitara VIVA" - Kielce, 2009

-1st Prize (Solo Category) and 1st Prize (Duet Category) at the 1st National Guitar Competition - Nowy Targ, 2012

-Distinction at the International Music Interpretation Competition (Solo Category) - Przemyśl, 2017

-1st Prize at the National Guitar Competition for the Title of "Master of Six Strings" - Zakopane, 2017

-2nd Place at the International Accordion Competition (Chamber Music Category) - Poprad, 2019

-3rd Place at the International Music Interpretation Competition (Chamber Music Category) - Przemyśl, 2019

-Distinction (Duet with Accordion) at the International Accordion Competition - Vilnius, 2019

-Distinction at the International Baltic Guitar Days Competition - Szczecin, 2019

-Finalist Distinction at the International Guitar Competition and Festival - Krynica-Zdrój, 2020

-2nd Place at the International Guitar Festival and Competition - Tremolo, Macedonia, 2020

-Finalist at the International Guitar Festival - Rust, Austria, 2020

 

Highlights of artistic performances:

-Concert during the "Youth for Our City" event at the Podkarpacka Philharmonic, Rzeszów, 2012

-Concert during the International Music Courses at the Romantic Castle Complex Museum, Łańcut, 2010

-Concert of Distinguished Diploma Students - Institute of Music, University of Rzeszów, 2017

-Duet concert with accordion at the International Accordion Festival, Vilnius, Lithuania, 2018

-Solo and chamber concert in the "Florianka Hall" - Academy of Music in Kraków, within the -concert series of UMFC students, Kraków, 2018

-Concert during the International Music Courses - Kasyno Urzędnicze, Łańcut, 2018

-Concert during the International Music Courses - Ballroom of the Łańcut Castle Museum, 2018

-"Farewell to Winter with the Guitar" concert - UMFC Concert Hall, 2019

-"Solo and Chamber Accordion Music" concert - UMFC Concert Hall, 2019

-Concert at the Royal Łazienki Park, March 2019

-Concert at the Palace of Culture and Science during the festival: "Musical Summer on the Defilad Square", Warsaw

 

Premieres:
-Premiere of Jan Pentz’s piece for guitar trio: "Antichton", performed during the "Farewell to Winter with the Guitar" concert at the UMFC Concert Hall, 2019

 

Education:
2005–2017 - Comprehensive Music School of the 1st and 2nd Degree at ZSM No. 1 in Rzeszów, guitar class of Monika Welc

2017–2020 - UMFC - Bachelor of Arts in Music, Major: Guitar Performance, under Ryszard Bałauszko and Leszek Potasiński

2020–2022 - UMFC - Master of Arts in Music, Major: Guitar Performance, under Ryszard Bałauszko and Leszek Potasiński

2021–2022 - Erasmus exchange at Conservatorio Superior de Málaga under María Pilar 2023– resent - Doctoral School, University of Rzeszów

Guitar Courses:
2007 - International Music Courses, Łańcut

2018 - International Music Courses, Łańcut
2024 – Cordoba Guitar Festival


Masterclasses:
Studied with renowned guitarists such as:

David Pavlovits, Waldemar Gromolak, Leszek Potasiński, Jorge Castaneda, Łukasz Kuropaczewski, Piotr Zaleski, Della Estrada, Hans Wilhelm Kaufmann, Zoran Dukic, Marek Nosal, and David Russell.