Biography
An extremely sensitive, serene instrumentalist who plays Renaissance lute, Baroque lute, Baroque guitar, classical guitar and theorbo. She began her musical education as a guitar student at the age of 11. She studied lute at the Academy of Music in Cracow and at the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz. Her teachers were Jerzy Żak, Anton Birula and Anna Kowalska (last two known as LuteDuo). During studies she received the Scholarship of the Music Academy Rector for outstanding artistic achievements. In 2016, she graduated with the degree with honors. In the following years, she was busy playing many concerts around the world. In 2022, she became a laureate of the Hanseatic Ensemble courses in Lübeck, Germany and in 2023 she received a master’s degree diploma in classical guitar. In January 2024 she performed and taught in New Zealand (Akaroa and University of Canterbury in Christchurch).
Maria has been an active professional soloist, chamber musician and member of major orchestral ensembles for 14 years. She has given concerts in many cities throughout Poland, as well as in the United States, Canada, Austria (Johann Sebastian Bach – St. John Passion at the Musikverein), Lithuania (NATO Summit event), Latvia, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Germany (Hamburg, Berlin, Görlitz, Zittau, Bauzen, Staatstheater in Cottbus, Music Academy in Trossingen), Italy, Macedonia and Slovakia. She had the opportunity to play with many well-known early music ensembles such as the National Philharmonic Orchestra in Warsaw (under the baton of Jan Willem de Vriend), Arte Dei Suonatori, Lautten Compagney, {oh!} historical orchestra!, MACV (Warsaw Chamber Opera), Il giardino d’Amore Baroque Chamber Orchestra, La Tempesta, Intemperata (Bydgoszcz), Capella Regia Polona (Polish Royal Opera), ALTA early music ensemble. She has participated in the recording of more than a dozen CDs. She has played at the Akaroa Festival in New Zealand, NATO Summit Event, Guitar Master Festival (Lago d’Orta), 21st Bach Festival in Świdnica, the Kromer Festival Biecz, the Silent Music Festival in Toruń, the Bydgoszcz Baroque Scene, the Strefa Ciszy Festival in the Royal Łazienki Park, Music of the Baroque Masters, Cracovia Sacra, May with Early Music and many others.
Maria has been involved in teaching classical guitar to young people and adults for a while. In recent years, she has also given master classes in early guitars and lutes and improvisation (including realization of basso continuo). She is a lecturer at the Summer Methodological Courses in Early Music in Warsaw and at the Residential Summer School at the University of Canterbury (Christchurch, New Zealand). In her work, she focuses strongly on identifying what a student’s talent is and how to turn it into a musical career, or a lifelong passion.
This excellent basso continuo player already played many great Baroque works such as Lully – Armide, Händel – Rodelinda, Israel in Egypt, Purcell – Dido and Aeneas, Fairy Queen, Hail! Bright Cecillia, Monteverdi – Orpheus, Coronation of Poppea, Johann Sebastian Bach – Christmas Oratorio, St. John Passion, Vivaldi – Violin Concertos, Juditha Triumphans, Corelli – Concerti Grossi, Leanardo da Vinci – Musical Rebuses. Her solo repertoire includes works by John Dowland, Silvius Leopold Weiss, Robert de Visèe, Gaspar Sanz, Johann Sebastian Bach, Augustin Barrios-Mangore, Roland Dyens and many others.
Maria Wilgos performs chamber music in the lute duo AbsoLutes with Klaudyna Zolnierek (also a lute player, theorist and guitarist), the Ribaldi vocal quartet and in a trio with soprano Helena Bregar and lutenist Witold Wilgos. She also begins collaboration with Wolfgang Kraemer in Bavaria/New Zealand and with the Lauten Compagney in Berlin. Privately, she is a mother of two preschoolers and lives in Warsaw. What she appreciates most about music is the challenge of the stage, as well as the freedom to express emotions and the joy of creating a friendly atmosphere and memories. In the future, she would like to help as many of the next generation develop their creativity as possible.