Raphael Alexandre Lustchevsky * Rafał Alexander Łuszczewski

Polish artist, Raphael Alexandre Lustchevsky, made his international debut at the age of 16 with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra in Japan. Thereafter, he has performed throughout the world, his talents taking him to North and South America, Australia, Asia, the Middle East, South Africa and most countries of Europe, gathering the highest acclaim from the enraptured audience and music critics. 

Since 2001 listed as a Steinway Artist on the "Steinway & Sons Artists' Roster" in New York, featuring the world's finest pianists. Also known as a Montblanc Artist, for his recording of the Chopin's Piano Concerto No.1 with Philharmonia of the Nations Orchestra in Hamburg, exclusively for the Montblanc Meisterstück „Tribute to Chopin” on the 150th anniversary of Fryderyk Chopin's death.

Lustchevsky's performances have been held at many prestigious concert-halls around the world, including the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, Warsaw National Philharmonic, "KKL" in Lucerne, Palais des Nations in Geneva, Palau de la Musica in Barcelona, Victoria Concert Hall in Singapore, Suntory Hall and Metropolitan Art Space in Tokyo, Sala Cecilia Meirelles in Rio de Janeiro, Salon Dorado in Buenos Aires, Teatro Solis in Montevideo, Verbrugghen Hall in Sydney, Linder Auditorium in Johannesburg, to name just a few.

Throughout his performing carreer, maestro Lustchevsky has appeared in some renowned international music festivals such as: Lucerne Festival, Pianoforte a Bellinzona in Switzerland, Oranienstein Festwochen in Germany, International Chopin Festival (Duszniki), Mozart Festival in Warsaw and Krakow's Spring in Poland, Lipatti Festival in Romania, Festival d'Orleans in France, International Carlisle Summer Festival in the U.K., Sarayevo Winter in Bosnia, l'Octobre Musicale in Tunisia, Festival Cervantino in Mexico, Festival Chopiniana in Argentina, International Piano Festival in Malaysia, Palm Beach Festival in the USA, as well as in Norway, Spain and the Netherlands. 

Considered an "expert interpreter" of Fryderyk Chopin's works, Raphael Alexandre Lustchevsky offered numerous piano recitals at the F. Chopin's Birthplace Museum in Zelazowa Wola (Poland).

Lustchevsky is one of the prominent graduates of professor Andrzej Jasinski, president of the jury at the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw and teacher of maestro Krystian Zimerman. Graduated with the Master's Degree in Performing Arts from the "Karol Szymanowski" Academy of Music in Katowice/Poland. He mastered his skills with the legendary virtuoso of piano, maestro Lazar Berman at Hochschule für Musik "Franz Liszt" in Weimar/Germany where he completed postgraduate studies Konzertexamen (doctorate level diploma in 2001). Maestro Alexis Weissenberg also lent significant influence to the development of his artistic personality. He pursued his studies at the International Piano Academy "Incontri col Maestro" in Imola/Italy and attended master courses guided by John O'Conor, Gyorgy Sebok and Krystian Zimerman.

The artistry of Raphael Alexandre Lustchevsky has been crowned with the highest prizes at the international piano competitions, such as: "Clara Schumann" in Germany, "Maria Canals" in Spain, "Luis Sigall" in Chile. At the UNESCO-International Piano Competition "Dinu Lipatti" in Romania he was awarded with the Grand Prix 1st prize. His artistic activity and merits have also been recognized with multiple special awards from the Ministry of Culture and Arts of the Republic of Poland. He took three times the top award at all-Poland Piano Competition of the Fryderyk Chopin Society in Warsaw (today: National Chopin Institute). His artistic endeavours have also been rewarded with many other distinctions, such as the one by the President of Romania, Board of the City of Rio de Janeiro, special prizes in Poland from the Duszniki International Chopin Festival, National Piano Festival and a scholarship from the government of Germany (DAAD).

As an active recording artist, maestro Lustchevsky made music recordings for the Swiss Classical Radio (DRS2), Polish Radio S.A., Slovenian Radio, Australian Broadcast Corp. (ABC) in Australia, National Public Radio (NPR) in the USA, Fujisankei Group in Japan, Megavisión in Chile. With the Polish Philharmonic Orchestra "Sinfonia Baltica", he made the first world-recording of the Piano Concerto dedicated to him by Polish composer, Krzesimir Debski.

His CD's have been released by Japanese, Polish, Swiss, German labels:

• PONY CANYON Inc. (PCCL-00124) - "A Portrait of Rafael Luszczewski" - recital with works by Chopin and Liszt
• POLSKIE RADIO SA (PRCD-0051) – "Chopin" - recital
• MONTBLANC (MB-004) - Piano Concerto No.1 by Chopin with Philharmonia of the Nations in Hamburg 
• ANBER CLASSICS (ACCD-101) - Piano Concerto No.5 "Emperor" by Beethoven with the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Warsaw
• ANBER CLASSICS (ACCD-123) - „Swiss October” - Recital
• LABOR GA – "Sonderkonzert fur die Jugend der Schweiz" - with Festival Strings Lucerne in Lucerne, Switzerland
• SI MUSIC Ltd. - "Modern Classics from Poland" - Piano Concerto by K. Dębski with the Polish Philharmonic Orchestra "Sinfonia Baltica" (first world-recording)
• DUX Recording Producers (DUX 0745) - „Dancing in Blue” - recital  with works by Albeniz, Gershwin, Ginastera and Piazzolla 
• DUX Recording Producers (DUX 1240) - „Chopin Live” - Chopin piano recital with complete Scherzos (live) published under the patronage of the Fryderyk Chopin Society in Warsaw
• DUX Recording Producers (DUX 1352) - "Polish Chamber Music", compositions by Polish composers: Josef Elsner and Emanuel Kania, published under the patronage of the city of Opole on the 800th anniversary of its founding 
• DUX Recording Producers (DUX 1627) - "Chopin Ballades", Chopin piano recital with complete Ballades (live)

Maestro Lustchevsky has wide-ranging interests in music. His diverse piano-concerto-repertoire features more than 30 works from the period of Bach to contemporary, representing widely the Romanticism. He also performs modern concertos and commisioned works.

• in Europe: National Radio Symphony Orchestra of Slovakia, National Radio Symphony of Romania, Festival Strings Lucerne, Staatskapelle Weimar, Philharmonie der Nationen Hamburg, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in Carlsbad, etc.
• in Asia: Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Russian State Philharmonic Irkutsk, National Symphony Orchestra of Malaysia, Royal Oman Philharmonic;
• in South Africa: Johannesburg Philharmonic;
• in South America: National Philharmonic of Montevideo, Symphony Orchestra of Chile, National Symphony Orchestra in Brasilia, Symphony Orchestra of Porto Alegre, Symphony Orchestra of Parana, National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica, National Symphony Orchestra of Panama;

  and many others.

Such distinguished conductors as: Horia Andreescu, Pavel Baleff, Andrey Boreyko, Lukasz Borowicz, Osvaldo Collarusso, Leslie B. Dunner, Achim Fiedler, Jose M. Florencio, Justus Frantz, Hiroyuki Iwaki, Chosei Komatsu, Nicolas Krauze, Wojciech Michniewski, Marc Moncusi, Norton Morozowicz, Grzegorz Nowak, Marek Pijarowski, Modestas Pitrenas, Francisco Rettig, Reinhard Seehafer, Federico Garcia Vigil, Simon Wright, Oleg Zverev - came among the artists he collaborated with.

Being also active as a collaborative pianist he performed with such eminent artists as: Jeanne and James Galway, Jadwiga Kotnowska, Nicholas Altstaedt, Camerata Quartet and Horizon Ensemble.

Hailed as one of the finest pianists of his generation, maestro Lustchevsky is an accomplished pedagogue. In 2003, he has been appointed an Honorary Professor to the National University of Costa Rica. Lustchevsky has become a Guest Professor and Lecturer at Sydney University Conservatorium of Music and Griffith University Conservatorium in Brisbane, Victoria University in Wellington, Xinghai Conservatorium in Guangzhou, National University in Brasilia, National Music Conservatoriums in Buenos Aires, Lima and Montevideo, National Music Institutes in Algiers and Panama City, international music festivals in Goiânia and Londrina (Brazil) as well as in numerous workshops and master courses (Edinburgh, Bangkok, Jakarta, New Delhi). 

In 2010 Raphael Lustchevsky formally shaped and artistically set up the International F.Chopin Piano Competition in Lima-Peru, becoming its President and member of the jury. The contest works biennially since 2011 and four editions have already been held.

He has also inspired and designed the National F.Chopin Piano Competition in Ecuador. Its first edition was celebrated in 2014. Lustchevsky is an Artistic Director of the contest.