Arkadiusz Tesarczyk was born in Poland into a family of musicians. Before graduating with honours 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 at the Peabody Conservatory of Music, as the recipient of the Gregor Piatigorsky Memorial Scholarship, and student of Stephen Kates. While there, he completed two Artist Diplomas: one in Cello Performance, the other in Chamber Music as a member of the Peabody String Quartet. Active as a chamber musician, Mr. Tesarczyk has performed in festivals in Europe and the United States. He appeared at The Kennedy Center and Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C. and Merkin Hall in New York. Other solo performances have taken him to Finland, Switzerland, Germany, England, Scotland and Russia. Mr. Tesarczyk has been a soloist with a number of orchestras, including the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Silesian Chamber Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica de Chile and Concert Artists of Baltimore. Together with his wife, pianist Claudia Chen, Mr. Tesarczyk has given duo recitals in the United States, Canada, Chile and Poland. His performances are frequently aired nationally on CBC as well as on Polish Radio and Television. This year marks Mr. Tesarczyk’s eleventh season as Principal Cellist of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. In addition to his activities with the WSO, he performs regularly with The Winnipeg Chamber Music Society and GroundSwell, and maintains a private cello studio.