TOMASZ ORLOW

an organist, improviser, organologist, and organ builder. In 1998 he graduated from the class of organ of Prof. J. Gembalski at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, obtaining a diploma with honours and the excelling grade for his diploma recital. In the years 1999/2000, as an awardee of the Culture Foundation scholarship, he perfected his improvising skills at Robert-Schumann-Musikhochschule in Düsseldorf in the class of organ improvision run by Prof. Wolfgang Seifen. In 1997 Tomasz Orlow won the J.P. Sweelinck 3rd International Organ Competition in Gdańsk and was a laureate of the 1st International Organ Competition in Warsaw. In 2005 he defended his doctoral dissertation entitled ‘Improvisation as a creative art in the aspect of replicating, reconstructing, and interpreting a musical composition’ and obtained the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts conferred by the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice. The diploma concert, held at the Archcathedral of Christ the King in Katowice, was the first fully improvised organ recital performed within a doctoral procedure in Poland. In 2014 he was conferred the degree of doctor habilitatus. His habilitation dissertation was devoted to an analysis of the organological, conservation-related, and artistic aspects accompanying the reconstruction of the historic pipe organ in the St. Dorothy’s church in Trzcinica, and to the issue of interpretation of European organ literature written between the 16thand 18th century. Tomasz Orlow gives many concerts in Poland and abroad, and his prime goal is to popularise the art of organ and piano improvisation (CD recordings of the improvised live concerts). He has cooperated with the Camerata Silesia Vocal Ensemble of the City of Katowice for many years. In 2020 Tomasz Orlow was conferred the title of Professor of the Silesian University. He is a lecturer at the Faculty of Arts and Educational Science of the Silesian University in Cieszyn. He runs courses in organ literature and improvisation. He has authored many lectures and publications on organ improvisation and organology.