Martyna Pastuszka

violinist/ concertmaster/orchestra artistic leader

Violinist Martyna Pastuszka was born in Upper Silesia, Poland. Over the years she has established herself as one of the most compelling musicians of her generation performing throughout Europe as a soloist, concertmaster, chamber musician, and orchestra leader.

She made regular appearances as concertmaster with Ensemble Pygmalion as well as with  Le Concert de la Loge, Capella Cracoviensis and soloist with Concerto Copenhagen, Le Parlement de Musique, Aukso- Chamber Orchestra. As an artistic leader and conductor Martyna has been invited to lead: Klaipeda Chamber Orchestra, Trondheim Symfoniorkester Tidlig, Orchestra Iuventus, Polska Opera Królewska among others.

In 2012, Martyna Pastuszka founded {oh!} Orkiestra, period ensemble with which she appears regularly at European renowned festivals and concert halls. {oh!} Orkiestra’s particular interest  focuses on opera and oratorio repertoire. Under the artistic direction of Martyna Pastuszka, the titles were restored to the stages for the first time in several hundred years: J.A. Hasse Arminio, D. Sarri Didone abbandonata, L. Vinci Gismondo, re di Polonia, A. Cadara  Il Venceslao,  J.Schuback’s oratorio Die Jünger zu Emaus.

For the 2022 edition of Misteria Paschalia Festival in Krakow Martyna had been appointed Artistic Director. While programming the whole edition, she also featured in programmes including Mozart’s Davidde Peinitente in a collaboration with Vox Luminis and Lionel Mounier.

In September 2022, Martyna together with {oh!} Orkiestra returned to Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival to lead a new staged production of Vinci’s Alessandro nell’Indie, as well as a concert version of Albinoni’s Il Nascimento dell’Aurora. {oh!} Orkiestra was invited as a resident ensemble of 2022 edition.

To date Martyna Pastuszka counts an impressive discography of over 60 releases. Her recent recordings were crowned with multiple nominations to prestigious awards including the Fryderyk Award, ICMA, The Corypheus of Polish Music Award and the Polish Cultural Prize Paszport Polityki in the category “personality of the year”. In 2021, she was also nominated for an Opus Klassik in the category “Conductor of the Year” for the recording of Vinci’s Gismondo, re di Polonia.

In 2021 Polish Television “Kultura” has produced a documentary about {oh!} Orkiestra and Martyna Pastuszka collaboration and activity titled “Nie jestem maestro”  [I am not the maestro].

In addition to her activities on the concert platform, Martyna Pastuszka teaches Baroque violin since 2007 at the Academy of Music in Katowice, Poland.