The standing ovation was given to Maciej Grzybowski, one of the more interesting Polish pianist, who performed a piano concert on Saturday, October 24 at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland. The artist presented the Piano Sonata no. 2 "Concord, Mass., 1840-60" op. 88.  - a masterpiece by Charles Ives, American contemporary composer. The Ives' work is considered as a very difficult piece of experimental music. Maciej Grzybowski is probably the only artist who nowadays performs the Yves music to such extent. In 2007 at the Sacrum Profanum International Music Festival at the Krakow Philharmonic, Grzybowski performed all piano sonatas by Charles Ives. This Saturday the audience had a unique opportunity to listen to Ives's music live performed by one of its superb interpreter.

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Maciej Grzybowski was born in Warsaw. Between 1991 and 1992 he collaborated with Sinfonia Varsovia conducted by such maestros as Jan Krenz, Witold Lutoslawski and Krzysztof Penderecki. After winning the First Prize and the Special Prize at the first edition of the 20th Century Music Competition for Young Performers in Warsaw (1992), he made numerous phonographic, radio and television recordings as a soloist and chamber musician. So far in his career, Grzybowski performed with such artists as Dorota Anderszewska, Anna Karasinska, Urszula Kryger, Olga Pasiecznik, Jadwiga Rappe, Jerzy Artysz, Andrzej Bauer, Krzysztof Bakowski, Jonathan Del Mar, Jakub Jakowicz, Jacek Kaspszyk, Adam Klocek, Adam Kruszewski, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Wojciech Michniewski, Ivan Monighetti, Marek Mos, Janusz Olejniczak, Paweł Mykietyn, Wojciech Rajski, Hakan Rosengren, Tomasz Strahl and Camerata String Quartet, The Silesian String Quartet, AUKSO Chamber Orchestra, Leopoldinum Chamber Orchestra, The National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra (Katowice), Sinfonia Varsovia, Krakow Philharmonic, Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra.

From 1996 to 2000 Grzybowski was a co-director of the "NONSTROM presents" concert cycle in Warsaw. It was as a member of the NONSTROM ensemble that he won the Special Prize at the 4th International Music Competition in Düsseldorf (1998).

Maciej Grzybowski took part in numerous music festivals in Poland, among them "The Warsaw Autumn", "Musica Polonica Nova", The Witold Lutoslawski Forum, The Warsaw Musical Encounters, Polish Radio Music Festival (sharing the stage with Nelson Goerner and Piotr Anderszewski), as well as several foreign ones, including The Biennal of Contemporary Music in Zagreb, Hofkonzerte im Podewil, Berlin and festivals in Lvov, Kiev, Odessa (Ukraine).

In 2003 and 2004, with the assistance of Professor Michał Bristiger, Grzybowski organized the performances of music by a phenomenal, yet forgotten, eminent 20th century Polish composer and pianist Andrzej Czajkowski (Andre Tchaikowsky).

In March 2005 Grzybowski played for the first time at the Mozart Hall in Bologna. His recital (Chopin, Czajkowski, Mykietyn and Grzybowski's own composition) was recognised as the greatest event of the last few years. In October 2005 Grzybowski had his U.S. debut recitals (New York, Long Island). The following year he played the pianist in Janacek's "Diary of one who disappeared" and Mykietyn's "Shakespeare sonnets" at the Great Theatre in Warsaw.

In August 2006 EMI Classics released Grzybowski's second solo album with works by Paweł Szymanski. Late in 2006 he performed in three concerts during critically acclaimed Festival of Paweł Szymanski's Music (Polish Radio's Witold Lutoslawski Studio). In February 2008 he premiered A. Czajkowski's Piano Concerto. April 2008 brought his Great Britain debut (Sounds New Festival, Canterbury), where he shared the stage with the Arditti Quartet, London Sinfonietta and Ensemble Interconterporain. In August 2008 he performed in the 4th International Music Festival "Chopin and his Europe" next to such stars as Ivo Pogorelich and Grigorij Sokolov.

The concert gathered many guests despite the nasty weather outside

The performer Mr. Maciej Grzybowski

The performance was very expressive

After the concert Mr. Maciej Grzybowski had to completed his score

The reception after the concert