Martin Labazevitch

Praised by critics in Europe and the United States for his lyricism, virtuosity and an intensity of performance, Steinway Artist Martin Labazevitch has appeared internationally in festivals and in recital. The recipient of many awards and recognitions in piano competitions in the U.S., Spain and Japan, he is also a recipient of the Honorary Ambassador Award in Stalowa Wola, Poland; the Rina Menashe Award in Israel; the Kosciuszko Foundation Scholarship; the Harold Schonberg Scholarship; and the Harold Bauer Award for the most promising pianist at the Manhattan School of Music.

His performances have been broadcast on radio stations throughout the U.S. such as WQXR, WWFM, and WFMT in New York, WFMT in Chicago as well as classical radio stations in Poland and Lithuania. Mr. Labazevitch has been a soloist with leading orchestras in Spain, Poland, Lithuania, Japan, and the United States. He is a founding member of the Paderewski Trio, an all-Polish ensemble which was coached by the late Isidore Cohen - member of the Juilliard String Quartet and the Beaux Arts Trio. Paderewski Trio’s debut recital at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall was praised by Strad Magazine as “...exuberant, multi-faceted, ...gripping from first note to last.”

In 2015, Mr. Labazevitch released his first commercial recording on Delos Music label, to very enthusiastic reviews in Poland, France, Germany and the United States. The American Record Guide wrote: “Pianist Labazevitch injects more fire into the two concerto works, rushing the tempos in some passagework to build excitement; orchestra and conductor gamely, calmly follow his lead. Labazevitch is excellent.” ConcertoNet wrote, “...he pleasantly refrains from overtaxing Chopin’s conclusive Allegro vivace with shimmering grandeur and eloquent precision that could even rival that of Arthur Rubinstein.”

Highlights of the most recent seasons include performances with the Beethoven Academy Orchestra, Lutoslawski Chamber Orchestra and Church of St.Louis Orchestra, performances with Vilnius String Quartet and Spokane String Quartet, recital tour in Spain with Polish cellist Rafal Jezierski, performances with Dominican violinist Aisha Syed Castro in Weill Recital Hall in New York, Methuen Hall in Boston and in London UK, performance at the Tedmed conference at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, as well as solo recitals at the Weill Recital Hall in New York as the winner of the La Gesse Foundation auditions, and recital at the Dame Myra Hess series in Chicago.

He has worked with such renowned artists as Dmitri Bashkirov, Lazar Berman, Isidore Cohen, Bella Davidovich, Philippe Entremont, Stephen Hough, Ruth Laredo and Earl Wild. He has also collaborated with contemporary composers such as Richard Danielpour, Jan Radzynski, Haskel Small, and Lukas Foss. Born in Poland, Mr. Labazevitch studied at the Odessa Conservatory in Ukraine with Anatoly Kardashev, before immigrating to the United States, and obtaining scholarship to study at the Manhattan School of Music with Mme Nina Svetlanova and later with Cuban-American virtuoso Horacio Gutierrez - whom he considers his greatest inspiration. He is currently pursuing his doctoral studies with Jose Ramos Santana in Washington DC.

He is the Co-Artistic Director of the Puerto Rico International Piano Festival, in San Juan as well as the Founder and the Artistic Director of the Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Piano Competition and Chopin Piano Academy in Washington D.C. A passionate educator, Labazevitch is on faculty at the Levine School of Music in Washington D.C.