The Title of Professor of Musical Arts Granted

We are pleased to announce that Anna Dębowska has been awarded the title of Professor of Musical Arts by the President of Poland. This honour recognises her exceptional contribution to Polish musical culture — as an interpreter of Chopin’s music, a researcher of 19th-century pianism, and a dedicated academic shaping the next generation of musicians.

Professor Dębowska is known for the clarity, balance, and emotional depth of her interpretations. Her artistic interests focus on the Romantic repertoire, particularly the piano works of Frédéric Chopin and their historical context. In recent years she has devoted special attention to Jane Stirling, Chopin’s Scottish pupil, patron, and lifelong friend — a figure whose influence and legacy she continues to explore through concerts, lectures, and scholarly publications.

Her academic and artistic pursuits reflect a consistent dialogue between performance and research. She is the author of the monograph Piano Chamber Music of Joseph Jongen: From the Evolution of Musical Language to Performance Issues, which examines interpretative perspectives and stylistic development in early 20th-century repertoire. Her ongoing research on Chopin and his circle combines historical insight with interpretative practice, deepening our understanding of the relationship between composer, performer, and patronage.

At the Krzysztof Penderecki Academy of Music in Kraków, Professor Dębowska has long been recognised as a leading pedagogue. Her teaching philosophy is grounded in respect for musical text, stylistic awareness, and the intellectual independence of the performer. She continues to inspire her students to seek artistic truth through sound, sensitivity, and thoughtful interpretation.

The conferment of the title of Professor marks an important milestone in her distinguished career and acknowledges her authority as both artist and scholar — a pianist whose work bridges performance, history, and artistic reflection.