PhD Aleksander Kobus

One of the most distinguished and decorated Polish trumpeters on both the national and international music scene. Winner of the International Ellsworth Smith Trumpet Competition organized by the International Trumpet Guild (ITG), he captivates audiences across Europe, America, and Asia with his exceptional technique and beautiful tone, performing as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player. He was the first Pole to win a prize in a wind instrument category at the prestigious 67th International ARD Competition in Munich, confirming his prominent position among leading Polish musicians. He is an artist for Bach instruments.

In addition to ITG and ARD successes, Aleksander Kobus has won awards at numerous national and international competitions, including: Grand Prix at the Daniel Patrylak Memorial Trumpet Competition (USA); 2nd Prize at the 14th International Jeju Brass Competition (South Korea); 1st Prize at the 10th Michał Spisak International Music Competition (Dąbrowa Górnicza, Poland); 1st Prize at the 7th National Trumpet Festival in Kalisz; 1st Prize at the 14th International Chieri Competition (Italy); and 1st Prize at The North International Music Competition (Sweden).

He began his musical education in his hometown of Warsaw, studying trumpet at the Oskar Kolberg State Music School and later at the Grażyna Bacewicz State Music School Complex No. 3. He also sang in the children’s choir at the Grand Theatre, regularly performing solo and choral parts in operas such as Pelléas et Mélisande by Claude Debussy, Wozzeck by Alban Berg, Carmen by Georges Bizet, and King Roger by Karol Szymanowski.

He pursued higher studies at the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław in the trumpet class of Prof. Igor Cecocha, graduating with distinction. In 2019, he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the same institution and became a faculty member. He continued his studies at the Universität der Künste Berlin under Gábor Tarkövi. During his studies, he received numerous prestigious scholarships, including from the Yamaha Music Foundation for Europe, the Lower Silesia Capital Club, the Młoda Polska program of the National Center for Culture for outstanding young Polish artists, and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Poland.

Aleksander Kobus has performed as a soloist with orchestras such as the NFM Wrocław Philharmonic, Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra, Münchener Kammerorchester, Dublin Sinfonia Orchestra, and Sinfonia Iuventus Orchestra of Jerzy Semkow. With Sinfonia Iuventus, he recorded Krzysztof Penderecki’s Trumpet Concerto under the composer’s baton – a recording nominated for the prestigious Polish Fryderyk Music Award. He is currently the principal trumpet of the NFM Wrocław Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra.