Krzysztof Polonek is concertmaster of the Berliner Philharmoniker. He is lecturer of the Karajan Academy of the Berliner Philharmoniker.
Krzysztof Polonek initially studied as a young student at the Julius-Stern-Institute, University of the Arts, Berlin with Prof. Tomasz Tomaszewski before he obtained his degree at this university. He played his concert exam (Konzertexamen) under the supervision of Prof. Thomas Brandis at the Lübeck University of Music. Furthermore he has attended masterclasses with the professors R. Kussmaul, K. Węgrzyn, K. Sassmannshaus, I. Gitlis and Z. Bron.
Krzysztof has performed as soloist with the Sinfonie Orchester Berlin, the Lübeck Philharmonic Orchestra, the State Orchestra at Frankfurt (Oder), the Baden-Baden Philharmonic Orchestra, the Cracow Philharmonic Orchestra, among others. As a chamber musician and soloist he has been invited to renowned festivals like the “Music in old Cracow” festival, the Hubermann Violin Festival, the Aspen Music Festival, the Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad and the Max-Reger Tage at Weiden.
Krzysztof Polonek is the co-founder of the Berlin Piano Trio, which, after multiple international competition victories, is considered one of the leading piano trios.
Up to 2009 he taught at the Music Academy in Wrocław, where he successfully defended his doctoral thesis under the supervision of Prof. Jarosław Pietrzak. Krzysztof Polonek obtained his habilitation at the Music Academy Poznań. Before joining the Berliner Philharmoniker he was concertmaster of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra and the Deutsche Oper Berlin as well as a principal player of the Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin.