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This is the first published piano work by the composer-pianist Tomasz Kamieniak who is especially active in Europe. Die Walzer der Vergessenheit was inspired by Franz Liszt, one of Kamieniak’s most admired composers. It consists of five pieces, each of which is a sad waltz. The difficulty level is suitable for intermediate through advanced players. Barcarolle depicts the “shadow” part of Chopin’s masterpiece Barcarolle and has a gloomy and melancholy ambience.
Die Walzer der Vergessenheit, Op. 69
The idea for the Waltzes came from Gabriela Szendzelorz-Jungiewicz. She asked me to compose a Waltz when I was still a student in 2004, which motivated me to compose Three Waltzes, op. 33, which she still plays today. In 2018, I composed Die Walzer der Vergessenheit (The Waltzes of Oblivion), op. 69. I’d like to acknowledge Gabriela for giving me the original impulse. These Waltzes take after Liszt’s Valses Oubliées. They exist separately and must not always be played as an entire cycle.Barcarolle, Op. 56
I was in Venice in October 2013, the obvious place to inspire a barcarolle, but I composed Barcarolle, op. 56 back home in Tarnowskie Góry. When pianists speak of barcarolles, the first association is with Chopin. However, Venice is not always the picturesque tourist city, portrayed lovingly by Chopin. Sometimes the fog rolls in, and everything is a bit dark and unclear, which I try to convey in my barcarolle.
Tomasz Kamieniak 
is a pianist and composer who enjoys playing the music of Franz Liszt and Charles Valentin Alkan as well as less known composers.Tomasz graduated from the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice in the piano class of Professor Joanna Domańska. He further developed his playing under Professor Rolf-Dieter Arens at the University of Music in Weimar, Konstantin Scherbakov (Piano Master Classes), Professor Zbigniew Raubo (postgraduate studies in Katowice), and Leslie Howard in London.Kamieniak was awarded the special prize at the 4th International FRANZ LISZT Piano Competition in Weimar. He recorded piano works by Józef Wieniawski as the winner of the Grand Prix at the 4th Competition for a Recording Project “Forgotten Polish Music” organised by the Acte Préalable publishing house. A scholarship recipient, both from the Marshall’s Office in Katowice and the Wagner Society in Bayreuth, Kamieniak also received a prize presented by the Mayor of Tarnowskie Góry in recognition of his cultural achievements.Highlights of Kamieniak’s solo performances include: the Alkan Concerto for Solo Piano at the Indian Summer in Levoca Music Festival, the Piano Extravaganza Festival in Sofia and during recitals given in Kiev, Weimar, London, Bayreuth and Świętokrzyska Philharmonic in Kielce, and the Alkan Symphony for Solo Piano in the Academy of Music in Katowice, as well as in Bielsko-Biała and Zakopane.Tomasz gave recitals in Bayreuth and Venice organised by the Wagner Society. In 2008, during a three-part recital at the Steingraeber Haus in Bayreuth, he performed all Wagnerian transcriptions of Liszt on his piano from 1876. Tomasz also performed Liszt’s two-piano arrangement of the Faust Symphony with Leslie Howard in London. In 2021, he performed at the American Liszt Society Festival via recorded videos.With orchestra, Kamieniak debuted at the Polish Youth Symphony Orchestra under Andrzej Affeltowicz with the Liszt Second Piano Concerto; played the Wieniawski Piano Concerto with the Koszalin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Monika Wolińska during the Polish Music Festival “Swego nie Znacie” and with Świętokrzyska Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Alexander Walker during the Świętokrzyskie Days of Music Festival; Górecki Concerto and Glass Tirol Concerto with the Nomos String Orchestra conducted by Mieczysław Unger during the New Music Festival in Bytom; Kilar Second Piano Concerto and Górecki Concerto with Maciej Tomasiewicz conducting Archetti String Orchestra in Jaworzno.
Tomasz Kamieniak is also a composer and his considerable opus earned recognition among performers as well as the audience. Kamieniak is the author of piano and harpsichord music, chamber music, vocal music and film music, as well as piano transcriptions of works by Kilar, Górecki, Glass, Preisner, Korngold, Prokofiev, Liszt etc. His works are performed by artists such as Anna Górecka, Gabriela Szendzielorz-Jungiewicz, Aleksandra Gajecka-Antosiewicz, among others.
His discography consists of an album with works by Józef Wieniawski (Acte Préalable), two albums of his own piano compositions (Acte Préalable), an album with works by Valentin Silvestrov (Brilliant Classics), and the first volume of a Liszt Polonicum collection (DUX)
Tomasz Kamieniak makes his home in Berlin.
