MDI: Maciek Walicki

Originally from Bytom, Poland, Maciek Walicki began his musical training on the violin. He switched to the trombone and after finishing high school, he went on to study music at the Frederic Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw.

While a student in Poland, Walicki won First Place at the Third Silesian Competition for Wind Instruments, in 1994. He also won First Place at the Nationwide Competition of Wind Instruments for Students of Secondary Schools in 1995. Later, as a student of Jonas Bylund at the College of Music and Theater in Hannover, Germany, Walicki was appointed to the World Youth Orchestra 'Jeunesses Musicales' in 1996. Under Bylund's direction, Walicki also became a Finalist at the 1996 International Competition of Wind Instruments in Gdansk.

After studying for two years in Hannover, Walicki entered The Juilliard School studying with the distinguished Joseph Alessi, Principal Trombone of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. While at Juilliard, he was recipient of the Edward Plotkin Trombone Scholarship , Yolanda Schwartzman Scholarship and the J.S. and B.P. Johnson Scholarship. He also won the Third Prize at the Levis van Haney International Competition in Nashville, Tennessee in 2001. Walicki studied with two members of the Metropolitan Opera, Mark Gould (Principal Trumpet) and Per Brevig (former Principal Trombone) and was a member of the Juilliard Symphony Orchestra.

Walicki has collaborated with the Polish Radio Symphony, Polish National Theater, Staadstheater Kasssel, Nord Deutsche Rundfung, Prometheus Chamber Orchestra (New York), Di Capo Opera (New York) and the Riverside Orchestra (New York).

Walicki is an active soloist, chamber musician and teacher. He has given several master classes in Asia and Europe and is one of the founders of the Trombonology, a series of concerts at Baptist University which features the most talented young artists from Hong Kong.

Walicki has been playing with Hong Kong Philharmonic since 2001. He teaches at the Academy of Performing Arts and Music and Drama Institute in Hong Kong.