Marcin Zdunik is a Polish cellist, soloist, and chamber musician. His repertoire spans from Renaissance music to contemporary works, and he is also skilled in improvisation, arranging, and composition. He is frequently invited to participate in prestigious music festivals, including the BBC Proms in London, the Progetto Martha Argerich in Lugano, and the Chopin and His Europe Festival in Warsaw.

As a soloist, Zdunik has performed in many renowned concert halls, such as Carnegie Hall in New York, Konzerthaus in Berlin, Cadogan Hall in London, and Rudolfinum in Prague. He has collaborated with distinguished ensembles such as the Warsaw Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, the Prague Chamber Orchestra, the European Union Chamber Orchestra, Sinfonia Varsovia, and the City of London Sinfonia, under the baton of eminent conductors like Andrzej Boreyko, Antoni Wit, and Andres Mustonen. A significant aspect of his artistic life is his work with inspiring musicians, including Nelson Goerner, Rafał Blechacz, Krzysztof Jakowicz, Bomsori Kim, Szymon Nehring, Aleksander Dębicz, Katarzyna Budnik, and Jakub Jakowicz. During the Chamber Music Connects the World festival, he had the privilege of performing with Gidon Kremer and Yuri Bashmet. In the 2016/17 season, Zdunik was the artist-in-residence at the Warsaw Philharmonic.

Zdunik has received numerous awards at international music competitions and festivals. In 2007, he won first prize, the Grand Prix, and nine other awards at the 6th Witold Lutosławski International Cello Competition in Warsaw. In 2008, he represented Polish Radio in Bratislava at the International Forum of Young Performers, organized by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), where he obtained the title of New Talent 2008. In 2009, he received the Culture Guarantee Award from TVP Kultura.

Zdunik’s debut album, released in June 2009, featured the Wratislavia Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Jan Stanienda and included recordings of two cello concertos by Joseph Haydn. This album earned him the 2010 Fryderyk Award. Zdunik’s recordings also include Robert Schumann’s complete works for cello and piano (with pianist Aleksandra Świgut; Fryderyk Chopin Institute 2014), Mieczysław Weinberg’s Fantasia for Cello and Orchestra (with Sinfonia Varsiovia under the baton of Andres Mustonen; Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera 2015), chamber music by Fryderyk Chopin (Chopin. Chamber Music; with pianist Szymon Nehring and viola player Ryszard Groblewski, Fryderyk Chopin Institute 2020) and a number of chamber music compositions. His double album Bach Stories was recorded with pianist Aleksander Dębicz and released by Warner Classics. Two of Zdunik’s recent albums have received Fryderyk awards: the CD Words of Mystery, recorded with the Katowice City Singers’ Ensemble Camerata Silesia under the baton of Anna Szostak, and the recording of Paweł Mykietyn’s Cello Concerto No. 2, in collaboration with the Orchestra of the National Forum of Music in Wrocław under the direction of Bassem Akiki. Marcin Zdunik has also made numerous recordings for Polish Radio and Television, as well as for Radio Slovakia.

Composition plays an important role in Zdunik’s artistic endeavours. In recent years, he has composed works such as Cello Concerto “Ghosts of the Past” (2021), commissioned by the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra of Polish Radio under the direction of Anna Duczmal-Mróz, Piano Quartet (2022), various solo compositions, and music for theatre productions.

Zdunik received his education under the guidance of distinguished musicians Andrzej Bauer and Julius Berger. He also deepened his musicological knowledge during his studies at the Institute of Musicology at the University of Warsaw under the supervision of Prof. Szymon Paczkowski. His master’s thesis, Bach in Search of an Ideal. Four Versions of St John Passion BWV 245, won first prize in the Zofia Lissa competition. Zdunik is also a recipient of the Scholarship for Outstanding Young Scientists awarded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (2016–2019).

The artist teaches cello at the Academy of Music in Gdańsk and at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw.

In April 2021, he was awarded the title of Professor of Art in the field of musical arts, and in 2020, he received the Decoration of Honour “Meritorious for Polish Culture” from the Minister of Culture and National Heritage.