IT ALL STARTED WHEN…
I am standing in our small living room and listening to Bach while I look out of the window. I am crying silently because I feel this music so much, it’s so incredibly beautiful and touching.
I am around 6 years old… The sunlight is shining through the dust on the windows and I see two men working on the street. I don´t understand why they are not crying too.. so I ask my mom
“Can´t they also hear the music…?”
My love for music started early and continues to this day.
Tanja Zapolski is a modern classical pianist, one of Denmark’s top musicians, astounding audiences in Denmark and abroad with solo recitals, piano concertos, chamber music with some of the world’s best musicians, and new forms of cross-genre expression.
Tanja is born in former Soviet Union and moved with her family to Denmark when she was 12 years old. She played as a soloist with an orchestra already at the age of 8, got her Soloist Graduation from The Royal Danish Academy of Music with prof. Amalie Malling and Anton Rubinstein Academy in Düsseldorf with prof. Dina Yoffe. Tanja had coaching with amongst others professor Dmitri Bashkirov and Leif Ove Andsnes.
Tanja has been awarded several first prizes in Danish and international competitions, amongst others 1. prize Nordic Talent, The International Competition for Young Performers, Steinway & Sons Piano Competitions, Greta Erikson’s Piano Competition. Furthermore, she has received a Jacob Gade Scholarship, The Sonning Scholarship, The Danish Freemason Prize, the Victor Borge Prize and the Gladsaxe Music Prize.
After her performance of Ravel’s G-major Piano Concerto with The Tivoli Symphony Orchestra, one critic wrote “Tanja Zapolski gave us a Ravel Concerto full of intense energy and vibrant colour. With steely concentration and explosive technique she delivered an awe-inspiring performance, at all times light and brilliant.”
Tanja has performed as a soloist with The Danish National Radio Orchestra, Copenhagen Philharmonic, The Danish National Chamber Orchestra, Münchener Chamber orchestra, as well as Oslo, Helsingborg, Odense and Århus Symphony Orchestras. She performed Hans Abrahamsen’s Concerto for Piano and Violin with the Royal Danish Orchestra under the baton of world-famous conductor Sir Simon Rattle.
She travelled the world both as a soloist and with her many extraordinary music groups.
Her quartet Opus X, has performed in the biggest concert halls in Japan, USA, Austria, Turkey, England. Opus X is 4 mesmerising women from four corners of the world, all highly acclaimed classical soloists with a shared desire to create beautiful music, taking you on a journey into the unexpected. Lidia Baich on Violin, Tanja Zapolski on Piano, Lone Madsen on clarinet and Kristina Reiko Cooper on Cello — together they’re a musical force with virtuosic performances that touch the heart and soul. www.opusxmusic.com
Tanja plays also some of the most beautiful piano duo music with pianist Rikke Sandberg. Together they have The Danish Piano Duo. They perform concerts for 2 pianos, 4 hands and as soloists with orchestras. They have recorded CD “Symbiosis”. https://www.facebook.com/danishpianoduo/
Tanja performs lots of fiery music by argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla with her Piazzolla Orchestra. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRFEUCBoqSI
Other than being one of the leading classical pianists in Denmark, she has also gained distinction for her openness and curiosity concerning new methods of creating experiences in classical music, using her playful and experimental approach.
Tanja performed together with the world-famous composer Philip Glass in his portrait concert, where they together performed his Etudes at Aarhus European Culture Capital City 2017.
In 2019 Tanja has been included in Kraks Blå Bog (Danish for Krak´s Blue Book). A main criterion for the book is to include people that have a lasting contribution to Danish society.
Tanja has been honoured to receive:
- Jacob Gades Big Scholarship
- Victor Borge Prize
- The Danish Freemazon Prize
- Léonie Sonning Music Fund´s Scholarship
- Gladsaxe Music Prize
- Wilhelm Hansens Prize
“Tanja Zapolski’s talent is impossible to overlook. She is a natural talent and a pure generator of musical energy. ”
“With here exceptional virtuosity and a great outgoing musical temperament, pianist Tanja Zapolski has within a few years marked himself as one of the most exciting new names among Danish pianists.”
