Low-Fi Backstage with Bozena Wetchacz

Bozena was born and raised in Poland in the 1970s. At that time Polish radio and TV were full of classical music. From an early age she started appreciating Mozart’s light and brilliance, Bach’s depth and Chopin’s sensitivity and melodiousness. Influenced by classical music Bozena decided she wanted to dance ballet, but it turned out impossible for her at that time.

Following the International Chopin Piano Competition she was charmed by the piano. As there were no free spots left at the piano education, she chose to study classical guitar instead to fulfill her dream of being a soloist. “There I stayed for 9 years. Later I continued the adventure with my guitar with many years of training at The Royal Conservatory of Music in Copenhagen. Then for two years I took private classes in Berlin with Marco Socias.” she shares.

As an artist Bozena is greatly interested in the composers of the Spanish and Latin American repertoire like Francisco Tarrega, Isaac Albeniz or Astor Piazzolla. She often includes these musicians in her program. She also enjoys playing Bach. “He has so much to tell and was able to transform darkness into light”. In the last few years Bozena has also started experimenting with flamenco music.

Recently Bozena has become more open to playing with other artists rather than being exclusively a soloist. “In addition to solo concerts I play with opera singers and string players. I am also bound to build bridges with jazz musicians where I put together a program with both classical and rhythmic music,” she mentions.

Bozena has two favorite pieces – Capricho Arabe and Recuerdos de la Alhambra. She always includes these in her program of her hour-long solo recital. She has been playing them since she was about sixteen and she still enjoys playing them every single time. “Both pieces are written by Francisco Tarrega and both have an incredibly beautiful theme and lots of technically virtuosic details that make them fun to play. That diversity allows me to express the deepest emotions.” she points out.

Bozena is a very productive classical musician as she released two solo albums and produced a number of music videos. She remembers discovering the Low-Fi community through Facebook. She found it a brilliant idea to play intimate concerts as they allow one to get close to their audience. “I love that.” she concludes.