Marek Polański was born in 1986 in Kraków into a family of academicians. He started playing the violin at the age of six under the tutelage of Piotr Langos, and later of prof. Mieczysław Szlezer and Antoni Cofalik. He graduated with honours from the violin class of prof. Wiesław Kwaśny at the Academy of Music in Kraków.
He also studied in Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Mannheim in prof. Roman Nodel’s class. On top of that, he completed postgraduate studies at the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Graz in prof. Yair Kless’s class (with honours) and as well as the Academy of Music in Katowice (highest mark) in the class of prof. Roman Lasocki. Furthermore he obtained a master’s degree in Law.
In 2016, he defended his PhD thesis written under the guidance of prof. Mieczysław Szlezer at his home university, obtaining the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts with honours. In 2017, he was honoured with the Prime Minister award for distinguished doctoral dissertations, as the only representative of the field of musical arts.
He is the winner and a laureate of many Polish and international competitions, among others Absolute First Prize (the highest possible score 100 points) at the 16th International Music Competition EUTERPE in Corato (Italy), 1st Prize (98/100 points) at the International Music Competition in Belgrade in 2020 (Serbia), Absolute First Prize at the 11th International Competition Don Vincenzo Vitti in Castellana Grotte (Italy), Absolute First Prize at the 20th International Competition Citta di Barletta (Italy), 1st Prize at the 4th International Competition Citta di Treviso (Italy), 1st Prize at the Polish National TV Broadcaster Competition Dolina Kreatywna in Warsaw (Poland), 2nd Place at the 28th Stanisław Hajzer Bach Competition in Zielona Góra (Poland), 3rd Prize at the 12th International Competition Luigi Zanuccoli in Sogliano al Rubicone (Italy), 3rd Prize at the 15th International Competition Premio Virtuosite in Padua (Italy), 5th Place at the Stanisław Serwaczyński 7th Competition for Young Violinists in Lublin (Poland).
In 2010 he won the Primus Inter Pares Expert award as the most distinguished Polish student in the ARTIST category. He has received numerous scholarships: from the Prime Minister, the Minister of Culture and National Heritage (3 times), the Minister of Science and
Higher Education, as well as the following (all of which he received twice): from the Minister of Culture and National Heritage Młoda Polska, from the city of Cracow and the Sapere Auso scholarship.
Along with his teacher, prof. Mieczysław Szlezer, he was honoured by the Lesser Poland Voivodeship with the prestigious Ars Quaerendi award in 2011.
He attended master classes of the most celebrated masters of the art, such as M. Baranowski, T. Gadzina, M. Grabarczyk, E. Kless, Y. Kless, J. Kaliszewska, K.A. Kulka, A. León Ara, M. Ławrynowicz, W. Marschner, P. Munteanu, I. Ozim, I. Petrushevski, W. Pikajzen, P. Radziński, D. Stabrawa, M. Urbaniak-Lisik, J. Wawrowski, K. Węgrzyn, W. Wiłkomirska, I. Wojciechowska or G. Zhislin.
He also collaborated with Nigel Kennedy as a member of his The Orchestra of Life.
He conducts lively concert activity as a soloist, chamber musician, in a duet with the pianist Marta Polańska as PolanskiDuo, and an orchestra musician. He used to be one of the principal members of the Mannheimer Philharmoniker and frequently collaborates with The Orchestra of the Royal Capital City of Kraków Sinfonietta Cracovia. He performed many world premieres of pieces written specifically for him – i.a. authored by Jerzy Kaszycki and Jakub Polaczyk. He has performed in most European countries as well as in China and South Korea.
He has also been invited to the jury of violin competitions and to conduct master classes.
He is also devoted to pedagogical work as an assistant at the Department of Violin and Viola at the Academy of Music in Cracow, as well as a teacher at the Paderewski Primary School of Music in Kraków and the Primary and Secondary School of Music in Wieliczka. His pupils are laureates of many domestic and international violin competitions.
He is also the vice president of the board of Sfogato Music and Art Society.
He plays on a 2012-copy of Stadivari’s Cremonese violin made by Stanisław Król.
