Since 2015, Marek Nosal has been responsible for the artistic direction of the International “Silesian Guitar Autumn” Festival and the Jan Edmund Jurkowski International Guitar Competition in Tychy. As Artistic Director, he co-creates the programme of an event that has for years been one of Poland’s most important guitar gatherings, attracting artists and young performers from around the world.
His vision of the guitar is broad and goes far beyond a single musical tradition. The Silesian Guitar Autumn programme brings together historical and contemporary music, classical and popular repertoire, solo and chamber performances, as well as concerts with orchestra. As Marek Nosal himself emphasises, the guitar is an exceptionally versatile instrument – present across many genres and serving as a natural bridge between different musical worlds.
Marek Nosal is a guitarist, educator and professor at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice. He graduated from the academy with distinction, studying under Professor Alina Gruszka. He is a laureate of national and international guitar competitions and has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in Poland and many European countries. He has appeared with, among others, the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra (NOSPR), the Silesian Philharmonic, AUKSO Chamber Orchestra of the City of Tychy and the Silesian String Quartet.
Contemporary music is an important part of his artistic work. Marek Nosal has given numerous world premieres of works by Polish composers, including pieces by Edward Bogusławski, Aleksander Lasoń and Aleksander Nowak. He is also the author of a publication devoted to the works of Polish composers for solo guitar, as well as recordings featuring early, classical and contemporary music.
Alongside his performing career, he has developed an extensive teaching practice. He is a professor at the Academy of Music in Katowice, where he serves as Dean of the Instrumental Faculty and Head of the Department of Guitar and Harp. His students have won prizes at national and international competitions, while Marek Nosal regularly gives masterclasses, courses and serves on the juries of guitar competitions. For his artistic and educational achievements, he has been awarded, among other distinctions, the “Meritorious for Polish Culture” badge.
As Artistic Director of the Silesian Guitar Autumn Festival, he combines the experience of a performer, educator and cultural organiser. He brings world-class guitarists to the festival, creates opportunities for young talents, and develops a programme in which tradition meets contemporary music and the guitar reveals its many different facets.
Today, the Silesian Guitar Autumn is much more than a series of concerts. It also includes the Jan Edmund Jurkowski International Guitar Competition, masterclasses, lectures, exhibitions and meetings, creating a multidimensional space for artists, students, young guitarists and audiences.
For more than a decade, Marek Nosal has shaped the artistic direction of this event – strengthening its international character, programme diversity and the position of the guitar in the world of music.