Gold Medal Winner Joanna Filus-Olenkiewicz
Music should nourish the soul, not diminish it.
Joanna Filus-Olenkiewicz is an internationally acclaimed violinist and violist who has performed globally as a chamber musician and soloist.
Born in Bielsko-Biala, Poland, Filus is a graduate of several music academies across Poland, Austria, and Germany. She has performed widely as concertmaster and tuttist with numerous international orchestras and taken part in radio recordings and world tours. Joanna also organizes music projects and concerts, collaborating with various artists under the name Filus Music Moments.
Filus-Olenkiewicz was kind to respond to Global Music Awards' request for an interview:
When did your passion for music begin, and how did your upbringing influence your path as a musician?
My passion for music began almost organically — as though it grew out of the very walls of my childhood home. I was surrounded by sound: the resonance of instruments, the timbre of voices, the quiet discipline of daily practice. Coming from a musical family, where my grandfather, father, and two sisters all played or sang, music was never something external — it was a language we all shared.
My first true enchantment came from observing my older sister practice the violin. I remember standing beside her, mesmerized by the shimmering tone she drew from the strings. I was only six, but the decision was immediate and instinctive: I want to live inside those sounds.
My childhood was filled with rehearsals and concerts, but also with the silent rigor of long hours spent perfecting my craft. Those formative years built in me resilience, discipline, and a kind of emotional openness that would accompany me throughout my artistic life. Only later, as an adult, did I understand how deeply this musical environment had shaped me — music became not just my profession, but my way of understanding the world.
Are there any musical communities that have shaped you?
Absolutely — many communities have contributed to the musician I am today.
The Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice was a true forge of artistic growth for me. It was a place of immense intensity, where extraordinary professors and equally passionate young musicians challenged and inspired one another.
The Internationale Junge Orchesterakademie in Bayreuth broadened my horizons in ways I could not have imagined. There, I learned what it means to create music collectively — with openness, trust, and curiosity.
Later, Germany became a second musical home for me. The orchestral environments in Berlin, Kassel, Oldenburg, and Freiburg taught me both precision and artistic courage. And then Berlin itself — a city that breathes with creativity, where diversity becomes a catalyst for new ideas.
The contemporary music community has also deeply shaped me, especially my long-standing collaboration with composer Karol Borsuk. His works opened an entirely new dimension of expression for me, allowing me to discover the hidden colors of both violin and viola.
What would you say sets you apart as a musician?
I believe it is authenticity — the courage to stand before the music exactly as I am. My journey has led me from the world of expectations — those of teachers, juries, institutions — to a place where intuition guides my interpretation. Today, I play as I feel, without masking my sensitivity. Perfection is not my goal; sincerity is. I am interested in the emotional truth of sound, the internal energy that flows through each phrase.
In one interview, I said that I, “open the music.” I remove what is unnecessary and let the core speak. That is the essence of my artistic identity. Another element that distinguishes me is versatility: I feel equally at home in classical repertoire and contemporary music, on violin and viola, in chamber ensembles and solo settings. I enjoy crossing boundaries — they allow me to stay alive as an artist.
What advice would you give to a young musician starting their career?
My most heartfelt advice is: do not lose yourself.
Do not adjust to what is expected — trust your own sensitivity.
Your inner voice is your most valuable compass. Work hard, but with awareness. Practicing for hours is important, but intention matters just as much — know why you are doing it and where you want your path to lead. Surround yourself with people who lift you up, not those who suppress your individuality. Music should nourish the soul, not diminish it.
And finally: embrace change. Sometimes the most beautiful destinations appear along roads we never planned to take.
Do you have any upcoming projects or recordings?
Yes — several. I am currently developing new contemporary music projects, preparing both a solo and a chamber program, and curating upcoming concerts within my Berlin-based series FILUS MUSIC MOMENTS.
I am also working on new collaborations with Duo de Soleil, as well as a viola–piano duo project. Another significant endeavor is a baroque album, for which I am now shaping the repertoire.
Moreover, I hope to bring the music of Karol Borsuk and Astor Piazzolla — two composers who are very dear to me — to audiences in new countries.
Which well-known musicians do you admire most, and why?
I admire musicians who unite honesty, mastery, and humility. Technique, while essential, is only a tool. What matters is the emotional message. Among composers, I am deeply moved by the works of Karol Borsuk, Henryk Mikołaj Górecki, and Witold Lutosławski. Their music is bold, emotionally rich, and profoundly human. I am also grateful to my teachers — Janusz Skramlik, Mathias Maurer, Barbara Górzyńska, Liviu Casleanu, Larry Livingston, Wilfried Strehle, Tomasz Tomaszewski, and others — who saw not only the instrumentalist in me, but the person with her own inner landscape.
What has been your favorite project to work on?
My most cherished project is the album “Sounds of Expression.” It is far more than a recording — it became a personal journey back to my authentic artistic voice.
I was fortunate to be surrounded by extraordinary artists: conductor Jacek Piotr Kujawski, Grzegorz Stec — oboist and sound engineer — the Koszalin Philharmonic, and Sylwia Fabianczyk-Makuch, the remarkable conductor of the Maritime University Choir in Szczecin. Their artistry and dedication elevated the entire project and shaped it into a truly unforgettable experience.
This album opened a new chapter for me. Only two months later, I embarked on another project — this time with the beloved music of Astor Piazzolla. I transposed twenty-four tangos from violin to viola and recorded them as a mini-album.
This project brought immense joy and fulfillment, especially when it received two Gold Medals at the Golden Music Awards, while the album featuring the music of Karol Borsuk was awarded the Silver Medal. These honors uplift me deeply and motivate me toward future artistic endeavors.
Could you share more about your journey with music?
I was born into a musical family, surrounded by sound from my earliest days. The Music School in Bielsko-Biała became my first true artistic environment, and my later collaboration with Prof. Janusz Skramlik allowed me to enter the world of professional musicianship.
My studies, competitions, and early chamber projects were years of intense development. Soon, my career led me to orchestras in Poland (Bielsko-Biała, Katowice, Chorzów, Zielona Góra), Austria (Vienna), and most significantly, Germany — where I performed in Münster, Freiburg, Kassel, Oldenburg, Neubrandenburg, Wernigerode, Cologne, and Berlin.
Berlin became a place of creative liberation. Here I began shaping my own artistic language, embracing contemporary music and the freedom to explore beyond established frameworks. It is also where my musical home, FILUS MUSIC MOMENTS, was born — a space where I invite exceptional artists to co-create diverse musical and interdisciplinary projects.
One of the defining elements of my path has been my collaboration with composer Karol Borsuk. His music opens a unique palette of colors on both violin and viola, and the album “Sounds of Expression” marked a pivotal moment — a point where I felt aligned with my deepest artistic truth.
Today, I combine concerts, recordings, collaborations with composers, pedagogy, and social engagement. Music is a dialogue for me — with people, emotions, and space. And I know that this journey is far from over. In fact, it continues to expand, gaining new depth and resonance with every step.
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