Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń

Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń (Bulgarian: Екатерина Попова) (born 30 April 1948 in Sofia) is a Polish pianist of Bulgarian descent.

She studied at the Poznań Music Academy, then graduated with honour from the State High School of Music (Academy of Music) in Gdańsk, in prof.Zbigniew Sliwinski's class, in 1973. Completed her postgraduate studies in Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna, in prof. Alexander Jenner's class.

Prizewinner of the Polish Competitions: 4th Polish Festival of Young Musicians, 2nd Polish Competition of Piano Music. Entered semi-finals of 9th International Chopin Piano Competition Warsaw, Piano Competition in Terni, Italy, 1975 and ARD Piano Competition in Munich in 1978.

Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń gave concerts in Polish Philharmonic Halls as well as in Germany, Czech Republic, Russia, Bulgaria, Austria and Japan.

She was employed as Visiting Professor at Kitakyūshū Music Academy in Fukuoka Prefecture.

She was member of Jury of the 16th International Chopin Piano Competition and was nominated to Head of Jury of the 17th Competition 2015.

She obtained an honourable mention at the 1975 Fryderyk Chopin International Piano Competition. Rafał Blechacz's teacher, Popowa-Zydroń is best known for her work as a pedagogue. Also the participant of the 17th International Chopin Piano Competition, Łukasz Krupiński, is one of her pupils. She has been decorated by the Medal of the Commission of National Education (2004), Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis (2005) and the Order of Polonia Restituta's Officer's Cross (2005).

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