About Tanja.
Photo together with Philip Glass and Aaron Diehl.
|
“Tanja Zapolski’s talent is impossible to ignore. She is a natural talent and a pure generator of musical energy.”
– Jyllands-Posten Tanja Zapolski is one of Denmark’s most distinguished classical pianists and has, for more than three decades, been an active and influential figure in Danish musical life. She has enriched the cultural landscape not only through her performances of traditional classical repertoire but also by pioneering a wide range of innovative concert formats that bridge classical music with new forms of artistic expression – creating meaningful connections between music, tradition, and people. Born in Ukraine, Tanja made her debut as a soloist with orchestra at the age of eight. At twelve, she moved with her family to Denmark and, by fifteen, was accepted into the Royal Danish Academy of Music, where she studied under Anne Øland and Amalie Malling, later continuing her studies with Dina Yoffe and Dmitri Bashkirov. Tanja has performed as a soloist with most of Denmark’s symphony orchestras and has toured internationally with ensembles and orchestras – from Versailles to Tokyo, Los Angeles, and London. She has been an active interpreter and ambassador for contemporary composition and has, among others, collaborated with composer Philip Glass. In 2025, Tanja recorded Hans Abrahamsen’s Double Concerto for Violin and Piano together with Carolin Widmann and the Münchener Kammerorchester for the renowned ECM label, in close collaboration with ECM’s founder Manfred Eicher and conductor John Storgårds. She has also performed the work with the Royal Danish Orchestra under the direction of the legendary Sir Simon Rattle. Internationally, she has toured with the ensemble Opus X – from Versailles to Tokyo – where the quartet revitalized chamber music by performing in some of the world’s largest concert halls and major cultural events. She is also a member of Trio ZOOM, a long-standing ensemble dedicated to promoting contemporary classical music. As a cultural innovator and communicator, Tanja has created several groundbreaking concert concepts, including QuizKoncerterne, where classical music is presented playfully in interaction with the audience – an evolution of The Classical Music Quiz on DR, in which she has been a key participant – and Fordybelseskoncerterne (“Contemplation Concerts”), which are often sold out and invite audiences into a meditative and sensory encounter with the piano. Tanja frequently appears on Danish national television as a pianist, expert, and host, including in the popular primetime show Piano on TV2 and The Classical Music Quiz on DR. She is also a regular jury member in competitions such as the P2 Chamber Music Competition (DR) and the Jacob Gade Chamber Music Competition. Her solo album, Timeless, recorded with the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, has been praised for its clarity, sensitivity, and profound resonance. Tanja Zapolski has received numerous prizes and distinctions – both in competitions and as honorary awards – including the Victor Borge Prize, the Sonning Scholarship, the Danish Freemasons’ Music Prize, the Gladsaxe Music Prize, and the Wilhelm Hansen Prize. Early in her career, she won first prize at Nordic Talent in Oslo and top placements in piano competitions such as Steinway & Sons and Greta Erikson’s Nordic Piano Competition. She is also listed in Kraks Blå Bog (the Danish Who’s Who). With her combination of international experience, artistic curiosity, and talent for creating new ways of experiencing classical music, Tanja Zapolski stands among the artists who have continuously helped renew and shape the Danish music scene. She is deeply committed to bringing classical music to a broader audience at the highest artistic level and to fostering living connections between music, people, and society. 
| ||||||||||