Marek Szpakiewicz, DMA

Associate Professor; Cello Studies; Director of String Studies and Chamber Music

Office Location: West Campus, Warren Music Building #227

Polish-born cellist Marek Szpakiewicz has been described by Yo-Yo Ma as an artist whose “energy, motivation, earnestness, and generosity of spirit are evident through his work.” Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Corigliano praised his artistry, stating, “[Szpakiewicz’s] performance of my ‘Fancy on a Bach Air’ is absolutely gorgeous.”

Szpakiewicz has drawn acclaim from critics in Europe, the United States, and Japan, who have described him as “a gifted player,” one with “expansive vision and immense authority,” “no technical limitation,” and “a rare performer who internalizes a profound musical world within.” His live performances have been broadcast on Polish and American radio stations, including a one-hour special program dedicated solely to his music on KUSC, Los Angeles—the country’s largest non-profit classical music station. Strad Magazine praised his live recording of Ernest Bloch’s Schelomo as a “remarkably accurate realisation of the score.”

Szpakiewicz began cello lessons at the age of six in Lublin, Poland, studying under Ryszard Łosakiewicz and Stanisław Firlej. He later trained under Stephen Kates at the Peabody Conservatory and completed his doctorate under Eleonore Schoenfeld at the Thornton School of Music, University of Southern California. He has also studied with distinguished cellists including Daniil Shafran, Lynn Harrell, and Siegfried Palm.

Szpakiewicz is an Associate Professor at Azusa Pacific University, where he teaches cello and chamber music and serves as Director of String Studies and Chamber Music. He is also on the faculties of the Montecito International Music Festival and the Colburn Chamber Music Intensive. In 2023, he was invited to serve as a panel judge for the Schoenfeld International String Competition in Harbin, China, where he also performed with the Harbin Symphony Orchestra at the opening gala.

His students have won top prizes at numerous international and national competitions, including the Dr. Luis Sigall International Cello Competition in Chile and the American Protégé International Piano and Strings Competition. Many of his former students have been accepted into prestigious institutions such as the Juilliard School, Peabody Conservatory, New England Conservatory, Manhattan School of Music, and USC Thornton School of Music.

Beyond classical performance, Szpakiewicz has contributed his talents to film orchestration, collaborating with Polish composer Jan A.P. Kaczmarek. Among the scores he has worked on, the music for the critically acclaimed film Finding Neverland received the 77th Academy Award for Best Original Score in 2005. Additionally, he has collaborated extensively with award-winning Japanese composer Akihiko Matsumoto as both an orchestrator and featured soloist for several popular Japanese TV drama series.

In 2008, Szpakiewicz was granted permanent residency in the United States as an Extraordinary Ability Artist, a designation recognizing his sustained national and international acclaim in the field of music, as defined by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Szpakiewicz has also been deeply committed to humanitarian efforts. In 2011, he was recognized by Los Angeles County Supervisors Zev Yaroslavsky and Michael Antonovich for organizing a charity concert to raise relief funds for victims of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Since 2012, he has supported the Soma Children’s Orchestra in Fukushima, Japan, organized by El Sistema Japan, through various charity performances. In 2015, 2016, and 2018, he donated portions of his recital earnings in Tokyo to purchase cellos for the young musicians of the Soma Children’s Orchestra.

Education

DMA Cello Performance, Thornton School of Music, University of Southern California
MM Cello Performance, Thornton School of Music, University of Southern California
Graduate Artist Certificate, Peabody Conservatory, Johns Hopkins University

Academic Area

School of the Arts

Expertise

Cello studies
Chamber Music
Music arrangement and film orchestration

Courses Taught

GMUS 520 – Applied Instruction - Cello
GMUS 525 – Chamber Ensemble - Strings
MUS 1S2 – Applied Instruction - Cello
MUS 251 – Chamber Ensemble - Strings
MUS 440 – Instrumental Pedagogy
MUS 452 – Instrumental Music Literature
AC – Chamber Ensemble - Strings
AC – Applied Instruction - Cello