American-born Polish pianist, Szymon Czerniak, has been hailed for his “brilliant technique, extraordinary energy, and strength in interpretation (Kurier Szczecinski).” Szymon is a recipient of the Cultural Arts Scholarship, awarded by the Kosciuszko Foundation for a special study in Poland, under the direction of Katarzyna Popowa-Zydron at the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz.

            Szymon began his studies at an early age in Houston, Texas. As a member of Texas Young Virtuosos, a collective of young gifted classical musicians, Szymon saw regular performances throughout Houston. His performances as part of this group have been broadcasted on Houston’s 88.7 KUHF and local PBS stations. In 1995, he joined the music program for preparatory students at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, where he received regular training from their internationally renowned music faculty. His solo recital debut was in 1996 at the age of 7 years old.

            The 2000’s saw Szymon step away from performing to pursue a career in American football. After a successful stint as a two year letter winner as defensive lineman at Southern Methodist University, Szymon made his return to the stage in his European recital debut in 2015 at the Mieczysław Karłowicz Philharmonic in Szczecin, Poland. His recital of Chopin, Paderewski, and Szymanowski received rave reviews in local press and helped launch a career that continues to this day. Since then, Szymon has performed in venues across the United States and Europe. He made is orchestral debut in 2022 performing Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto with the Shenandoah University Symphony Orchestra.

            As an educator, Szymon has served on faculties of music schools in Houston, Virginia, and New York City, including the Piano School of New York in Manhattan. Most recently he served as adjunct faculty at Shenandoah University. Currently, Szymon is on faculty at the Community School of the Piedmont where he teaches students of all ages.

Szymon is completing his doctorate in Musical Arts at Shenandoah University and studying with renowned Irish pianist John O’Conor. In addition to performing solo concerts throughout the United States and Europe, Szymon is also an avid collaborative artist - regularly accompanying chamber musicians and vocalists. Szymon is also a devoted jazz performer and appears regularly with his group, The Szymon Aleksander Trio.