Barbara Bilszta
Executive Director
I graduated from the Academy of Music in Wrocław, Poland, where I studied viola. In 1988, my participation in the Gioventù Musicale Italiana workshops in Bergamo led to a scholarship and collaborations with several Italian orchestras and ensembles. I have since performed throughout Europe and the United States and participated in recordings for RAI television as well as for SONY, DECCA, and Ricordi.
In 1996, I moved to the United States and became Artistic Director of the Naperville Chamber Orchestra. I have also collaborated with the New Philharmonic Orchestra, Elgin Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Opera, and the Orbert Davis Jazz Orchestra.
In 1997, I founded the Polish-American Symphony Orchestra—later renamed the Paderewski Symphony Orchestra—to promote Polish musical culture in the United States. Between 1997 and 2014, I organized more than 200 symphonic and 60 chamber concerts in Chicago.
In 2000, I founded the PaSO Academy of Music. For my work in culture and education, I have received numerous honors, including the Silver Medal “Gloria Artis.”
