Barbara Bilszta

Barbara graduated from the Academy of Music in Wrocław, Poland, where she studied viola.

In 1988, her participation in the Gioventù Musicale Italiana workshops in Bergamo led to a scholarship and subsequent collaborations with several Italian orchestras and ensembles. She has since performed extensively throughout Europe and the United States and has participated in recordings for RAI television, as well as for SONY, DECCA, and Ricordi.

In 1996, Barbara relocated to the United States and became Artistic Director of the Naperville Chamber Orchestra. She has also collaborated with the New Philharmonic Orchestra, Elgin Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Opera, and the Orbert Davis Jazz Orchestra.

In 1997, she founded the Polish-American Symphony Orchestra—later renamed the Paderewski Symphony Orchestra—with the mission of promoting Polish musical culture in the United States. Between 1997 and 2014, she organized more than 200 symphonic and 60 chamber concerts in Chicago.

In 2000, she established the PaSO Academy of Music, further expanding the organization’s educational mission. In recognition of her contributions to culture and education, she has received numerous honors, including the Silver Medal “Gloria Artis.”