Damian Kalla

Born in Gliwice, in 1985 he graduated from the State Secondary Music School in Katowice in Waldemar Tamowski’s double bass class, in 1990 he graduated from the Academy of Music in Wrocław under Irena Olkiewicz. During his studies he took part in several double bass competitions, including in Poznań and Markneukirchen. In 1989-1991 he worked at the State School of Music of the First and Second Degree in Legnica as a teacher of the double bass class. Since 1990 he has been employed at the Wrocław Philharmonic as a double bass player, and since 2007 as a solo musician. In the years 1994-2004 he was vice-president of the Polish Double Bass Association.

Parallel to his work in the symphony orchestra, he is active in chamber music – in 2002-2004 he was the leader of the double bass group of the chamber orchestra of the Wrocław Philharmonic. He has also collaborated with other chamber ensembles, including the “Giovanni Virtuosi” Chamber Orchestra. Since 2004, he has been in constant cooperation with the “Wratislavia” Chamber Orchestra, as well as with the “Artlibitum” ensemble. He has participated in many festivals at home and abroad, such as the Music Festival in Łańcut, the Chamber Music Festival “Arsenal Nights”, the Musica Polonica Nova Festival, Wratislavia Cantans, the Rheingau Musik Festival, the Festival Cervantino in Mexico. Together with the “Wratislavia” Chamber Orchestra and the Wrocław Philharmonic Orchestra, he has made many recordings for CD and radio.

Since 2016, he has been teaching a double bass class as part of the “NFM Orchestra Academy” project.

photo: Łukasz Reichert