Born in 2001, Polish violist Maria Dębina is currently studying at the Anton Bruckner Private University in Linz under Predrag Katanic. During the 2023/24 academic year, she joined the Erasmus program and studied at the Mozarteum University Salzburg with Thomas Riebl and Milan Milojicic. Earlier, she completed her bachelor’s degree at the Academy of Music in Krakow. She further developed her skills on the viola by working with a number of musicians in masterclasses, including Thomas Riebl, William Coleman, Eszter Haffner, Katarzyna Budnik, and Piotr Reichert. In 2019, she participated in the 46th International Viola Congress, where she had the opportunity to work closely with Maxim Rysanov and Jutra Puchhammer-Sédillot. She studied chamber music with Meesun Hong Coleman, Tunde Kurucz and Dario Zingales, and took part in quartet masterclasses with Oszkár Varga and members of the Silesian String Quartet and the Lutosławski Quartet. Chamber music plays a central role in her musical career. She began by participating in chamber music workshops organized by the Polish Children’s Fund (KFnrD) for the country’s most talented young musicians. This experience proved crucial, allowing her work with some of Poland’s finest chamber musicians from an early age. She subsequently broadened her experience by participating in the Ensemble Festival in Poland, where she worked closely with José Gallardo and Marcin Markowicz during rehearsals and concerts, acquiring valuable experience in ensemble playing. She also gained a wealth of orchestral experience by taking part in numerous educational and professional projects such as the Penderecki Youth Orchestra (2018–2022), the Neue Philharmonie München, the Sommer Musik Akademie Hundisburg, and the International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra. In addition, she participated in orchestral academies at the Tiroler Festspiele Erl (under the direction of Thomas Selditz) and at the Bregenzer Festspiele with the Wiener Symphoniker. She has performed occasionally with Sinfonietta Cracovia and the Silesian Chamber Orchestra. In 2024 she became a member of the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie, and in 2025 she joined the European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO). She has received awards at several viola and chamber music competitions, including First Prize at the Talents for Europe competition in Dolný Kubín, Third Prize at 9th Chamber Tournament in Bydgoszcz, as well as awards in Polish national viola competitions. Ever curious, open to new ideas, and passionate about exploring music, Maria Dębina particularly enjoys playing chamber music and the orchestral repertoire. She joined the Luxembourg Philharmonic Academy in September 2025.
©: Sebastien Grebille
