Aktorzy

Born in Lebanon, Bassem Akiki is a Polish-Lebanese conductor, composer, and habilitated doctor, and a faculty member at the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław and Collegium Civitas in Warsaw. He studied philosophy at the Lebanese International University in Beirut, choral conducting at the Academy of Music in Kraków, and symphonic and operatic conducting at the Academy of Music in Wrocław. He has served as artistic director of the Silesian Opera in Bytom (2018–2019), artistic director of the NFM New Year Festival in Wrocław (2016–2020), and music director of the Wrocław Opera (2020–2022).

Bassem Akiki is a guest conductor at opera houses and philharmonics in Poland—including the Polish Radio Orchestra in Warsaw, the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice, Teatr Wielki – Opera Narodowa in Warsaw, Sinfonia Varsovia, Narodowe Forum Muzyki NFM in Wrocław, and the National Philharmonic—and internationally, including La Monnaie Royal Opera in Brussels, Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen, Philharmonie de Paris, Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Teatro Solis in Montevideo, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, the National Opera in Amsterdam, National Opera in Strasbourg, and the Finnish National Opera in Helsinki.

In 2020, the album 100 na 100. Muzyczne dekady wolności, featuring works conducted by Bassem Akiki, received the Fryderyk Award for Outstanding Recording of Polish Music and Album of the Year – Symphonic Music. In 2022, another Fryderyk Award was awarded in the category Album of the Year – Contemporary Music for Mykietyn – II Concerto for Cello and Symphony Orchestra, Hommage à Oskar Dawicki, also involving Akiki. In 2016, he was nominated for the International Opera Awards in the category Best Conductor of the Young Generation. Bassem Akiki is a two-time recipient of the Jan Kiepura Theatre Music Awards, in 2018 and 2022, in the category Best Conductor.