Harpist soloist, chamber musician, orchestral player, and pedagogue. Amelia Tokarska is a graduate of the Royal Conservatory of Brussels (2018, with distinction) and the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (2020, with distinction) in the harp class of Prof. Jana Boušková. She began learning to play the harp at the age of seven in Prof. Ewa Jaślar-Walicka’s harp class in Bielsko-Biała. She also enriches her education by participating in the programs of the Czech Academy of Chamber Music and the Villa Musica Rheinland-Pfalz Academy (Germany). She is currently the first harpist of the Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic Orchestra in Zlín (Czech Republic).
Amelia Tokarska is a laureate of national and international competitions, including the Prof. Karel Patras International Harp Competition in Prague, the Jeunesses Musicales Interpretation Competition, the International Harp Duets Competition in Cieszyn, the Director's Award at the Center for Artistic Education in Warsaw, the Juliusz Zarębski International Music Competition, the National Interpretation Competition in Przemyśl, the International Contemporary Music Competition for Children and Youth "Srebrna Szybka", the International Chamber Ensemble Review in Jawor, and many others.
The artist is also passionate about traveling, and performs her extensive harp repertoire both in Poland and abroad. She has performed in Australia, Austria, Belarus, Brazil, the Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and other countries. She has appeared as a soloist with orchestras such as the Slovak Sinfonietta, the Leoš Janácek Philharmonic Orchestra in Ostrava, the Teplice Philharmonic, and the Orchestra of the Czech Academy of Chamber Music.
A particular distinction is the fact that Amelia has twice participated in the World Harp Congress. In 2014, she was selected for the Focus on Youth program, and performed at the XII World Harp Congress in Sydney. Then, in 2022, she had the pleasure of giving a recital with the music of Polish composer Roman Ryterband at the XIV World Harp Congress in Cardiff.
Amelia's artistic achievements have been recognized through scholarships from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the Visegrad Scholarship, the Soroptimist International Scholarship, the National Children's Fund Scholarship, and the City of Bielsko-Biała Scholarship in the field of culture and the arts.
Amelia has developed her skills by participating in masterclasses led by outstanding professors, including Isabelle Moretti, Imogen Barford, Adelheid Blovsky-Miller, Paola Baron, Agnieszka Gralak, Ieuan Jones, Bryn Lewis, Joanna Kozielska, Liuba Klevtsova, Chantal Mathieu, Rossitza Milevska, Malwina Lipiec, Pia Salvia, Florence Sitruk, Park Stickney, Helga Storck, Ewa Strusinska, Elzbieta Szmyt, Anna Verkholantseva, Sidsel Walstad, Tomáš Jamník, Jakub Fišer, Tianwa Yang, Gili Schwarzman, and Diemuth Poppen. Amelia also completed courses in Artist Management and Team Management as part of the Music.Multimedia.Management program organized by the Szczecin Philharmonic. She also actively participated in the Music Psychology seminar organized by the Krakow Center for Artist Counseling.
In the 2017-2018 seasons, Amelia held the position of harpist at the National Theatre Brno and also participated in the Orchestra Academy of the Brno Philharmonic. She collaborates with many orchestras both in Poland and abroad, including I, Culture Orchestra, Czech National Symphony Orchestra, Slovak National Philharmonic, Philharmonische Kammerorchester Berlin, Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Pan-European Philharmonic, Huberman Philharmonic Czestochowa, Saigon Philharmonic Orchestra, South Bohemian Philharmonic, Moravian-Silesian National Opera, Hradec Kralove Philharmonic Orchestra, Pardubice Philharmonic Orchestra, International Lutoslawski Youth Orchestra, Silesian Opera, Tychy Aukso Chamber Orchestra, Sudecka Philharmonic, and the Academic Choir of the Silesian University of Technology.
Amelia has also performed at dozens of festivals, including the Festival Internacional de Inverno de Campos do Jordão in Brazil, Villa Musica – Burgenklassik, Young Euro Classic Festival in Berlin, Santander Music Festival Palacio de Festivales, Rheingau Musik Festival, International Conference "Roman Ryterband" Collegium Musicum Summer Orchestra Academy in Pommersfelden, Ungdomssymfonikerne Winter Course, Harp Days in Ždár nad Sázavou, Prague Harp festival, Hori Musiktage, "Chopin and his Europe" International Music Festival in Warsaw, International Harp Festival in Katowice, Crazy Music Days Festival in Warsaw, Alto Adige Festival in Italy, Prah-a-harP Festival, International Music Festival "Emanacje", XXVIII International Chamber and Organ Music Festival in Wygiełzów, Festival of Polish Composers, Slot Art Festival in Lubiąż, and many others.
Currently, she's working on a debut album with celtic themes arrangements made by Paweł Biliński, played on celtic and pedal harps, in cooperation with Tadeusz Mieczkowski, Piotr Wilmanowicz, Sławomir Berny, Marcin Rumiński, recorded in Cavatina Hall. Album is planned to be released in 2023.
Amelia Tokarska plays a concert pedal harp made by the Italian company Salvi - Minerva.
In her free time, she is a horse riding instructor, paragliding pilot, traveler, and tango enthusiast :)