A native of Cracow, violinist and conductor Stefan Plewniak studied with Barbara Sliwicka at the Cracow Academy of Music, and he continued his studies with Robert Szreder at the Maastricht Conservatorium and François Fernandez at the Paris Conservatoire. While working with the period instruments ensemble Les Gôuts Réunis, Plewniak developed an interest in the Baroque violin, and since then he has performed with several period ensembles, such as Cappella Cracoviensis, Contrasto Armonico, the Marguerite Louise Ensemble, Orchestra 1756, Les Arts Florissants, and Le Concert des Nations. Plewniak has also appeared with modern symphony orchestras, such as the Warsaw Polish Radio Orchestra, the Cracow Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra. He formed Il Giardino d'Amore and has recorded Renaissance and Baroque repertoire with them on the Ëvoe label. He has participated in music festivals in Europe, including the Bach Festival in Cracow, the Festival Oude Muziek, the Bach Festival in Vienna, the Tartini Festival in Pirano, and the Styriarte Festival in Graz, among others. ~ Blair Sanderson