Adam Golka

Pianist Adam Golka leads a rich artistic life as orchestral soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, recording artist, pedagogue, and innovator. A first-generation American, born to Polish parents, Adam has  performed with many of the major orchestras around the world including the San Francisco, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, and Seattle symphonies, the BBC Scottish Symphony , the National Arts Centre Orchestra (Canada), the Warsaw Philharmonic, the Shanghai Philharmonic , the Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco (Mexico), and the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional (Colombia).

Ever since winning the 2nd China Shanghai International Piano Competition at 16 years-old, Adam has been in demand as a recitalist having performed at the  acclaimed Alice Tully Hall, Musashino Cultural Civic Hall (Tokyo), Het Concertgebouw’s Kleine Zaal (Amsterdam) , and Jardin du Luxembourg (Paris).. Adam also gave recital débuts at Tonhalle Zürich in Switzerland and Klavier-Festival Ruhr in Germany at the invitation of the legendary pianist Sir András Schiff, as part of his “Building Bridges” concert series. In 2009, Adam was awarded the Max I. Allen Classical Fellowship of the American Piano Awards.

In 2020-21, Adam took on the monumental feat of performing the eleven-hour entirety of Beethoven’s 32 Piano Sonatas live in three different cities, revisiting a challenge which he first accomplished at the age of 18. To mark the occasion, Adam created a film series called “32@32” (available on YouTube) in which he explores the Sonatas in conversations, not only with musical legends, but also with extramusical personas such as an astrophysicist, a painter, a magician, and folk dancers.

Adam maintains a rich life as a chamber musician  performing regularly with the Manhattan Chamber Players, in duo recitals , and  chamber music festivals worldwide including the renowned Marlboro Music Festival. Adam serves as Artistic Advisor to the Krzyżowa-Music “Music for Europe” Chamber Music Festival in Poland.

As an Artist-Teacher at the Longy School of Music of Bard College,  Adam is passionate about the future of classical music. In addition to formal studies with José Feghali and Leon Fleisher, Adam had the privilege of being mentored by Alfred Brendel for nearly a decade.

Adam has premiered works by his friends Michael Stephen Brown, Andrea Casarrubios, and Michelle Barzel Ross, and he recently gave the world premiere of Daniel Crozier’s piano concerto “Dreams After El Greco” (2025). He records for First Hand Records (U.K.), with whom he has two album releases scheduled in early 2026: “Chopin sans Chopin” and “Young Brahms, Steel and Fire.”

When Adam is not at the piano or staring at a musical score, he loves reading, art exhibits, long aimless walks, swimming laps (not butterfly), pour-over coffee, delicious Indian restaurants, and he considers his daily practice of the Feldenkrais Method an essential aspect of his physical, mental, and musical well-being.