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Polish-Canadian cellist Dr. Dobrochna Zubek has established herself as a versatile artist dedicated to a wide-ranging musical repertoire and to exploring boundaries between artistic disciplines. In her own words: “The bridge between the arts found in interdisciplinary performances fascinates me. Through improvisation I find that I can make a strong connection and create a dynamic and integrative performance.” A soloist, chamber musician, orchestral cellist and educator, Zubek’s multi-faceted career has taken her to cities across Europe, Asia and North America. Along the way, she has collaborated with some of music’s most distinguished artists, including Peter Gabriel, José Carreras, Shauna Rolston and Gioconda Barbuto.

From 2009-2012, Zubek held an orchestra position with the Orquesta Sinfonica del Estado de Mexico. As a soloist, she has appeared on many festival stages, including Geneé International Ballet Competition (2019), Banff Center for Arts and Creativity (2019) and Ottawa Chamberfest (2016). She has taught masterclasses in Poland, Canada and the United States, as well as in China as part of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of New Music Festival held in universities in Guiyang, Chengdu, and Hong Kong.

Zubek made her New York debut at La MAMA , an Off Broadway experimental theatre where she appeared in an all-female production of This is Why We Live. Written for cello and two actors, Zubek’s performance was hailed by critics as that of a virtuoso whose playing is soulful and wonderful. As a member of Thin Edge New Music Collective in her hometown of Toronto, she has made a mark as a vibrant artist premiering works in the Canadian new music scene. In the recent premiere of The Pomegranate, a chamber opera written by cellist Kye Marshall, Zubek was featured as a soloist.

As a recording artist, Zubek’s repertoire includes Mexico-Voyage and the JUNO -nominated CD Hymns of Heavens and Earth, composed by Peter-Anthony Togni. Recent commissions and dedications include works by Lucia Álvarez, Norbert Palej, Andrzej Zubek, Parisa Sabet and Gregory Newsome.

Zubek’s awards include first place in the Peggy Friedman Gordon Music Competition (2002), the Sidney Liebermann Competition (2004) and the 2007 Alexandria Symphony Orchestra Competition in the United States.

Zubek was offered a full scholarship to study cello performance at Baltimore’s Towson University where she earned her B.A. and M.A. with Professor Cecylia Barczyk. She continued her studies with Professor Barbara Marcinkowska at the Conservatoire de Versailles in France where she received the Prix de Perfectionnement. In 2016, Zubek completed her Doctor of Musical Arts in Cello Performance at the University of Toronto, studying with Professor Shauna Rolston. Her doctoral thesis is one of the first researched and documented works on contemporary Mexican music for solo cello. From 2012 to 2017 Zubek was a teaching assistant for Professor Shauna Rolston, a recipient of the Yo-Yo Ma Fellowship and a sessional instructor of cello. She is currently the principal cellist in the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra and the Ontario Philharmonic. http://www.dobrochnazubek.com