Growing up in a music-loving family, Irena started studying the piano when she was 7 years old. When she was 13, she started “cello” then took up the double bass at age 16 with Prof. B. Nancka in Bielsko Biała Music School. At the same time, Irena loved singing popular music and was a three-time winner of the local contest. She received her master’s degree from Academy of Music in Wroclaw, Poland, studying with Prof. E. Krysta. A few times Irena was an active participant in the master classes with Prof. L. Streicher in Weimar. She began teaching in the Karol Lipinski Academy of Music in Wroclaw in 1980 and she is the pioneer as female bassist in the Polish music higher education system. As a teacher Irena has successes with her former students like: R. Ziobro, D. Kalla, N. Radzik, J. Olejnik, Ł. Tinschert, K. Kowal, P. Prucnal, M. Waliński, C. F. Korkmaz, R. G. Abreu Krysztofiak, P. Wołkowski, B. Modena (Italy), F. J. Uria Rodriguez (Spain) and Abbey Grech (Malta). Irena is the former principal of the Wroclaw Philharmonic Orchestra and Cairo Symphony Orchestra (Egypt). She presents solo and chamber music performances at home and abroad. Her CD “Medytacja Thais” with pianist Andrzej Jungiewicz includes world premiere recording works by Polish composers B. Konowalski and S. B. Poradowski. Irena has conducted master classes at the Guildhall School of Music in London, Cairo Conservatoire de Musique, Double Bass Convention in Brno, Double Bass Week in Michaelstein, BYU in Provo, San Francisco Bass Bash, North Texas University in Denton, Universidade Federal de Goias Escola de Musica e Artes Cenicas (Brasil), Central Conservatory of Music in Peking, Beijing Conservatory of Music in China and Bass Feast in Banska Bystrica (Slovakia) among others. She was invited to the jury for the international double bass competitions in USA–ISB Solo Division, J. M. Sperger International Double Bass Competition in Germany, Czech Republic, China, France, Slovakia, Ukraina and Poland. She has served as President of the Polish Double Bass Society since 1994 and is editor of its magazine “KontraBasista”. Since 1992 Irena has organized international double bass master classes held at the Wojnowice Castle and five times the World Bass Festival in Wroclaw since 2004 inviting guest faculty members like: G. Karr, T. Martin, D. Walter, K. Trumpf, F. Rabbath, , R. Carter, C. Rotaru. J. Clayton, R. Garcia-Fons, L. Danielsson, F. Petracchi, F. Grillo, M. Jelinek, F. Proto, T. Barbe, Song Yi, Yun Xia Hou, M. Gajdos, E. Hansen, B. Green, H. Ikematsu, J. Quarrington, J. Bradetich, S. Ray, R. Reid, K. Korb and many others. Irena organized a first in Poland Wratislavia International Double Bass Competition under Honorary Patronage of Maestro Gary Karr in 2008, The International Double Bass Symposium in the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wroclaw in 2013, 2016 and The Summer Bass Academy in Szczawno Zdrój 2017, 2018, 2019, Grzegorz Olkiewicz Musical Master Courses 2022, Grzegorz Olkiewicz International Music Festival 2023. She received a few awards: David Walter Charitable Trust (2000), Wroclaw Musical Award (2004), the Wroclaw Academy of Music Rector’s Award (six times), The Wroclaw Dwarf Award from Journalists for an idea and organization of the First World Bass Festival in Wroclaw. In 2010 Irena received distinction: “Merit for the Polish Culture” from the Minister of Culture & Art.