began her musical education at the age of 7 in the Maria Pajak piano class at the Music Centre in Pszczyna, Poland. Since she was thirteen she continued her education at the primary and secondary level at the Music School in Bielsko Biala, first in the cello class, then in the double bass class under Prof. Bonawentura Nancka. Graduated from the High School of Music in Wroclaw after completing her double bass studies under Prof. Edward Krysta. She continued to improve her skills under Prof. Ludwig Streicher and Prof. Franco Muzzi. In 1982 she defended her PhD. Since 1980 she conduct double bass class in the Instrument Department at the Karol Lipinski Music Academy in Wroclaw. She held recitals and master classes at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, at the Hochschule fur Musik in Cologne, at the Master Courses in the Stiftung Kloster Michaelstein, at the ISB Conventions in Indianapolis 2001, Richmond 2003, Michigan 2005, Oklahoma 2007, San Francisco 2011, Rochester 2013 and at the International Double Bass Conventions, Festivals and Bass Feast in Brno, Paris 2008, Phoenix 2009, San Francisco 2009, Berlin 2010, Beijing (China) 2012, 2013, Goiania (Brasil) 2012 and Banska Bystrica (Slovakia) 2013. Since 1994 she has been playing in a duet with pianist Andrzej Jungiewicz, with whom she recorded a CD „Meditation Thais”. Irena has been a principal double bassist at the Witold Lutoslawski Philharmonic in Wroclaw and in the Cairo Symphony Orchestra. She was also the double bass expert at the Cairo Conservatoire de Musique. She conduct master classes in Europe, the US, China and Brasil. She sits on the jury at the international double bass competitions in Czech Republic, Germany, France, Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine and the US. Irena is an expert in the Polish Ministry of Education. As a chamber musician she recorded five discs with such conductors as G. Nowak, G. Olkiewicz and C. Grabowski. As a soloists she played the world premiere of the works dedicated to her - Poem “Loch Ness”, “Yad Vashem” and „Harlequin” by B. Konowalski, “Rondo Flamenco” by K. Zgraja and “Skeches” by G. P. Wierzba. Irena featured in the world premiere of the Sonata by J. G. Goerlich at the Music Festival in Moszna 1998 and „Entrope” by K. Kielb at the Festival of Modern Music Musica Polonica Nova Wroclaw 2008.
Irena Olkiewicz has been also a creator, and since 1994 president, of the Polish Society of Double Bassist. In 1996 she started publishing a double bass magazine „KontraBasista”. She has been an initiator and organizer of the World Bass Festival 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, The Winter Double Bass Academy 2006, The Wratislavia International Double Bass Competition 2008, The International Double Bass Symposium 2013. Irena Olkiewicz since 1992 as a first in Poland organized numerous double bass concerts and master classes in Wroclaw and in Wojnowice Castle with such a great double bassists like Gary Karr, Tom Martin, Francois Rabbath, David Walter, Klaus Trumpf, Ron Carter, Renaud Garcia-Fons, Lars Danielsson, John Clayton, Miloslav Jelinek, Catalin Rotaru, Miloslav Gajdos, Thierry Barbe, Franco Petracchi, Jorma Katrama, Fernando Grillo, Diana Gannett, David Murray, Eric Hansen, Adam Cegielski, Jacek Niedziela, Tom Knific, Kristin Korb, Rufus Reid, Linda McKnight, Barry Green, John Schimek, Barre Phillips, JunXia Hou, Jeff Bradetich, Virginia Dixon, Petya Bagovska, Esra Gul, Gottfried Engels, Sonia Ray, Hiroshi Ikematsu, Joel Quarrington, Hans Roelofsen, Hans Sturm, Antonio Araque, Nicolas Papp, Andrew Kohn, Ekkehard Beringer, Frank Proto, Carlos del Pino, Peter Askim, Radoslav Sasina, Dan Styffe, Petr Korinek, Gudrun Raschen, Jiri Valenta, Paul Sharpe, Anthony Stoops, Burak Karaagac, BASSIONA AMOROSA and many others.
In January 2000 Irena received David Walter Foundation award for her magazine “KontraBasista”. She was also four times the recipient of the Karol Lipinski Academy of Music Rector’s Prizes for her pedagogical work, as well as the Wroclaw Music Award (2004) for the idea and organization of the World Bass Festival in Wroclaw. Finally, she received the Award of Wroclaw Dwarf (2004) given to her by the journalists of the Gazeta Wyborcza for her double bass projects. In 2010 Irena received award “Merit for Polish Culture” from the Minister of Culture.