is to be numbered amongst the current generation of talented double-bass players who are in the process
of establishing the double bass as a solo instrument. Born in Katowice, Poland in 1967 he started taking double-bass lessons at the age of 9. Subsequently, in 1986 he entered the K.Szymanowski Academy of Music, Katowice, where he studied with Prof. Waldemar Tamowski, graduating with distinction in 1991. His post-graduate studies brought him to Germany where he studied with Prof. Günter Klaus at the Frankfurt Academy of Music and Performing Arts, and in 1995 he was appointed Principal double-bassist of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra.
A succesful prizewinner at many major competitions, Furtok was awarded First Prize at the International Double Bass Competition in Markneukirchen, Germany, 3rd Prize in Geneva and “Menzione Speciale” in Parma, Italy. He has played as soloist with many prominent orchestras e.g.Warsaw, Katowice,Innsbruck, Jena, Bremerhaven, Hof or Leipzig as well as those in many other Polish and German cities and in Italy, France, Austria, Switzerland and the Czech Republic. Together with pianist Ewa Warykiewicz, with whom he
formed a duo in 1988, he has given many recitals performing programmes consisting of a wide range of works from the double-bass repertoire and including special transcriptions of works originally for cello and violin. Since 1986, he has regularly given performances on Polish Radio and Television. His most recent C.D. recordings are concertos by Giovanni Bottesini with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra under Christian Tetzllaff released in May 2000 on CPO and 2 further CDs in 2001 on Zuk Records with sonatas
by Hindemith, Hertl, a Brahms sonata and other transcriptions, Giovanni Bottesinis Tre Grandi Duetti and the Double Bass Quartets (composed by Furtok) with “The Flying Basses”. Furtok teaches regularly at the International Masterclasses for String Instruments in Lancut, Poland. He also recorded Double Bass Concertos from S.B. Poradowski, A. Cwojdzinski and B. Fennelly with the Polish National Radio Symphony
Orchestra in Katowice. Furtok’s masterclasses took places in Germany, England (Royal School of music), Japan, South Korea, China and Taiwan.
In 2004 and 2013 he was teaching at Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan.
The most recent recording are Ernest Bloch’s Schelomo and Max Bruch’s Kol Nidrei with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony
Orchestra.