Markus Pawlik is characterized as a pianist who combines expressiveness together with a phenomenal virtuoso technique.  Born in Bremen, he embarked on an international career after winning the grand prize of the Eurovision “Young Musician of the Year” competition in 1982, and has since performed as a recitalist, soloist and chamber musician throughout Europe, Asia and North America.

Pawlik has given concerts in venues as varied as the Berlin Philharmonie, the Munich Herkules Saal, the Louvre in Paris and Davies Hall in San Francisco.  He has performed the classical piano concerto repertoire with orchestras internationally and gave the debuts of a commissioned Piano Concerto by Ichiro Nodaira with the Berkeley Symphony and at the “Japanese composer prize” concert in Suntory Hall in Tokyo.  

As a chamber musician, Pawlik has collaborated with numerous musicians such as the Szymanowski Quartet and baritone Dietrich Henschel in concerts in Berlin, Vienna and at the Megève Festival in France and with violinist Veronika Eberle, french horn player Johannes Dengler and cellist Matt Haimowitz at the Forest Hills Festival in San Francisco.  Since moving to the Bay area in 2013, he collaborates frequently with members of the San Francisco Symphony and many other Bay Area musicians.  He also performs duo recitals regularly with his son, violinist Ariel Pawlik-Zwiebel.

Pawlik has made numerous solo recordings with radio stations and released solo and chamber music CDs.  He produced the music documentary film “Artur Schnabel: No Place of Exile” which was co-produced by the television station ARTE, premiered throughout Europe and presented at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.  

A champion for musical education, Pawlik has given international master classes and judged numerous competitions including the Eurovision “Young Musician of the Year” in Germany, the Steinway Competition in Boston and the Beethoven Society Competition in San Jose.  He has taught as a guest lecturer at UCLA and is a on the Music Advisory Board of Las Positas College.

Most importantly, he is Ariel’s father and chamber music partner.