Katarzyna Lassak is a Polish virtuoso violinist, a graduate of the Chopin University of Music in Warsaw (2020), where she received her Ph.D. degree with honours (2022) under the direction of Professor Janusz Wawrowski. She also studied under Professor Agata Szymczewska. She made a world premiere recording of the forgotten "Highlander" Violin Concerto No. 2 by Jan A. Maklakiewicz with the Polish Radio Orchestra, at the Witold Lutosławski Concert Studio. Katarzyna Lassak comes from a highlander family from Zakopane (Southern Poland, Tatra Mountains), which continues a multigenerational history of folklore music traditions. She is a lead violinist of the Lassak "Helios" Family. During her concerts, she often juxtaposes her interpretation of folklore-inspired classical music with traditional performances of Podhale music.

She has performed as a soloist with the symphony orchestras of the Karłowicz Philharmonic in Szczecin, Paderewski Pomeranian Philharmonic in Bydgoszcz, Kolberg Philharmonic in Kielce, Baird Philharmonic in Zielona Góra, the Gorzów Philharmonic, the Polish Philharmonic "Sinfonia Baltica" in Słupsk and the Polish Radio Orchestra in Warsaw, as well as the chamber orchestra Warsaw Players, Tatra Mood Orchestra and Atom String Quartet. She has worked with such conductors as Michał Klauza, Łukasz Borowicz, Paweł Kapuła, Przemysław Fiugajski, Norbert Twórczyński, Agnieszka Kreiner and Michał Krężlewski. She has performed at the international music festivals, including the String Festival "Masters of Polish Violin Playing", "Emanations", "Gaude Mater", "Musical Spaces", "Musical Gardens", and the Piotr Janowski Festival. She has played recitals at the ROMA Music Theater in Warsaw, the Karol Szymanowski Museum in the "Atma" villa in Zakopane, and the Presidential Palace, among others.

She is the winner of many competitions. At the age of 18, she won the "Let's Remember Osiecka" Vocal Competition. Throughout the last year, she won 10 first prizes at national and international competitions, including: Grand Prix "Sabała's Fiddle" for the best instrumentalist at the International Festival of Highlander Folklore, and the "Dziadońka's Bow" Honorary Award. She was a recipient of a scholarship from the Minister of Culture and National Heritage. In 2023, she was awarded the honorary title of "Wierchowa Orlica" (Mountain Eagle).

Roots and Inspirations is a remarkable album that uniquely and movingly bridges the world of classical music with the authentic tradition of Poland’s Podhale region. At the heart of the album lies the first-ever recording of the "Highlander" Violin Concerto No. 2 by Jan Adam Maklakiewicz—a work directly inspired by the musical folklore of the Tatra highlands, which the composer encountered firsthand in 1952 during a competition of traditional highlander bands in Zakopane.

The virtuosic solo part is performed by Katarzyna Lassak—a classically trained, excellent violinist and the lead fiddler (prymistka) of the multigenerational Lassak “Helios” Family Ensemble from Zakopane. Her musical "bilingualism"—the ability to move seamlessly between the realms of classical and traditional music—infuses her interpretation of the concerto with exceptional authenticity and expressive depth.

The second part of the album features recordings of traditional góralskie nuty—from marches and lyrical nuty uozwodne to lively zbójnickie dances—performed by the Lassak Family Band in the classic four-person ensemble. Unique sounds of traditional instruments such as piszczałki (wooden flutes), złóbcoki (carved fiddle), and shepherd’s bells, along with archival recordings of the artist’s grandfather and great-grandfather, serve as a living source of inspiration that clearly resonates in Maklakiewicz’s composition.

Recorded with the Polish Radio Orchestra in Warsaw under the baton of Paweł Kapuła, this album is not only a tribute to Polish folk tradition and Maklakiewicz’s artistry, but also a deeply personal narrative from Katarzyna Lassak—an artistic story of identity, heritage, and a musical passion passed down through generations. It is a recording that captivates with its authenticity, cultural richness, and artistic finesse.

~ Chopin University Press