Norbert Kijanka

   Norbert Kijanka was born on 11 August 1968 in Łódź. In 1983-1987 he studied violin making at Mieczysław Karłowicz Secondary School of Music in Poznań. In 1992 he graduated from I. J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań under the guidance of Professor Włodzimierz Kamiński. In 1992 he studied violin making craft in the workshop of W. & H. Bünnagel in Cologne.

Norbert Kijanka took part in two editions of the National Violin Making Competition (in 1999 he was a finalist). He also successfully participated in the International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Making Competition in Poznań: in 1991 he won eight place, received a silver medal founded by Antonio Capela and was awarded the prize for the best young Polish finalist by the German Violin Makers Guild (VDG); in 2001 he won second prize. In 2004 his violin received gold medal for the best acoustic qualities at the Second International Venceslav Metelka Competition in Nachod.

In 2009 Norbert Kijanka sat on the Jury of the 4th International Włodzimierz Kamiński Violin Making Competition in Poznań.

Since 1988 he is a member of the Polish Artist Violin-Maker Union (ZPAL). In 2002 he became a member of the Board, and since 2005 he has been vice-president of ZPAL.

From 2006 he is a member of the Verband Deutscher und Geigenbauer Bogenmacher eV, where he is the only representant of  the Polish lutherie.

Since 1992 he runs his own workshop  in Łódź.