Michal Paľko
Slovak composer, dulcimer player and wind instruments player. He completed his studies at the Košice Conservatory in the fields of composition, dulcimer and conducting. During his studies he recorded a number of successes at composition competitions (SSK 2005 – 1st place, Bucharest Composer 2006 – 2nd place). Afterwards he continued his studies in composition with Vladimír Bokes at the Academy of Performing Arts and concurrently at the Academy of Arts in Banská Bystrica (dulcimer playing with Viktória Herencsár). At present he is continuing his study of composition at the Akademia muzyczna in Kraków. As a performer he attracts attention by his dulcimer playing and equally by his new approach to performance on Slovak folk wind instruments, which he is attempting to incorporate in the classical instrumentarium. During his career hitherto he has collaborated, for example, with the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic, Quasars Ensemble, VENI Ensemble, Melos Ethos Ensemble and Solamente Naturali. In 2011 he was chosen as composer by the Goethe Institute for a project carried out by Ensemble Modern led by Péter Eötvös.