Markus Pawlik & Ariel Pawlik-Zwiebel

Markus Pawlik embarked on his international career after winning the grand prize of the Eurovision “Young Musician of the Year” in 1982.  He has since performed as a recitalist, soloist and chamber musician throughout Europe, Asia and North America in venues as varied as the Berlin Philharmonie, the Munich Hercules Saal, Tokyo’s Suntory Hall, Davies Hall in San Francisco and the Louvre in Paris.  He has released solo and chamber music recordings, and produced the music documentary film “Artur
Schnabel: No Place of Exile” which was co-produced by the television station ARTE, premiered throughout Europe in 2018 and presented at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.  Pawlik moved to the Bay Area in 2013 and teaches and performs regularly throughout the area.  In addition, he gives international master classes, has judged numerous competitions and has taught as a guest lecturer at UCLA. Most importantly, he is Ariel’s father.

Ariel Pawlik-Zwiebel, age 16, is a junior in high school and has played violin for 10 years.  He performs regularly as a recitalist with his father and performs across the San Francisco Bay area in concerts such as the Contra Costa Performing Arts Society (CCPAS), the Junior Bach Festival and the Peninsula Holocaust Memorial Services.  As a chamber musician, he plays with the Young Chamber Musicians program in the Kohl Mansion, has participated in the Virtuoso Program of the San Domenico School and attended the Bowdoin International Music Festival.  Ariel is the Concertmaster of the YPSO Orchestra and was the concertmaster at the Bay Area Youth Orchestra Festival (BAYOF).  He has also won top prizes in numerous competitions including, among others, the Pacific Musical Society Competition, the US Open Competition, the Berkeley Etude Club Competition and the Silicon Valley Philharmonic Music Competition and was a laureate of the International Grumiaux Competition in Belgium.  Ariel is co-chair of the CCPAS student chapter and is active in a FIRST robotics team.

Although they live in the San Francisco Bay area, Markus and Ariel have a strong link to Beth El synagogue.  Ariel’s grandparents, Barbara and Imre Zwiebel, were long-time Beth El members before moving recently to North Scottsdale.  His mother, Karen Zwiebel, spent her high school years as an active Beth El member before moving out of state.  Markus and Karen were married at Beth El. We're very excited to welcome them back for this lovely event!