Piotr Lato graduated from the Academy of Music in Krakow, the clarinet class under the tuition of Professor Andrzej Godek, and was awarded the grade excellent.
He has received a lot of awards and distinctions in music competitions, among others, he is the winner of the first prize in the Polish National Auditions of the Secondary Schools of Music for woodwind classes in Olsztyn (1996), the third prize in the 11th K. Kurpiński Academic Clarinet Competition in Włoszakowice (2000) and the third prize in the 4th Johannes Brahms International Competition of Chamber Music in Gdańsk (2006). In 2002, he reached the semi-final during the International Clarinet Competition “Prague Spring” in Prague and in 2003 and he qualified for and took part in the ARD International Clarinet Competition in Munich. For his achievements he was twice awarded a scholarship of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage (2000–2002) and the Creativity Scholarship of the City of Krakow (2003).
He took part in many international and national festivals : the Eurosilesia International Music Festival, the International Festival of Music in Old Krakow, the International Festival of Contemporary Music Borderland, Easter Festival of Ludwig van Beethoven, the Young Euro Classic Festival, the International Festival of Contemporary Music –12 days of Music Composers in Krakow, the Festival of Polish Contemporary Music – Musica Polonica Nova, the “Muzyka na Szczytach” International Festival of Chamber Music and so on.
He has participated in many clarinet courses, for example the interpretation and composition course taught by K. Stockhausen. He has made a lot of CD, television and radio recordings for national and international studios: DUX, Centaur Reccord, Le Foxx Music, Universal Music and others. He teaches in the Władysław Żeleński Secondary State School of Music in Krakow. Since 2006 he has been an assistant lecturer in the clarinet class of Professor Andrzej Godek at the Academy of Music in Krakow. In 2011, he received the PhD degree of Musical Arts in the discipline of instrumental art and he was employed as a lecturer.
Since 2004 he has co-operated with the Beethoven Academy Orchestra as principal clarinet. He makes guest appearances with many orchestras and bands as well as performs in solo and chamber concerts. In 2016 he obtained the degree of habilitated doctor of musical arts.
Piotr Lato is currently the Head of the Department of Wind Instruments and Accordion at the Academy of Music in Krakow.
