Concert pianist, professor, and head of the piano faculty at the Krzysztof Penderecki Academy of Music in Cracow.

Graduate of Academy of Music in Cracow in a class specializing in piano under the tutelage of Professor Tadeusz Żmudziński. She is postgraduate of the Academy of Music in Warsaw under the direction of professor Andrzej Jasiński, and later under the direction of Karl-Heinz Kammerling in soloist class of Hochschule of Music and Theatre in Hanover (Germany). She won the first prize and the special award in the piano competition of the First Polish Karol Szymanowski Piano Competition in Łódź (1983). She was also granted the Frederic Chopin Artistic Scholarship twice in a competition organized by Frederic Chopin Association in Warsaw (1983,1984). In 1989 she received the special prize from the jury in the 3rd International Piano Competition in Palm Beach, Florida – USA (for the winners of piano competitions) and in 1990 she took second prize at the Vth International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition in Palma Majorca (Spain). She took 3rd place at the Chopin Piano Competition in Uoln (Germany, 1991). As a solist she has been performing at numerous Polish and international music festivals, among other: International Chopin Festivals in Naples, Marianske Lazne, Duszniki. Settembre Musica Festival in Turin, International Art Festival in Phenian, International Piano Marathon Madrit-Bilbao. In 1994 she initated Piano Master Classes in Krynica (Poland) – she was the artistic director and teacher together with Kevin Kenner. Since 2002 she has been the artistic director of the Summer Music Festival in Krynica. She has been giving public concerts all over the world; Austria, Italy, Hungary, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Russia, Spain, North Corea , Japan, USA, Egypt. Mariola Cieniawa has recorded recording for the Polish Radio, Polish Television and „Polish Records“. She has also recorded numerous CD-s Danza Iberica solo CD with the Spanish Music (Castello, 2008); Trios of Mendelssohn and Shostakowich with Kaja Danczowska – violin, Dorota Imiełowska – cello (CD Accord, 2003) nominated to the Fryderyk Prize; two CD-s with the modern XX-century chamber music with Dorota Imiełowska – cello (Koch Classics, 2001). She won the special prize „Mosty Starosty“ in 2007 for outstanding achievements in piano playing and popularization of music culture. She was many times a member of the jury of piano and chamber music competitions in Poland and a juror of the II and III Egyption Chopin Piano Competition in Cairo (2012,2013). Since 1986 she has been running her own class in the Piano Department in the Academy of Music in Cracow.