Nikolay Maretsky is a true master of his craft and is able to learn thoroughly all the secrets of playing the mandolin and the domra. His mastery is full of depth, freedom, inspiration and high professional culture. He managed to reach a high mastery at all the genres of the folk and classic music and all the composing styles. He is a laureate of five international contests. The first victory came to a performer in 1983, when at the all-Union contest of the popular artists in Moscow the belarusians Maretsky (domra) and Zhyvalevsky (guitar) were the laureates and won the 2nd prize. In 1992, at the International competition "Northern Cup", the soloist was the winner of the 1st prize. Then there were victories at the international contests in Italy (Kastelfidarda, 1995) – the III prize, in Germany (Klingenthal, 1996) in a duet with I. Otradnov (accordion) – the I Prize, and in Schweinfurt (Germany, 2001) – the I prize.
Maretsky Nikolay Nikolaevich is an extraordinarily creative and active person. Every year he gives a lot of concerts in Belarus and in the Belarusian State Philharmonic Society. His programs are very interesting and original. In his repertoire there are the concerts of N. Budashkin, I. Gumel, C. Saint-Saens, F. Mendelssohn arranged for domra and orchestra, the music of composers from Germany, Italy, France (J. Bach, C. Debussy, D. Scarlatti, D. Tortini, etc.), works of modern Russian and Belarusian authors (V.Olovnikov, E. Glebov, G. Sviridov, D.Shostakovich and others).
Nikolay Maretsky made successful tours in Germany, Greece, Syria, Egypt, Italy, Poland, Russia, Ukraine. He is a member of the III World Mandolin Symposium in Trosingen in 2004, of Eurofestival in Friedrichshafen in 2002 and in the city of Bamberg in 2006 – 2007, a jury member of the international competitions in Greece, Russia, Japan and the Republic of Belarus. Nikolay Maretsky is one of the active organizers and members of the jury of the contest n.a. I.Zhinovich in 2007 and "the Northern Cup" in 2002, the European Association of guitar and domra in Patra (Greece, 2007) and in Osaka (Japan, 2005, 2007, 2009), the contest of performers on mandolin (ARTE - mandolinistica).
He gives much time and effort to the education of young performers at the Belarusian State Academy of Music. Among his pupils there is a number of winners of international competitions and contests.
The laureate of the international contests, the Belarusian State Philharmonic Society soloist Natalia Korsak.
The international contests: "n.a. I.Zhinovich" in Minsk (Belarus, 2002) - the diploma, "The Northern Cup" in Cherepovets (Russia, 2004) – the III Prize, «International Akkordeonwettbewerb» in a duet "Elite" in Klingetal (Germany, 2005) - the diploma, "Yasuo Kuwahara" in Schweinfurt (Germany, 2005) – the III Prize, «ARTE - mandalinasima» in Osaka (Japan) and the mandolin of the Japanese master Naguchchi Minoru (2005) – the I prize, "The Northern Cup" in Cherepovets (Russia, 2006) – the II Prize, "n.a. I.Zhinovich" in Minsk (Belarus, 2007) – the I Prize, "Visanen-2007" (Greece) – the I prize, "Yasuo Kuwahara" in Hammelburg (Germany) – the III prize.
Ekatherina Prokopchik – the laureate of the international competitions for mandolin solo:
"The Northern Cup" (Russia, 2000) – the II Prize, "Rafael Kalache" (Italy, 2002) – the I Prize, "Mandolin Solo" in Schweinfurt (Germany, 2002) – the II prize, "the International Music Tournament" in France, 2004 – the I place, "the Prize of the European mandolin-guitar association EGMA» in the city of Patras (Greece, 2007) – the I prize.
In 2007 Nikolay Maretsky was given a gratitude from the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Belarus.
In 2010 Nikolay Maretsky was given the high state award - the Medal of F.Skoryna.
