A graduate of the Mieczysław Karłowicz Music High School in Poznań, Rapczewski studied percussion under Professor Jerzy Zgodziński at the Poznań State Higher School of Music (presently Ignacy Jan Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań), and commenced his artistic activity as a member of the orchestra of the Poznań State Opera. He has performed in the Poznań Percussion Ensemble led by Professor Zgodziński, the Polish Chamber Philharmonic, and the Chamber Orchestra of the Polish Radio "Amadeus". Since 1973 he has been a member of the Poznań Philharmonic. Professor Rapczewski has performed with orchestras and ensembles in every European country.

In 1996 Marian Rapczewski began working as a pedagogue at the Poznań State Higher School of Music, and became a full professor in 2007. He was the Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Instruments from 2002 until 2005, and since 2005 has served as the Dean. His students and pupils from the Academy of Music and the Mieczysław Karłowicz Music High School in Poznań won 37 prizes (14 first prizes) at national and international percussion competitions and auditions.

Professor Rapczewski has served on the jury on over forty major national percussion competitions, and as the Chair of the Jury on twenty-three occasions. He is an expert for the Ministry of National Education, a reviewer in confirmation proceedings for doctoral degrees, and is the Vice-President of the Percussion Art Association.

1978, 1989, 1998 and 2001 featured gala concerts in honor of his pedagogical activity, during which he organized and took part in percussion concerts and workshops featuring his students and pupils, past and present, and included premiers of numerous new pieces. Among the premiers were works dedicated to him by the Polish composers Antoni Gref, Maciej Muraszko, Lidia Zielińska and Marta Ptaszyńska and performed by groups of 20, 40, 50 and 60 percussionists. Ptaszynska’s “Street Music,” a piece for a seventy piece percussion orchestra, was performed on the 40^th anniversary of his pedagogical work.