Pikul graduated from the Academy of Music in Kraków, where he studied under Tadeusz Żmudziński, and from the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Vienna in the piano class of Paul Badura-Skoda (1981–83).
He participated in masterclasses under Regina Smendzianka in Weimar (1975 and 1979), Alexander Jenner in Vienna (1981), Tamás Vásáry in Lenk (1982, 1983) and Asis (1988), Guido Agosti in Siena (1982) and Vlado Perlemuter in Paris (1983).
Pikul has given lectures and masterclasses throughout Europe, America and Asia (Universidade de Brasilia in Brazil, Universidad de La Serena in Chile, Osaka College of Music and Kobe College in Japan, University of Music and Theatre Leipzig, Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe, State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart in Germany, Universidade de Aveiro in Portugal).
He was awarded honorary citizenship from La Serena in Chile (1994) and Iwonicz-Zdrój in Poland, where he initiated the Prince Michał Kleofas Ogiński Festival.
In 1999 he initiated International Summer Academy of Music in Cracow, an annual project consisting of masterclasses and concerts given by most eminent musicians.