The Fryderyk Chopin State Music School Complex in Warsaw
Students of the Stage Vocal Dept., Jazz Dept. and the Henryk Majewski Post-Secondary Jazz Programme in the Fryderyk Chopin State Music School Complex in Warsaw
Magdalena Howorska
Blanka Pieńkos
Katarzyna Górska
Paweł Skiba
Sebastian Kuchciak
Barbara Pospieszalska
Magdalena Skawińska
Grażyna Sobocińska
Łukasz Lipski
Daria Markiewicz
Zespół instrumentalny
Wojciech Zieliński aranżacja /prowadzenie
Students of the Stage Vocal Dept., Jazz Dept. and the Henryk Majewski Post-Secondary Jazz Programme in the Fryderyk Chopin State Music School Complex in Warsaw:
Katarzyna Górska
A qualified teacher by profession, but a musician by calling, Katarzyna Grońska graduated from the violin class in the primary music school and is now studying at the Fryderyk Chopin State Music School Complex in Warsaw in the Stage Singing class under the direction of Professor Barbara Abramowicz. Her passions include musicals and theatre, and she wants to imbue others, including children with a love of music.
Magdalena Howorska
Magdalena Howorska began her music education at the age of 9 in the piano class at the Fryderyk Chopin State Music School Complex in Poznań. A home in which the family had an interest in music determined the path of her future endeavours. With time, only the instrument changed, with Magdalena deciding to abandon the piano in favour of singing. Although initially it was only used as an addition to the accompaniment, it had quickly become a way of life.
As the years went by, she began to discover other music styles and it soon turned out that apart from classical music it was jazz that was closest to her heart.
Magdalena studies at the Henryk Majewski Post-Secondary Jazz School in Warsaw, refining her skills under the direction of excellent teachers. The competitions and festivals of which she is a laureate she treats as an excellent exercise for improving her stage presence. She continues to explore the world of jazz, looking for new inspirations.
Sebastian Kuchciak
A 5th year student of Spatial Management at the University of Warsaw and a student in the vocal and stage performance class of the Fryderyk Chopin Secondary State Music School in Warsaw. Founder, conductor and soloist of the Z Potrzeby Serc gospel vocal group. Sebastian received many artistic scholarships.
His involvement with music started at a very early age, but his greatest passion is gospel music. He has been singing in choirs since he was 11, and for the past 8 years he has led a group which won the Amber Rose award twice at the Camp Meeting Osiek Festival in 2006 and 2008. He also received a distinction for best conductor twice. Sebastian worked together with, among others, Ewa Uryga, Wayne Ellington and Brian Fentress, singing on stage in Poland and abroad. He believes that a smile is a powerful force, always looks at the positive side of things and his motto is “nothing is impossible”.
Łukasz Lipski
A graduate of the Tadeusz Kościuszko High School and in the violin class of the Primary and Secondary State Music School in Łomża.
Currently a student of the Inter-Faculty Individual Humanist Studies at the University of Warsaw and a student of the Post-Secondary Jazz School in the jazz vocal class of Professor Izabela Zając. He attended workshops led by Anna Serafińska, Janusz Szrom, Elżbieta Zapendowska, Joanna Zagdańska, Grażyna Łobaszewska, Patrycja Gola, and Mietek Szcześniak.
Łukasz is a laureate of many music competitions and festivals:
- Grand Prix at the “Wygraj Sukces” Festival in Tarnobrzeg 2007
- 1st place at the National “Beatlemania” Festival 2013
- Grand Prix at the 7th “Soundtrack” National Film and Musical Song Festival 2012
- 3rd place at the 1st Al Legro Tribute to Szpilman National Festival, Sosnowiec 2011
- Honourable mention at the “Piosenka jest dobra na wszystko” National Festival, Warsaw 2013
- 1st place at the “Ten Ton” National Song Festival, Dorożkarnia 2010
- Finalist in the 3rd “Serca Bicie” National Festival of Songs by Andrzej Zauch, Bydgoszcz 2011
- Contestant in the “Szansa na Sukces” television talent show.
Daria Markiewicz
A 3rd year student of internal security at the Faculty of Journalism and Political Science at the University of Warsaw.
Daria has expressed an interest in music at a very early age. She initially learned to play the piano and then graduated in the double bass class at the State Primary Music School in Bielsk Podlaski. She sang in many school and church choirs. She took part in many competitions, concerts and festivals. She is currently refining her skills and at the Stage Singing Dept. in the Fryderyk Chopin State Music School Complex in Warsaw in the class of Professor Agnieszka Lipska.
Blanka Pieńkos
A student of the Stage Singing Dept. at the Fryderyk Chopin State Music School Complex in Warsaw, in the class of Professor Małgorzat Kustosz-Piatosa. She is also a 2nd year student at the School for Adults and a saxophone class primary music school graduate. Laureate of many national music festivals.
Barbara Pospieszalska
Barbara Pospieszalska completed her study of the violin at the Karol Kurpiński State Music School in Warsaw. She is currently in grade 1 of high school and in the 1st year at the Henryk Majewski Jazz School in Warsaw in the jazz vocal class of Professor Janusz Szrom. Brought up in a family of musicians, she has participated in many music projects and concerts since she was a child, performing in many famous venues in Poland and abroad. Her greatest passion is jazz, but also traditional and electronic music.
Magdalena Skawińska
Magdalena Skawińska (soprano) graduated in the clarinet class of primary music school and from the vocal dept. of secondary music school in the class of Anna Budzińska in Rzeszów. She is a graduate of the Vocal and Acting Dept. at the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz, schooling her voice under the direction of Professor Magdalena Krzyńska. In 2003 she performed in a concert of graduating students with the Rzeszów Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Monika Wolińska. She has performed a number of times at Polish Radio in Rzeszów. In February of 2009 she performed on the stage of Teatr Muzyczny in Poznań, playing the role of Pepi in the graduation performance of J. Strauss’ “Wiener Blut”. In March of 2009 she sang in the Pomeranian Philharmonic with the symphony orchestra of the Academy of Music under the direction of Zygmunt Rychert. She took part in many courses and competitions, including the International Music Interpretation Course in Nowy Sącz, “Le Grenier Musical d’Automne Festival autour du Romantisme” – Bailleul-Neuville in France, at the Matjaz Robavs master course and at the 1st “Face to Face” competition in 2009. In 2006 she was awarded an honourable mention at the FIPA national actors’ song competition in Bydgoszcz. In 2011 she completed her artistic traineeship at the Vocal Dept. of the University of Music in Warsaw, where she prepared operetta and opera arias under the direction of Professor Jolanta Janucik. That year she was also awarded the Grand Prix at the National Retro Song Festival in Warsaw. Magdalena successfully sings classical music, operetta and musicals, while her cooperation with many musicians has also resulted in jazz projects.
Paweł Skiba
Paweł Skiba was born in the small town of Szozdy, located in the Roztocze region of Poland.
Paweł Skiba began his adventure with music in his childhood. He has been performing in festivals and theatre at a very early age. Paweł graduated from the RCEZ High School in Biłgoraj and from primary music school in accordion. He is currently a student in the Stage Singing Dept. at the Fryderyk Chopin State Music School Complex in Warsaw.
Grażyna Sobocińska
Grażyna Sobocińska graduated in violin from the Karol Szymanowski State Primary and Secondary Music School Complex in Warsaw. She is currently in the 2nd year of studying jazz vocals at the Fryderyk Chopin State Music School Complex in the class of Professor Agnieszka Wilczyńska. She is the vocalist in the Sobocińska/Różalski/Załęski acoustic trio, with which she has already had an opportunity to perform live. She is also a member of the Jazz City Choir, which recently released their first CD. Apart from music Grażyna enjoys theatre. She is also a 1st year student of an acting course at the Baza Theatre.
Wojciech Zieliński arrangements / leader
Wojciech Zieliński graduated from the Academy of Music in Warsaw in the composition class of dr Zbigniew Rudziński (1989). He has been working together with Polish Radio and Television since 1975. In 1976–1977 he worked in the Komedia Theatre and in 1978–1979 with the Na Targówku Theatre in Warsaw as arranger, composer and conductor. In 1998 he began to teach arranging in the Post-Secondary Jazz School in Warsaw. He has been teaching jazz ear training at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. Involved in the Stage Song Review in Wrocław as composer and arranger in the years 1993–2007. Zieliński has been teaching arranging in the Jazz School of the Fryderyk Chopin State Music School Complex in Warsaw since 1998. In 1999–2006 he arranged songs for the “Pamiętajmy o Osieckiej” competition. He also arranged songs for the “Great Agnieszka Osiecka Songbook”. In 1998 he recorded a jazz-style album titled “The Heart of Spider”.
Zieliński composes instrumental, pop, classical, film, theatre and jazz music. He has arranged approximately 1600 published works, performed by, among others, Felicjan Andrzejczak, Hanna Banaszak, Ewa Błaszczyk, Ewa Bem, Ewa Dałkowska, Andrzej Dąbrowski, Halina Frąckowiak, Edyta Geppert, Krystyna Janda, Robert Janowski, Anna Maria Jopek, Wojciech Karolak, Jan Kobuszewski, Marian Kociniak, Małgorzata Kożuchowska, Ewa Kuklińska, Natalia Kukulska, Grzegorz Markowski, Alicja Majewska, Dorota Miśkiewicz, Henryk Miśkiewicz, Włodzimierz Nahorny, Marian Opania, Jerzy Połomski, Danuta Rinn, Maryla Rodowicz, Ryszard Rynkowski, Irena Santor, Tomasz Stańko, Katarzyna Skrzynecka, Hanna Śleszyńska, Krystyna Tkacz, Zbigniew Wodecki, Zbigniew Zamachowski, Andrzej Zaorski, Wiktor Zborowski, Artur Żmijewski & Alibabki, Exit, the Polish Radio Orchestra, Perfect and VOX.
As a conductor, arranger and musician, he has worked for the following Polish films and television series: Deszczowy Żołnierz (1996), Ekstradycja 2, Boża Podszewka (1995–1996) and Boża Podszewka II (2003–2004). Musical director and conductor of the musical “Chicago” staged in the Komedia Theatre in Warsaw (2002), Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill’s the “Three Penny Opera” in the Syrena Theatre in Warsaw (2004), Leon Schiller’s “Kram z piosenkami” in the Syrena Theatre in Warsaw (2008) and the “Symphonic Perfect” concert (2009). He produced the following albums: Maryla Rodowicz “Marysia Biesiadna” (1994), Maryla Rodowicz “Złota Maryla” (1995), Danuta Rinn “Jeszcze jestem” (1998), Wojciech Zieliński “The Heart of Spider” (1999), Warsaw Paris Jazz Quintet and the Perfect Girls ‘n’ Friends Orchestra “Chopin Symphony Jazz Project” (2010). His own compositions include the CD “The Heart of Spider” (1998), music for television theatre productions: Casanova (directed by Maciej Wojtyszko), “Ściana Artura czyli co zrobimy z Henriettą” (directed by Laco Adamik), “Mojżesz i Katarzyna” (directed by Adek Drabiński); music for television films: “Bliskie spotkania z historią” (directed by Laco Adamik), “Szansa na życie” (a film cycle directed by various directors) and “Bieszczadzki Park Narodowy” (directed by Jacek Sołtysiak).
Awards and honourable mentions: 2nd prize at the National Arrangers’ Competition (1978), honourable mention in the “Premiere” concert at the National Polish Song Festival in Opole for the song “Ja dla pana czasu nie mam” – arranger and conductor (1981), 3rd prize in the Polish Radio competition for the electronic work “Córka Beduina” (1983), 2nd prize at the Competition of the Young Composers’ Circle of the Polish Composers’ Union for the work “Il tremolar della marina” for string orchestra (1990) and 1st prize in the ZAiKS, Polish Composers’ Union and Young Composers’ Circle Competition on the occasion of the 120th birthday anniversary of Karol Szymanowski for the work “Światła Ziemi” (2003).
Jazz Department in the Fryderyk Chopin State Music School Complex in Warsaw
The department was established 20 years ago, in September 1992, on the initiative of pianist Paweł Skrzypek, then the deputy and currently the artistic director of the school. In April 1992 he came up with an idea of introducing jazz education to the School on Bednarska Street and presented the idea to Henryk Majewski – famous trumpet player and president of the Polish Jazz Association. Since Majewski was a long-term, experienced director and organiser of the famous jazz workshops in Chodzież, Paweł Skrzypek’s initiative could not have fallen on more fertile ground.
Thanks to the support of jazz aficionado Michał Jagiełło, the undersecretary of state in the Ministry of Culture, the sympathy of Adrianna Poniecka-Piekutowska and Maksymilian Celeda from the Department for Artistic Education and the managerial skills of Danuta Olechnowicz, the principal of the school at that time, the idea was brought to life in merely four months. It quickly became obvious that there is an enormous demand for jazz education in Warsaw.
Since the beginning of its existence, the popularity of the Department was enhanced by its excellent teaching personnel, which included some of the greatest Polish jazz musicians: Andrzej Trzaskowski, Andrzej Jagodziński, Kazimierz Jonkisz, Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski, Czesław Bartkowski, Zbigniew Namysłowski, Zbigniew Wegehaupt, Robert Majewski and Henryk Majewski, who took on the role of the Department Head. The Department was so popular among secondary music school graduates that this inspired Henryk Majewski to establish a post-secondary jazz school. Five years later, this initiative was brought to fruition by the next principal of the school, Krystyna Bentkowska. By expanding the jazz education program at the school to include the two-year Post-Secondary Jazz School, she created a new structure – a school complex. In 1998, Henryk Majewski became the deputy principal in charge of jazz education, while direction of the Department was given to drummer Czesław Bartkowski, who holds this position to this day. After the death of Henryk Majewski in 2005, the School was named after him and the position of deputy principal in charge of jazz education was taken over by double bassist Adam Cegielski.
The teaching personnel includes Ewa Bem, Iza Zając, Grzegorz Nagórski, Michał Tokaj, Piotr Lemański, Bogdan Hołownia, Michał Kulenty, Wojciech Majewski and Janusz Szrom. Jazz theory is taught by Paweł Perliński, Ryszard Borowski, Piotr Rodowicz and Wojciech Zieliński.
More than 350 students have attended the Department and the School, of whom more than 160 have obtained their graduation diplomas. Many of the School’s graduates have achieved success in jazz venues worldwide. Some of the better-known names include Aga Zaryan, Marcin Masecki, Łukasz Poprawski, Rafał Sarnecki, Paweł Pańta, Jakub Cichocki, Dominik Gawroński, Wojciech Pulcyn, Przemysław Raminiak and Robert Luty; the School’s students have had opportunities to perform at such prestigious jazz events as, recently, in the Jazz Rally in Düsseldorf, Germany.
Thanks to the friendliness of Ambassadors of the United States in Poland and to the involvement of people like Chuck Ashley, Andrew B. Paul, Lisa Helling and Izabella Szarek, the school has been able to work together with the United States Embassy since the beginning of the school’s existence. This has resulted in grants in the form of jazz workshops run by the greatest American musicians, including Hal Galper, Wynton Marsalis, Jerry Bergonzi, Mike Richmond, Chuck Loeb, Mitchel Forman, Judy Bady, Wayne Dockery, Dan Tepfer, Kevin Harris, Joel Press, John Wilkins, Victor Mendoza, Eric Marienthal, Paulinho Garcia, Skip Hadden, Ari Roland, Victor Bailey and Richie Barshay. Unceasing support from the Dept. of Artistic & Cultural Education and from the Centre for Artistic Education contribute to the continuing development of jazz education in the Bednarska school. Today, we are easily capable of competing with jazz departments of music academies both in terms of our personnel and teaching level.
Our graduates continue their education in many schools in Poland and abroad, but they often reminisce about the unique, friendly atmosphere of our school. When introduced, the idea of professional jazz education on both secondary and post-secondary levels was ahead of its time and today we are able to share our 20 years’ worth of experience by consulting the upcoming reform of artistic education.
