JAGD

“Four raw, minimalist pieces use the poetics of hunting signals, but introduce a definite distortion into their score. The trumpet, which has a triumphant function in the hunting ritual, acts in dispersion here. The sounds of the trumpet are after-images of the proper signals, they are diluted, distant, stripped of their symbolic role. The ecstasy of the hunter is suspended, it appears to be impossible to accomplish. JAGD is a spell against ecstasy. At the same time, a suppressed hunting triumph is not replaced by another triumph; ecstasy does not turn into another ecstasy. It is left in the distance, to die. One can see in JAGD a gesture of renouncing ecstasy as an ultimate form of strong, firm, and explosive expression. Departing from it means turning to regularity and aesthetic severity, and simultaneously – to the meditative dimension of music.”

– Marcelina Obarska

EMIL MISZK

He began his musical education in 1998 by taking trumpet lessons at the Mieczysław Michalski State Elementary Music School in Lębork. Emil Miszk is the founder of the Jazz Quintet Algorhythm, which has performed at many prestigious festivals including Warsaw Summer Jazz Days, Sopot Jazz Festival, Jazz nad Odrą Festival, So What’s Next, European Jazz Contest. The band has released three albums: Segments (2015), Mandala (2017), Termomix (2019). In 2017, Miszk founded the octet Emil Miszk & The Sonic Syndicate, with whom he recorded two albums: Don’t Hesitate! (2018) and Artificial Stupidity (2020). All these releases were met with great acclaim by audience and critics alike. Emil Miszk leads a very concert-rich life and finds himself well in many musical spheres. His style is based on the clash of two opposite energies- on the one hand, traditional identity, on the other, total freedom. This is the result of cooperation with such artists as: Markus Stockhausen, John Medeski, John Scofield, Andreas Staier, Leszek Kułakowski, Marcin Masecki, Mitch & Mitch, Nikola Kołodziejczyk and Aleksandra Tomaszewska. In 2019 he won the most prestigious award of the music industry in Poland – the prize of the Fryderyk Phonographic Academy in the category Jazz Debut of the Year for the album “Don’t Hesitate!”

KUBA SOKOŁOWSKI

Pianist, graduate of the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, his main areas of activity include widely understood improvised music and contemporary classics. In 2019, he recorded two albums for the Bôłt Records label: with prof. Szábolcs Esztényi and Pawel Stasiewicz. A member of the Magnolia Acoustic Quartet, with whom he has made two concert albums for the For Tune Records label – the album “Boozer” was played in collaboration with Maciej Obara and Tomasz Dąbrowski. Participant and the second prize winner of the Jazz Juniors and Dolina Kreatywna competitions. In 2014 he took part the SIM Summer Intensive course at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, working and making music with Tim Berne and Ralph Alessi. In 2017, at the Warsaw Autumn and Sacrum Profanum festivals, he participated in the project “Górecki-Muzyczki” under direction of Evan Ziporyn. In 2018, he recorded with Mikołaj Pałosz the L. Hiller’s Devil’s Violin for the PRES exhibition at ZKM Karlsruhe. In 2020 he recorded and reworked the original folksongs on the Radical Songbook Project in cooperation with the Center for Intercultural Creative Initiatives “Crossroads” and the Automatophone foundation. Currently, he is a lecturer at the Fryderyk Chopin University at the Department of Dance.

HUBERT ZEMLER

Drummer and composer. His repertoire includes pieces by 20th and 21st centuries composers including Helmut Lechenmann’s “AIR” (performed at the opening concert of “Warsaw Autumn” Festival 2015 with The Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice conducted by Alexander Liebreich), Steve Reich, Tadeusz Wielecki, Zygmunt Krauze, Tomasz Sikorski, Cornelius Cardew, Zdzisław Piernik, Arturas Bumsteinas. In the years 1999–2004 he studied at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. Besides his classical education and cooperation with symphony orchestras, he played with jazz bands, exploring the secrets of improvisation, experimental and world music. He is a co-founder of Warsaw-based indie bands: Piętnastka (with Piotr Kurek), Slalom, Shy Albatross, jazz trio LAM and the Pilokatabaza percussion duo (with Pawel Szpura); he is also involved in a number of projects combining contemporary music and improvisation. He collaborated with artists such as John Tilbury, Jon Gibson, Evan Ziporyn, Gyan Riley, Agusti Fernandez, Felix Kubin, Reinaldo Ceballo, Mitch & Mitch, Raphael Rogiński, Wacław Zimpel. Hubert Zemler released three solo albums: “Moped” (LADO ABC, 2011), “Gostak & Doshes” (Bôłt Records, 2014) and “Pupation of Dissonance” (Bôłt Records, 2016).

JERZY ROGIEWICZ

Composer, songwriter, drummer and pianist. A graduate of the Academy of Music in Cracow, studied with Zbigniew Bujarski, Krzysztof Penderecki (modern composition techniques) and Magdalena Długosz (electronic music). Instrumentalist and improviser, he performed with Toshinori Kondo, Kazuhisa Uchihashi, Hannoda Taku, David Thomas, and many others. Debuted as a performer in with his band Levity, releasing three albums: “Levity” (Lado ABC 2009), Chopin Shuffle (Universal 2010), Afternoon Delights (Lado ABC 2011). Since 2010 he has continuously cooperated with pianist and composer Marcin Masecki in numerous jazz and classical music projects. Becoming a father, he founded (together with Igor Nikiforow) Jerz Igor – a baroque pop children’s music band, that received both critical and audience acclaim, releasing three albums (Mała Płyta, Jerz Igor Zimą, Wyspa). In 2018 he released his first solo album, with his original arrangements of polish carols for solo drum kit (Kolędy, Lado ABC, 2018). Creates film music (among others: Zhalanash – empty shore dir. Marcin Sauter 2017, The Mute dir. Bartek Konopka 2018) and theater music (Sienkiewicz Superstar, 2017 dir.Aneta Groszyńska, Greta and the Last Whale, dir. Maciej Podstawny 2019). In 2019 he wrote a musical fairy tale for children’s solo voices, choir and symphony orchestra King Matt the 1st, based on a novel by Janusz Korczak, adapted by Grzegorz Uzdański, for the POLIN museum. Currently he is working on the music for the feature film Miasto/City directed by Marcin Sauter.

MIŁOSZ PĘKALA

PhD Miłosz Pękala graduated from the Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw, percussion class of Professor Stanisław Skoczyński (diploma with honours). He also studied at The Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen under Gert Mortensen. For several years he has taken part in many prestigious concerts, festivals and various artistic projects concerning contemporary music, popular music and ethno. He specializes in playing the vibraphone, multipercussion and Latin American instruments. Currently, Miłosz Pękala works as an assistant professor at the Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, he is artistic director of the Hob-beats Percussion Group, co-creates groups: Mitch&Mitch, Pękala Kordylasińska Pękala, MIR, Chain Ensemble, and also takes part in many national and international artistic projects.

BARBARA KINGA MAJEWSKA

Contemporary music artist, singer, performer and publicist based in Warsaw. Graduate of Detmold Music Academy, Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm, University of Warsaw (Musicology) and Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw (Postgraduate Course in Lied Performance). Majewska is the finalist of 2009 Neue Stimmen International Singing Competition, participated in the 8th Neue Stimmen International Opera Master Class in 2009 and Neue Stimmen Lied Master Class with Angelika Kirchschlager (2013). She has received scholarships from the Polish Ministry of Culture and Heritage, Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Varsavia, Bernbeck Foundation, Werner Richard and Dr. Carl Dörken Foundation and Richard Wagner Scholarship Foundation. She took part in Young Artists Programme Opera Academy in Polish National Opera in 2011. Performed with Arditti Quartet, Kwadrofonik Ensemble, Kwartludium Ensemble, Royal String Quartet and Garage Ensemble. Sung in Nowy Teatr in Warsaw, National Opera in Warsaw, Konzerthaus Berlin, NOSPR in Katowice, Teatrze Rozmaitości in Warsaw, Małopolski Ogród Sztuk in Kraków, Muzeum Sztuki in Łódź, Polish Radio Studios, Polin Museum in Warsaw, Królikarnia Museum in Warsaw, Museum for Contemporary Art in Warsaw, ICE in Kraków, Mediateka in Tychy, Center for Contemporary Art in Toruń and took part in Donaueschinger Musiktage (Kompositionsauftrag SWR), Warsaw Autumn Festival, Sacrum Profanum, Malta Festival, Muzyka na Szczytach, Kwadrofonik Festival, Kwartesencja Festival, Ogrody Muzyczne, Klang Festival. Majewska published variety of texts for Glissando, Muzyka w Mieście and Ruch Muzyczny Magazine. She is the author of Critical Vocal Guide (2015), manifesto New Cantability in Contemporary Music (2016) and Critical Guide to Cantability (2020). Since 2018 curates TAL Series for Bôłt Records.

*Co-financed by the Minister of Culture, National Heritage and Sport from funds of the Culture Promotion Fund as part of the “Music” program, obtained from subsidies established in games subject to state monopoly, in accordance with Art. 80 sec. 1 of the Gambling Act of November 19, 2009, implemented by the Institute of Music and Dance.

*The Society of Authors ZAiKS is a Partner of CODES Festival.