Jakub Polaczyk
*8 March 1983
Works by Jakub Polaczyk
Biography
Jakub Polaczyk (born in 1983 in Poland) is a Polish-American composer, pianist, and pedagogue. He graduated from the Penderecki Music Academy, Jagiellonian University and Carnegie Mellon University. He studied with: Marcel Chyrzyński, Marek Chołoniewski, Krzysztof Penderecki, Reza Vali, Jan van Landeghem. He resides in New York City and is an advocate for contemporary music. As the director of the International Chopin and Friends Festival, (2018-2023) Polaczyk has launched a new music composition competition. As a radio broadcaster, he presents contemporary and classical mu- sic side by side to audiences in New York City and Chicago. As a member of the faculty at the New York Conservatory of Music, he teaches composition, music theory and piano performance. Polaczyk's works have won numerous top awards: Clouzine Magazine best Chamber Album (2024), Top composition prizes on the WOMC International Competition (2023), Third Prize at the Wolfgang Amadeus International Composition Award in Vienna (September 2023), Golden Diploma on the Musical Eagles Award in Poland (2023), Silver Medal on the Global Music Awards in USA (2023), winning: commission by Composers Guild of New Jersey (2022), First Prize on the American Prize in Composition (2020), SIMC International Compositional Competition for Harpsichord in Milan (2019), the Iron Composer First Prize in Cleveland, Ohio (2013) and Orion Orchestral Composition Competition in London (2010). In 2024 he was the Runner-up for the John Easton Composition Competition organized by the New York Composers Circle. His compositions have been performed and broadcasted around the world. In the United States, Polaczyk's works have been performed at composer conferences and music festivals in 24 states and have been premiered at: the Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kaufman Center in NYC. Additionally, his works have been performed in many European countries and Asia. A few of the ensembles that performed his music include: Avanti, Slee Sinfonietta, NeoQuartet, Argus Quartet, Cracow Duo, NED Milano, Blow Up Percussion Rome, Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble Belfast, Cracow Golden Woodwind Quintet, Four Corners, Avanti Ensemble, Bulgaria National Orchestra, Hanoi Philharmonics National Orchestra, Connecticut Virtuosi Orchestra, Brazil National Orchestra, Janacek Symphony Orchestra, Tacoma Wind Ensemble, Coro Volante and the Carnegie Contemporary Ensemble.
Jakub Polaczyk is a Steinway & Sons partner and his music is published by: Donemus, PWM, Universal Vienna and Babel scores and his music was released by: Albany Records and Ablaze Records. He also lectured at: Escola De Música de Brasilia(2019), Wheaton College in Chicago (2020), Iowa Community College in Des Moines (2020), Gonzaga University (2021), University of Nevada Las Vegas (2022), University of Washington in Seattle (2023), University of Louisville (2024), Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing (2024).
As a pianist collaborated with many international artists: Christine Walevska, Pein Wen, Nadia Rodriguez, Kofi Hayford and contemporary ensemble like Carnegie Contemporary Ensemble. Documentary about life of Jakub Polaczyk directed by Dennis Woytek "Conversation With Jakub Polaczyk” won bronze at the 43rd Telly Awards in New York (2023). Artist was awarded multiple scholarships in Poland and abroad. In 2023 in NYC the artist was awarded the decoration by the Minister of Culture of Poland: The Gloria Artis Bronze Medal for Merit to Culture of Poland. In 2024 in Poland was also awarded decoration by the Mayor of the city of Stary Sàcz and also received “Great-Local-Global: Cultural Passport” in 2024 President of Poland awarded him the Golden Cross of Merit Medal. For more details, please visit www.jakub.polaczyk.com
About the music
Jakub is a sursynehtetic artist inspired by different cultures and writes his daily imaginary diary that blends varieties of compositional techniques. One of the fasciation is writing musical postcards and diaries and references to Native Americans Culture (Ojibbeway, Chanunpa, Waha’yoo Winds) and East Asia (Callin’ Saigdi, Korpodyque). His interest in composition and music are deeply rooted in his nostalgia of traditional Polish music and the curiosity of remote cultures that can extend his musical perspectives. Composer in his music also sometimes use video and theatrical actions and gestures and believes in spirituality in music. Composer believes that music can be always perceived by all the human senses and for what he is also looking in his music. www.jakub.polaczyk.com
