Jakub Polaczyk – a Polish-American composer from New York City and his “sursynthetic” music on the new album “Union Square”
Introduction to Jakub Polaczyk
Jakub Polaczyk is a Polish-American composer who currently resides in New York City. He was born in Krakow, Poland in 1983 and has a diverse background as a composer, pianist, and pedagogue. Polaczyk has dedicated his life to promoting contemporary music and has won numerous top awards for his compositions.
Education and Career Highlights
Polaczyk graduated from the Penderecki Music Academy and Jagiellonian University in Poland, as well as Carnegie Mellon University. He currently serves as the director of the International Chopin and Friends Festival and a radio broadcaster for contemporary and classical music in New York City and Chicago. Polaczyk is also a member of the faculty at the New York Conservatory of Music, where he teaches composition, music theory, and piano performance.
Awards and Recognitions
Polaczyk’s works have received numerous awards and recognitions, including a recent commission by Composers Guild of New Jersey (2022), American Prize in Composition (2020), SIMC International Compositional Competition for Harpsichord in Milan (2019), and the Iron Composer First Prize in Cleveland, Ohio (2013). His compositions have been performed all around the world, including at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in the United States, as well as in various European countries.
Performance and Compositions
Polaczyk’s music has been performed by several renowned ensembles, including Avanti, Slee Sinfonietta, NeoQuartet, and many others. His compositions have been published by Donemus, PWM and Babel Scores and recorded by Ablaze Records and Albany Records.
Latest Album “Union Square”
Polaczyk’s latest album for Albany Records, “Union Square,” includes pieces for solo and ensemble instruments up to quartets. The album showcases Polaczyk’s approach to blending his own Polish tradition with other techniques in a surrealistic way. The album is opened by a piece for Trombone Solo performed by Paweł Cieślak from the Warsaw National Symphony Orchestra, and ends with a lullaby written for the composer’s son.
The Concept Behind “Union Square”
Union Square is a special place to Polaczyk, where he likes to go and play chess with people. It’s also a place where different cultures meet, interact, and unite, which the composer found inspiring. He often compares his compositional methods to playing a game of chess and characterizes the album as having “sursynthetic” elements, where different compositional techniques and cultural elements blend to create a new whole.
Release Information
The “Union Square” album is set to be released on March 1, 2023 by Albany Records. Polaczyk hopes that listeners will enjoy this album, which was primarily composed in New York City.
