NIKOLA KOŁODZIEJCZYK – composer, arranger, conductor and pianist
Assistant professor at Frederic Chopin University of Music in Warsaw.

Recipient of numerous awards and accolades, two time winner of Fryderyk Award („Polish Grammy” - Polish Phonographic Society annual awards) for Jazz Debut of the year 2015 for Chord Nation suite for jazz orchestra, and Jazz Album of the Year 2016 for Barok Progresywny suite featuring folk instruments, historically informed performers and improvisers. He was nominated to the prestigious Polish Music Coryphaeus 2015, recipient of the Berklee College of Music World Scholarship Tour, Bosendorfer Solo Piano Competition at the Montreux Jazz Festival 2007 semi-finalist , winner of a number of awards: Transatlantic Instant Composition Competition HM, Bielska Zadymka Jazzowa, Krokus Jazz Festival, Jazz Juniors, Festival of Jazz Piano „Debiuty”, „Hopes of Warsaw”, winner of Grand Prix Jazz Melomani as the New Hope and for the Album of the Year.

He has recieved MoA in jazz composition under prof. Ed Partyka and dr Dariusz Janus at Academy of Music in Katowice. He has recieved MoA in jazz piano under dr. Wojciech Niedziela (ibid.) He studied under the guidance of eminent educators - Edward Anthony Partyka (USA), Irena Rolanowska, Andrzej Jagodzinski, Kazimierz Chludek, Emilian Madey, Dariusz Janus, Bogdan Chmura and Wojciech Niedziela. He also owes his musical skills to brief but impactful encounters with such figures as Vince Mendoza, Ravi Coltrane, Ralph Alessi, Lotte Anker, Maria Schneider, Jim Black and Kurt Elling.

He authored numerous large ensemble concert suites: „Chord Nation” for jazz orchestra, „Barok Progresywny” for folk instruments, historically informed performers and improvisers, Piano concerto for Dominik Wania, Concerto for trombone and symphonic orchestra (Bart van Lier, soloist), „Wisent” for string quartet and electronics, Brzeziny concerto for sewing machines, typewriters and 9 instrumentalists, Suite for trumpet, trombone and string orchestra and Instant Ensemble performance installation for realtime composition for 7 instrumentalists. He also composed music for ballet „Kryptonim 27” inspired by art of Beksiński.

As a conductor he led such orchestras as Szczecin Philharmonic, The Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic, Koszalin Philharmonic, NFM Leopoldinum (premiering Vijay Ijer’s „Emergence”), The Elbląg Chamber Orchestra, Łódź Philharmonic, Pomeranian Philharmonic, Lviv Philharmonic and others.

He co-founded (with Michał Tomaszczyk) KONGLOMERAT Big Band - dedicated to advancing the creation of new non-commercial works of young contemporary jazz composers.
Alongside Michał Bryndal and Maciej Szczyciński he is a co-leader of Stryjo - trio dedicated to instanteous compositions: creating melodic instrumental songs entirely during the concerts - without written material - that are derived solely out of realtime communication among musicians.
As a pianist he tours with such ensembles as: Vincent Veneman 10, Štěpánka Balcarová TUWIM, Michał Zaborski Quartet, Bartek Pieszka Quartet, Mateusz Pliniewicz Quartet, Aga Kiepuszewska FALA, Joanna Kucharczyk Quartet.

His music has been commissioned and performed by: Metropole Orkest feat. Richard Bona, NOSPR (Bart van Lier: soloist), Wrocław Philharmonic and Jazztopad Festival, Łódź Philharmonic and Kolory Polski festival, Stryjo, Jazz Orchester Regensburg, Amôn Quartet (Belgia) Nederlands Blasers Ensemble, Konglomerat Big Band, Amine et Hamza M'Raihi, Filharmonia Szczecińska, Concept Art Orchestra , Orkiestra Opery i Filharmonii Podlaskiej, Nigel Kennedy Orchestra of Life Strings, Klezmafour, Akademicka Orkiestra Barokowa, Anna Hawkins (New Zealand), Michał Polcyn "Cuiaviana", Aga Kiepuszewska "Silence", Orkiestra L'Autunno, Multiplayer Ensemble, Karolina Skrzyńska, Adam Bałdych, Kid Brown, Małgorzata Hutek, Nika Lubowicz, Kuba Badach, Jana Gavacova, Big Band Małopolski, ReVerb Ensemble and others.

Maria Schneider, the winner of two Grammy Awards writes about him: „I am blown away by his music. This music is powerful, creative, intricate, soulful — quite extraordinary. His musical ideas are so original.”

Ed Partyka: „Kołodziejczyk is one of the most talented musicians that I have ever met. He represents the future of polish creative music.”