On the bicentennial of the publication of ‘Ballads and Romances’, we would like to take a different look at this great cycle by Adam Mickiewicz (1798-1855), eminent Polish author, political writer and activist, considered as one of Poland’s greatest Romantic poets.
We have invited one of the most outstanding Polish composers and arrangers of the young generation, Nikola Kołodziejczyk, to compose a jazz suite based on the Romantic bard’s texts. Nikola Kołodziejczyk intends to entrust the performance of his composition to an ensemble that in its original line-up will look back to Polish musical traditions (including folk music). The suite will also feature white voices, typical of folk music. However, the whole will be maintained in the jazz style.
According to Kołodziejczyk’s creative concept, Mickiewicz’s poetry will be adapted to suit the rhythm of the songs (individual compositions). The task of writing the texts was undertaken by Jacek ‘Budyń’ Szymkiewicz. This highly regarded artist, active for many years in the Polish music scene, was also supposed to take part in the concert tour. Unfortunately, he did not live to see his work’s premiere, since he died on 12th April 2022.
‘Ballads and Romances’ had their concert premiere during the Nisville Jazz Festival (Serbia). With the participation of Polish musicians, the project will now be presented at the Budapest Music Centre (Hungary) as part of Polska Jazz Festival.
The solo parts will be performed by excellent soloists: Tomasz Organek, Natalia Grosiak, and Agnieszka Kiepuszewska.

Nikola Kołodziejczyk - jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and conductor. Graduate of the Academy of Music in Katowice, currently a lecturer at the Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. Many-time nominee and winner of Fryderyk Awards of the Polish phonographic industry. Author of such outstanding projects as Konglomerat Big Band, Cryptonym 27 (a multimedia spectacle inspired by the works of Zdzisław Beksiński), Stryjo, Progressive Baroque, Home Singer, Freedom Suite, Baroque of the New Era - Handel XXI.
In collaboration with Natalia Kukulska, he took part in the project ‘Czułe Struny’ – a new interpretation of the works of Fryderyk Chopin. The album, released in August 2020, met with an enthusiastic reception, not only conquering the radio charts, but also quickly earning the status of a platinum record.

Jacek ‘Budyń’ Szymkiewicz - was a musician, text- and songwriter, as well as multi- instrumentalist, member of such bands as Pogodno, Babu Król, Sprawcy Rzepaku, and Marians. He collaborated with such artists as Lech Janerka and Katarzyna Nosowska as well as pursuing a solo career. He died of a heart attack on 12th April 2022. Posthumously, he received the Golden Fryderyk Award ‘for an artist who infected others with his artistic passion, courage, and rebellious nature. He unexpectedly departed this life on 12th April this year, leaving the music world in disbelief, with a hole in our hearts, and a void left by his eminent talent for wordplay,’ wrote the members of the Phonographic Academy who select winners for the Fryderyk Award of the Polish music record industry.

Tomasz Organek - an artist born in 1976 in Suwałki. He graduated in English Philology from the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. He studied at the Academy of Music in Katowice at the Department of Jazz and Popular Music. Musician, singer, songwriter, and composer; first co- founder of the band SOFA, now leader of the group ØRGANEK. With the latter band he recorded two albums: ‘Stupid’ (2014) and ‘Black Madonna’ (2016). Both albums earned platinum status. Organek is twice winner of Fryderyk Awards; he has also received the Music Prize of Polish Radio Channel Three.

Natalia Grosiak – Polish singer, songwriter, and lyricist. Member of the bands Mikromusic, Herbatta, and DOM. Between 2005 and 2014 she performed in Digit All Love. She has also collaborated with such bands as: Kanał Audytywny, Husky and Ctrl-Alt-Delete. In 2002, in collaboration with the composer and guitarist Dawid Korbaczyński, she founded the music group Mikromusic, with which she performed at the Open’er festival and the Ladies Jazz Festival, among others.

Agnieszka Kiepuszewska – graduated in choral conducting from the Poznań Academy of Music and jazz singing from the Katowice Academy of Music. She also studied composition and early music at the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia in Rome. Her debut album titled ‘Silence’ came out under the Polish Radio Music Agency label in 2012. Her second original LP/CD, titled ‘Fala’ (‘Wave’), was released in 2017. The artist appeared in Paweł Mykietyn’s opera ‘The Magic Mountain’ (dir. Andrzej Chyra, Malta Festival in Poznań) and the oratorio-spectacle ‘A Memoir of the Warsaw Uprising’ (music by Jerzy Satanowski, dir. Krystyna Janda). She also sings in the music-and-ballet spectacle ‘Kryptonim 27’, inspired by the paintings of Zdzisław Beksiński (NCK Cracow), and gives concerts with Big Band Konglomerat, Nikola Kołodziejczyk Orchestra, and her own ensemble.

The Year of Polish Romanticism
The Year of Polish Romanticism marks the bicentenary of the publication of Adam Mickiewicz’s ‘Ballads and Romances’. To celebrate this anniversary, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute is carrying out projects around the world, showcasing contemporary interpretations of Polish Romanticism and its contribution to the world heritage.