Leszek Możdżer

Leszek Możdżer – without a shadow of a doubt, is one of the greatest Polish jazz pianists in history, who made revolutionary changes in Polish jazz, creating his unique style, captivating with both subtlety and virtuoso character of extremely complex improvisations.

Born in Gdańsk, he first played the piano at the age of five. In his hometown, he graduated from the Stanisław Moniuszko Academy of Music in the class of Andrzej Artykiewicz. After that, the first success came, especially when he started working with "Miłość".

The artist is also a composer, a long-time collaborator of such masters as Jan A.P. Kaczmarek or Zbigniew Preisner. Concerts with a jazz trio, which he co-created with the excellent double bass player Lars Danielsson and drummer Zohar Fresco, as well as solo performances, are forms in which Możdżer feels best. He has recorded over eighty albums and given several concerts worldwide, including in the United States, Brazil, Argentina, and Canada, as a soloist, a member of the trio, and sideman. In addition, however, he can boast of albums and performances with the most outstanding jazz musicians in Poland – Tomasz Stańko, Janusz Muniak, Michał Urbaniak, Piotr Wojtasik, Adam Pierończyk, Henryk Miśkiewicz, Anna Maria Jopek and those from abroad – David Friesen, Pat Metheny, Arthur Blythe, Buster Blyth, Billy Harper, Joe Lovano, Archi Shepp, David Liebman, Charles Fox, Lester Bowie, David Gilmour, Marcus Miller, and many others.

He is the laureate of many awards, which cannot be listed here, including the Ad Astra award granted by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, the Polish phonographic industry award "Fryderyk", and the Passport of "Polityka". Also, repeatedly awarded in plebiscites and music competitions, organized by, i.a., including Jazz Forum, Jazz Juniors, Jazz Melomani and Jazz Oscars magazines.

As the first Pole in history, he was elected chairman of the jury of the international Montreux Jazz Piano Competition (2012) – a competition that has been held annually since 1999 as part of the Montreux Jazz Festival and is organized under the patronage of Quincy Jones.

He is also a composer of music for theatre performances and films. He collaborated with the most outstanding Polish directors, among others, Wojciech Kościelniak (Midsummer Night's Dream, Scat, Ball at the Opera according to Tuwim), Grzegorz Jarzyna (4.48 Psychosis, Schauspielhaus Düsseldorf, 2002), Andrzej Domalik (Gogol's Inspector, National Theater), Jan Englert (Fredro's Maiden Vows), Michał Zadara (Operetta Gombrowicz, Capitol Theatre), Grzegorz Chrapkiewicz (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) and Sylwester Latkowski (Pub 700, The Last Supper), Wiktor Grodecki (Nienasycenie according to Witkacy). He is also the creator of the Immanuel Kant opera, which had its world premiere at the Wrocław Opera in 2017.

Leszek Możdżer is a world-class pianist, a brave explorer, and an original composer distinguished by his musical language.