Alicja Smietana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alicja Smietana
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| Background information | |
| Born | 9 August 1983 Kraków, Poland |
| Genres | Classical, jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Violinist, violist |
| Instruments | Violin, viola |
Alicja Smietana (born August 9, 1983) is a talented Polish-British musician. She plays the violin and viola. She also creates new music as an arranger and composer.
Her Musical Journey
Alicja grew up in a musical family. Her father, Jarek Śmietana, was a famous jazz guitarist. She started playing the violin when she was only 5 years old. She learned from great teachers like Leszek Skrobacki.
Later, she studied at the Academy of Music in Kraków. She also went to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. There, she learned from top violin teachers. Alicja also learned to play the viola. In 2009, she joined the Kronberg Academy. She studied with the famous violinist Christian Tetzlaff.
Amazing Performances
Alicja won many music competitions. People quickly saw her as a very exciting young violinist. In 2002, she was invited to play with Kremerata Baltica. This is a special orchestra led by Gidon Kremer. It allowed her to work with some of the best musicians in the world.
As a solo artist, she played her first big international show. She performed a Mozart concerto with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. This orchestra was led by Sir Neville Marriner.
Alicja has played as a soloist and with other musicians. She has performed with famous artists like Nigel Kennedy and Martha Argerich. She also learned from many other great musicians.
In 2008, Nigel Kennedy asked her to help him create his Orchestra of Life. She helped lead and manage this group. Since 2013, she has also been the director of the Extra Sounds Ensemble.
She has played concerts in famous places around the world. These include the Royal Albert Hall and the Berlin Philharmonic.
Music She Plays
Alicja loves to improvise, which means making up music on the spot. She plays many different kinds of music. This includes experimental music, jazz, and modern electronic music. She has performed in famous jazz clubs like Ronnie Scotts.
She has played with the Quincy Jones orchestra and Quincy Jones himself. She has also performed with many other artists.
Alicja is also an arranger. This means she takes existing music and changes it for different instruments. She has won awards for her arranging work.
She plays a special violin made in 1740 by Camillo Camilli. She also uses a Jean Pierre Marie Persois bow.
Partial Discography
A discography is a list of all the music recordings an artist has made. Here are some of the albums Alicja Smietana has been a part of:
- Alicja Smietana & Aleksandra Łaptaś "Lutosławski & Previn" (2004) JRS
- Jarek Smietana "Story of Polish Jazz" (2004) JRS
- Jarek Smietana "Autumn Suite" (2006) JRS
- Jarek Smietana "Revolution" (2008) KRS
- Nigel Kennedy & Orchestra of Life "Four Elements" (2011) (Sony Classical)
- Alicja Smietana & Evelyne Berezovsky "Works by Bach, Gould, Previn, Pärt" (2012) Solo Musica
- Alicja Smietana & Extra Sounds Ensemble "Friends - Music of Jarek Smietana" (2014) AC Records
- Alicja Smietana, Extra Sounds Ensemble and Pekka Kuusisto "Metamorphoses" (2015) Solo Musica
- Alicja Smietana & Extra Sounds Ensemble "Friends - Music of Jarek Smietana" (Album by Adam Czerwiński) - VINYL edition (2015) Ac Records
- Nigel Kennedy & Orchestra of Life "The New Four Seasons" (2015) Sony Classical
- Nigel Kennedy "Kennedy Meets Gershwin" (2018) Warner Music
