Piotr Orzechowski facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Piotr Orzechowski
Pianohooligan |
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Piotr Orzechowski, New Delhi, India 2014
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Piotr Orzechowski |
| Also known as | Pianohooligan |
| Born | 31 December 1990 Kraków, Poland |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Piano |
| Labels | Universal Music Poland, Decca Classics |
Piotr Orzechowski, also known as Pianohooligan, is a talented Polish jazz pianist and composer. He was born in Kraków, Poland, on December 31, 1990. Piotr studied music at the Berklee College of Music in Valencia. He won important music contests like the Montreux Jazz Piano Competition. Many people say he is a very creative and unique young jazz artist from Poland.
Contents
Piotr's Musical Journey
Early Life and Awards
Piotr grew up in Kraków, Poland. While he was learning classical music, he also won many awards at international jazz contests. Some of these competitions included "Jazz Juniors" and "Jazz nad Odrą".
In 2011, he won first prize at the Montreux Jazz Solo Piano Competition in Switzerland. After this big win, he started traveling and performing all over the world. Piotr is special because he plays both classical music and improvised music. He often mixes these different styles together.
Solo Albums and Unique Projects
Piotr's first solo album was called Experiment: Penderecki. It came out in 2012. On this album, he took orchestral music by Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki and changed it for a solo piano. This was the first time an instrumental album from Poland was released by the famous London label Decca.
His second solo album, 15 Studies for the Oberek, was released in 2014. This album explored different parts of the Polish oberek dance. It blended folk music, modern music, and jazz styles.
High Definition Quartet
Piotr is also the leader of a group called High Definition Quartet. Their first album, Hopasa, came out in 2013. It featured songs written by Piotr himself.
In 2015, they released Bucolics. This album had Piotr's unique versions of music by Witold Lutosławski. It quickly became known as one of the best Polish albums ever by Jazz Forum magazine.
Collaborations and Orchestras
Besides his solo work, Piotr also plays with major Polish orchestras. These include the Sinfonia Varsovia and the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra.
He recorded an album called Bach Rewrite in 2013 with Marcin Masecki and the Capella Cracoviensis. On this album, they played J.S. Bach's harpsichord concertos using a Rhodes electric piano.
Piotr has worked with famous modern composers like Philip Glass and Steve Reich. He has also toured with well-known jazz musicians such as Randy Brecker and Avishai Cohen. He has even contributed to projects with artists like Adrian Utley from Portishead.
Recent Work
In 2017, Piotr released a double album for solo piano called 24 Preludes & Improvisations. This big project is similar to J.S. Bach's 24 Preludes and Fugues. Piotr uses short musical pieces (Preludes) and more complex improvised creations (Improvisations). Through this, he explores new ways to understand jazz and how artists express themselves in music.
Discography
Solo Piano Albums
| Year | Album | Record label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Experiment: Penderecki | Decca Classics | – | – |
| 2014 | 15 Studies For The Oberek | Decca Classics | – | – |
| 2017 | 24 Preludes & Improvisations | Decca Classics | – | – |
With High Definition Quartet
| Year | Album | Record label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Hopasa | EmArcy Records | – | – |
| 2015 | Bukoliki | For Tune | – | – |
| 2019 | Dziady | Polish Music Publishing House | – | – |
Collaborations with Other Artists
| Year | Album | Record label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Bach Rewrite (with Marcin Masecki & Capella Cracoviensis) | Decca Classics | – | – |
| 2014 | Weird Glitches (with Stephen McHale) | Stephen McHale Music | – | – |
| 2014 | Elapse (with Daniel Toledo Trio) | Universidad San Francisco de Quito | – | – |
| 2016 | PIANO.PL (with Dorota Miśkiewicz) | Universal Music Polska | – | – |
| 2016 | H. M. Górecki. Concerto for harpsichord and string orchestra (with Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra) | Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra | – | – |
| 2017 | H. Wars. Symphonic Works (with Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra) | Polish Radio | – | – |
| 2019 | Works for Rhodes Piano & Strings (with Aukso Chamber Orchestra) | Polish Music Publishing House | – | – |
| 2022 | Themes of Dracula (with Kuba Więcek) | Polish Music Publishing House | – | – |
See also
In Spanish: Piotr Orzechowski para niños
- Music of Poland
- List of Poles
