Sat, 23 April 2022, 8.30PM

POSK Jazz Cafe

BOOK HERE

Musicians:
Alicja Śmietana – violin
James Pearson – piano
Jeremy Brown – double bass
Ed Richardson – drums

Born in 1983 in Krakow, Poland Alicja Śmietana performs works from Bach to Contemporary music and Jazz with – what was described as – “Extraordinary brilliance and sensibility”.

Winner of numerous competitions and awards (including First Prize at the Israeli International Competition and Brahms Society Award) Alicja studied at the Krakow Academy of Music, Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Kronberg Academy where her teacher was Christian Tetzlaff.

Gaining respect of many world-famous musicians Alicja has performed as a soloist and chamber musician together with Gidon Kremer, Nigel Kennedy, Martha Argerich, Sir Simon Rattle, Gustav Dudamel, Anne[1]Sophie Mutter, Pekka Kuusisto, Ivan Monighetti, Yuri Bashmet and others all around the world.

In 2009 she’s been asked by Nigel Kennedy to help him create and direct his new ORCHESTRA OF LIFE with which she has also performed in the most renowned halls including Berlin Philharmonic, Cologne Philharmonic, Munich Philharmonic, Palais des Congres and the Royal Albert Hall.

Since 2010 she is a director of her own Extra Sounds Ensemble which brings together extraordinary young talents from Poland, England and Australia. The musical aim it follows is discovering new possibilities in the repertoire or both early periods of classical music as well as contemporary music, jazz and other modern genres.

Alicja’s also keen on improvisation and is performing a lot of experimental music, jazz and contemporary music. She has also played in some of important venues like The 100 Club, The Vortex, Ronnie Scott’s and many others. She has performed with Quincy Jones and his “Quincy Jones Orchestra” and collaborated with many other jazz artists such as Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski, Wojciech Karolak, Gwilym Simcock, Krzesimir Dębski, Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, Darek Oles and others.

Alicja is also an arranger and gained the respect of a wide range of artists, bands and music producers, she has been acclaimed for merging and crossing different genres of music and performing techniques.

“Alicja is an extremely talented violinist. While working with her I found not only a brilliant musician, but a friend interested primarily in the greater good of music” (Nigel Kennedy)

“Śmietana is a powerful player with bagfuls of personality and takes admirable risks” (BBC Music Magazine)