Jakub Polaczyk, New York City based Polish composer, received the American Prize in Composition 2020 in the instrumental chamber music professional division for the work OJIBBEWAY.
The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts is the nation's most comprehensive series of contests in the classical arts. The American Prize is nonprofit, unique in scope and structure, and is designed to evaluate, recognize and reward the best performers, ensembles and composers in the United States based on submitted recordings. There is no live competition. The American Prize recognizing and rewarding American excellence in the performing arts since 2010.
On 9 June 2020, David (Volosin) Katz, chief judge of the American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts, announced the winners, runners-up and honorable mentions of The American Prize in Composition, 2019-20, instrumental chamber music division. The first prize in professional division went to Jakub Polaczyk for the work OJIBBEWAY for flute, accordion and piano. The composition, inspired by paintings of Georg Catlinwas, was first performed in Poland during the 31st International Festival of Krakow Composers in 2019 by a trio composed of: Andrea Biagini, Cesare Chiacciaretta and Fausto Bongelli.
Jakub Polaczyk is a winner of numerous awards and stipends. He is currently teaching at the New York Conservatory of Music and since 2018 he has been also appointed a New Music Director of the Chopin and Friends Festival in New York where he is directing the “New Vision International Composition Competition” and since 2018 associated with IMONY organization as a composer and orchestrator. He graduated from the Carnegie Mellon University, PA and Academy of Music in Krakow, Poland.