composers (G)

pianist, composer, jazzman, and educator; b. 13th May 1947 in Zakopane. He studied piano at the State School of Music in Katowice and graduated in Polish studies from the State Higher School of Pedagogy in Katowice.
In 1970, together with precussionist Mieczysław Górka, Grzywacz founded an experimental instrumental duo, which later evolved into a jazz and rock quintet Laboratorium (Laboratory). The group's repertoire was mainly made up of pieces composed by Grzywacz and the saxophone player Marek Stryszowski. The artist recorded 9 albums with the ensemble and played over a thousand concerts in Poland and at the world's top festivals. For many years the group had been considered Europe's leading fusion jazz band, and had many followers. It broke up in 1991 and was reactivated in November 2006.
Janusz Grzywacz recorded 3 solo albums: Młynek kawowy (Coffee Grinder), Muzyka osobista (Personal Music) and Pan Twardowski (Mr Twardowski), and worked on the albums of Marek Grechuta, Zbigniew Seifert, Śmietana, Maanam, Lech Janerka, Kobranocka, Chłopcy z Placu Broni, and Izabela Trojanowska.
He started composing in 1979. He has written music for over 100 theatre productions, television plays, TV series (Radio Romans) and films, tens of animated movies, music videos, musicals and outdoor events (e.g. opening ceremony of the Winter Universiade in Zakopane, inauguration of the Theatre Festival in Nancy, Polish Day at the Seville EXPO). He has collaborated with such directors as Krzysztof Jasiński, Kazimierz Kutz, Jacek Bunsch, Juliusz Machulski, Barbara Sass, Jerzy Zoń, Tomasz Wiszniewski, or Olgierd Łukaszewicz. His songs were performed by Renata Przemyk, Katarzyna Groniec, and Janusz Radek.
In November 2014 his Concerto for cello, string orchestra and electronics had a premiere at the 5th Puławy Music Festival. The work was written thanks to a grant from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritag'e programme Collections – Composing Commissions run by the Institute of Music and Dance in Warsaw.
Janusz Grzywacz teaches and produces music shows at the Academy for the Dramatic Arts in Kraków. He is a juror of the Student Vocal Festival in Kraków and Stage Songs Review (PPA) in Wrocław. He received the Aleksander Bardini Master Award at the 2004 PPA, as well as the Honoris Gratia Award granted by the Mayor of Kraków, the Golden Cross of Merit awarded by the President of Poland, and the Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis.