Piotr Sleczek - composer
Piotr Sleczek is a composer, conductor and violinist. His work has been performed by leading soloists, music ensembles and conductors. Born in Poland, he began his music education at the age of 7. After receiving his music degree from Frederic Chopin Music High School in Krakow, he graduated with a B.A. and M.A. from the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, Poland in the violin class of Prof. Ryszard Fastnacht and Dr. Adam Mokrus. In addition, he also graduated with a B.A. in British literature from Marie - Curie Sklodowska University in Lublin, Poland.
photo: Marcin Muchalski / NYC
Piotr has taken part in many composition courses, including the International Composition Courses in Darmstadt (auditor) and American Choral Directors Association Conference in Dallas. Since his well-received debut with the composition Microfluctus (2009) for soprano saxophone solo and string orchestra premiered by Bartlomiej Dus and Sinfonietta Sonora, he looks for new methods of expression in music.
His music has been performed at numerous music festivals, including the 1st HMG International Contemporary Music Festival 2011, Cracovia Sacra 2012, and has been directed by such conductors as Jaroslaw Wolanin (Silesian Philharmonich Choir), Andreas Herrmann (Munich Philharmonic Choir), and Jeremy Jackman, formerly a counter-tenor of the King's Singers and Chorus Master to the Belfast Philharmonic Choir and the London Philharmonic Choir. He has had the honor to have his music preformed multiple times by the renowned Silesian Philharmonic Choir which premiered such pieces as Stream for mixed choir a cappella, Dream of the Rood for mixed choir a cappella (16 voices), De profundis for soprano solo and mixed choir. In 2014 Piotr's newest work That is the Question opened the 4th International Contemporary Music Festival of H.M.Górecki in Krakow, Poland and was premiered by renowned duet Agata Zubel and Maciej Grzybowski. The piece was written to Hamlet's probably the most famous speech in the English language discussing moral legitimacy of suicide in an unbearably painful world.
At the 5th edition of the festival together with the lauded LutosAir Quintet Piotr Sleczek premiered his work A Song of the New Order for woodwind and tape. The concert took place at the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology on October 24th, 2015. A Song of the New Order explores the illusory nature of the world, which manifests through constant change. The composition is an experimental piece that relates to the sonoristic works of the 20th century. The purpose of the composition is to elicit our cultural and social polarization which reflects the tendencies around the world today.
He has composed music for TV and film including I love you so much directed by Maciej Bochniak and Mr. Sandman directed by Joanna Pawluskiewicz and Marzena Poplawska where among many, Jan Pilch, a leading polish percussionist, has recorded Sleczek's music. As a violinist, he has performed in Poland, Germany, Hungary, Belgium, and Holland. In addition, Piotr has written articles on music for the American publications.
artist statement
I see music as an expression of thankfulness and power. In its essence, it is an interdisciplinary way of communication, where structure and compositional techniques are used without a limitation to a historical period, interweaving their esthetic coloration within a given register.
Music as an abstract means to express the empty nature of sound is to be, in its playful nature, experienced free of any preconceptions. My motivation in the creative process is to bring the listener closer to the oneness of all phenomena, where the listener, music and the act of listening is experienced as a totality.
From the openness to space and its potential, music is utilized to elicit a taste of emptiness, that is to enable the listener to recognize and later identify with one's natural blissful state of mind, beyond all thoughts, feelings, and phenomena.
Music as an abstract means to express the empty nature of sound is to be, in its playful nature, experienced free of any preconceptions. My motivation in the creative process is to bring the listener closer to the oneness of all phenomena, where the listener, music and the act of listening is experienced as a totality.
From the openness to space and its potential, music is utilized to elicit a taste of emptiness, that is to enable the listener to recognize and later identify with one's natural blissful state of mind, beyond all thoughts, feelings, and phenomena.