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Portraits

Adam Bałdych

Portraits

Format: CD
Label: ACT music
UPC: 0614427906229
Catnr: ACT 90622
Release date: 31 January 2025
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1 CD
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Label
ACT music
UPC
0614427906229
Catalogue number
ACT 90622
Release date
31 January 2025
Album
Artist(s)
Composer(s)
EN

About the album

In Portraits, Adam Bałdych delves into the human condition, using music to explore the complexities of our age—marked by moral dilemmas, chaos, and introspection. Drawing inspiration from historical sources like Szymon Laks’Auschwitz Games, Bałdych reflects on themes of identity, existence, and the coexistence of beauty and brutality. Featuring an exceptional quintet of musicians, including Sebastian Zawadzki, Marek Konarski, and Andrzej Święs, Portraits blends Polish, Jewish, and classical influences with innovative sonoristic explorations. This album is a powerful, introspective journey, inviting listeners to reflect on who we are and what it means to truly exist.

Artist(s)

Adam Bałdych (violin)

Violinist and composer Adam Bałdych has won acclaim as an excellent improviser discovering uncharted territories in violin music, as well as a genuine personality, capable of establishing a dialogue with artists from both the classical, improvised, and popular music scenes. ‘Jazz violin redefined,’ declared The Guardian (UK), while Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung called Bałdych ‘undoubtedly the greatest living master of jazz violin technique, of whom one can expect anything’. Considered as ‘the violin’s child prodigy’, he launched his music career at age 14 and was soon hailed as an innovator combining the achievements of classical music with a contemporary language and an improviser’s talent. He soon developed his own style that has inspired a whole new generation of improvising violinists. Bałdych has presented his music at the world’s major...
more

Violinist and composer Adam Bałdych has won acclaim as an excellent improviser discovering uncharted territories in violin music, as well as a genuine personality, capable of establishing a dialogue with artists from both the classical, improvised, and popular music scenes.

‘Jazz violin redefined,’ declared The Guardian (UK), while Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung called Bałdych ‘undoubtedly the greatest living master of jazz violin technique, of whom one can expect anything’. Considered as ‘the violin’s child prodigy’, he launched his music career at age 14 and was soon hailed as an innovator combining the achievements of classical music with a contemporary language and an improviser’s talent. He soon developed his own style that has inspired a whole new generation of improvising violinists.

Bałdych has presented his music at the world’s major jazz festivals, with performances in Poland, Germany, South Korea, China, Japan, the United States, Canada, Austria, Iceland, Portugal, Azerbaijan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Italy, Spain, and Indonesia, among others.

The violinist performs and records with such outstanding artists as Paolo Fresu, Yaron Herman, Joachim Kuhn, Agata Szymczewska, Leszek Możdżer, Helge Lien, Aaron Parks, Lars Danielsson, Nils Landgren, Iiro Rantala, Marius Neset, Jacob Karlzon, and Billy Cobham.

His numerous accolades include the Grand Prix and individual prize of the 2006 ‘Jazz on the Odra’ festival, ECHO Jazz, and the 2024 Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik (award of German music record reviewers), as well as Polish state decorations: the Gold Cross of Merit, Decoration of Honor ‘Meritorious for Polish Culture’, and the Gloria Artis Medal for Merit to Culture. He was also thrice nominated for the Coryphaeus of Polish Music award as Personality of the Year.

Bałdych dedicates increasingly more attention to composing classical music, commissioned and performed by such well-known orchestras and publishers as OMN New Music Orchestra (Antiphona, 2016), AUKSO – Chamber Orchestra of the City of Tychy (Early Birds Symphony), Stuttgarter Kammerorchester (Concerto Galante), PWM Edition (Kuyawiak), and AUKSO / Polish Radio Choir (world premiere – Maryla’s Grave for violin, choir, and string orchestra).

Highly acclaimed for his creative work in the fields of jazz and contemporary music performance, for his inventive fusion of these two, and for extremely distinctive interpretations, Bałdych has appeared on nearly 20 albums, including the most recent titles: Passacaglia (duo with Leszek Możdżer), Legend (with Adam Bałdych Quintet and violinist Agata Szymczewska), as well as Poetry (with eminent Italian trumpeter Paolo Fresu).

Adam Bałdych resides and works in Warsaw, Poland.


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Andrzej Swies (double bass)

Andrzej Swies is one of the young, up-and-coming bassists in Poland, who has also attracted attention beyond the borders of his country and has played alongside Lee Konitz, Adam Pierończyk and Zbigniew Namysłowski Fellow musicians have frequently praised his attentive and perfect but never obtrusive accompaniment, and this recording confirms this once again.
more
Andrzej Swies is one of the young, up-and-coming bassists in Poland, who has also attracted attention beyond the borders of his country and has played alongside Lee Konitz, Adam Pierończyk and Zbigniew Namysłowski Fellow musicians have frequently praised his attentive and perfect but never obtrusive accompaniment, and this recording confirms this once again.

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Marek Konarski (tenor saxophone)

Composer(s)

Adam Bałdych (violin)

Violinist and composer Adam Bałdych has won acclaim as an excellent improviser discovering uncharted territories in violin music, as well as a genuine personality, capable of establishing a dialogue with artists from both the classical, improvised, and popular music scenes. ‘Jazz violin redefined,’ declared The Guardian (UK), while Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung called Bałdych ‘undoubtedly the greatest living master of jazz violin technique, of whom one can expect anything’. Considered as ‘the violin’s child prodigy’, he launched his music career at age 14 and was soon hailed as an innovator combining the achievements of classical music with a contemporary language and an improviser’s talent. He soon developed his own style that has inspired a whole new generation of improvising violinists. Bałdych has presented his music at the world’s major...
more

Violinist and composer Adam Bałdych has won acclaim as an excellent improviser discovering uncharted territories in violin music, as well as a genuine personality, capable of establishing a dialogue with artists from both the classical, improvised, and popular music scenes.

‘Jazz violin redefined,’ declared The Guardian (UK), while Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung called Bałdych ‘undoubtedly the greatest living master of jazz violin technique, of whom one can expect anything’. Considered as ‘the violin’s child prodigy’, he launched his music career at age 14 and was soon hailed as an innovator combining the achievements of classical music with a contemporary language and an improviser’s talent. He soon developed his own style that has inspired a whole new generation of improvising violinists.

Bałdych has presented his music at the world’s major jazz festivals, with performances in Poland, Germany, South Korea, China, Japan, the United States, Canada, Austria, Iceland, Portugal, Azerbaijan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Italy, Spain, and Indonesia, among others.

The violinist performs and records with such outstanding artists as Paolo Fresu, Yaron Herman, Joachim Kuhn, Agata Szymczewska, Leszek Możdżer, Helge Lien, Aaron Parks, Lars Danielsson, Nils Landgren, Iiro Rantala, Marius Neset, Jacob Karlzon, and Billy Cobham.

His numerous accolades include the Grand Prix and individual prize of the 2006 ‘Jazz on the Odra’ festival, ECHO Jazz, and the 2024 Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik (award of German music record reviewers), as well as Polish state decorations: the Gold Cross of Merit, Decoration of Honor ‘Meritorious for Polish Culture’, and the Gloria Artis Medal for Merit to Culture. He was also thrice nominated for the Coryphaeus of Polish Music award as Personality of the Year.

Bałdych dedicates increasingly more attention to composing classical music, commissioned and performed by such well-known orchestras and publishers as OMN New Music Orchestra (Antiphona, 2016), AUKSO – Chamber Orchestra of the City of Tychy (Early Birds Symphony), Stuttgarter Kammerorchester (Concerto Galante), PWM Edition (Kuyawiak), and AUKSO / Polish Radio Choir (world premiere – Maryla’s Grave for violin, choir, and string orchestra).

Highly acclaimed for his creative work in the fields of jazz and contemporary music performance, for his inventive fusion of these two, and for extremely distinctive interpretations, Bałdych has appeared on nearly 20 albums, including the most recent titles: Passacaglia (duo with Leszek Możdżer), Legend (with Adam Bałdych Quintet and violinist Agata Szymczewska), as well as Poetry (with eminent Italian trumpeter Paolo Fresu).

Adam Bałdych resides and works in Warsaw, Poland.


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Press

Play album Play album
01.
Genesis
04:38
(Adam Bałdych) Adam Bałdych, Sebastian Zawadzki, Marek Konarski, Andrzej Święs, Dawid Fortuna
02.
Canon
04:47
(Adam Bałdych) Adam Bałdych, Sebastian Zawadzki, Marek Konarski, Andrzej Święs, Dawid Fortuna
03.
Tree of Knowledge
03:36
(Adam Bałdych) Adam Bałdych, Sebastian Zawadzki, Marek Konarski, Andrzej Święs, Dawid Fortuna
04.
Protest Song
05:50
(Adam Bałdych) Adam Bałdych, Sebastian Zawadzki, Marek Konarski, Andrzej Święs, Dawid Fortuna
05.
Code
05:00
(Adam Bałdych) Adam Bałdych, Sebastian Zawadzki, Marek Konarski, Andrzej Święs, Dawid Fortuna
06.
Litany
03:56
(Adam Bałdych) Adam Bałdych, Sebastian Zawadzki, Marek Konarski, Andrzej Święs, Dawid Fortuna
07.
Passion
05:41
(Adam Bałdych) Adam Bałdych, Sebastian Zawadzki, Marek Konarski, Andrzej Święs, Dawid Fortuna
08.
Lullaby for Ulma Family
02:19
(Adam Bałdych) Adam Bałdych, Sebastian Zawadzki, Marek Konarski, Andrzej Święs, Dawid Fortuna
09.
River
04:29
(Adam Bałdych) Adam Bałdych, Sebastian Zawadzki, Marek Konarski, Andrzej Święs, Dawid Fortuna
10.
Depths of the Earth
05:06
(Adam Bałdych) Adam Bałdych, Sebastian Zawadzki, Marek Konarski, Andrzej Święs, Dawid Fortuna
11.
Vision (Talking to Jesus)
03:42
(Adam Bałdych) Adam Bałdych, Sebastian Zawadzki, Marek Konarski, Andrzej Święs, Dawid Fortuna
12.
Hamsa
05:42
(Adam Bałdych) Adam Bałdych, Sebastian Zawadzki, Marek Konarski, Andrzej Święs, Dawid Fortuna
13.
Prelude
00:42
(Adam Bałdych) Adam Bałdych, Sebastian Zawadzki, Marek Konarski, Andrzej Święs, Dawid Fortuna
14.
Whispers
01:55
(Adam Bałdych) Adam Bałdych, Sebastian Zawadzki, Marek Konarski, Andrzej Święs, Dawid Fortuna
15.
Relief
04:19
(Adam Bałdych) Adam Bałdych, Sebastian Zawadzki, Marek Konarski, Andrzej Święs, Dawid Fortuna
show all tracks

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