Biography:
Krzysia Górniak, born on in 1974 in Olsztyn, is one of the best jazz guitarists in Europe. Composer, producer, arranger, philosopher, gifted with an extraordinary artistic personality, she is a contemporary representative of humanism.
She works artistically, also in the field of plastic arts, deals with painting and drawing.
Krzysia Górniak is comprehensively educated. She has been dealing with music since she was a child. She comes from a music-loving family, her maternal grandfather played the violin and accordion, and her grandmother and great-aunt played the piano. Mom played the mandolin and dad played the mouth-organ.
Krzysia Górniak began learning to play the piano at the age of 6, and began learning to play the guitar at the age of 9. She graduated from the State Primary Music School of W. Różycki in Gliwice in the classical guitar class (1987). She graduated from the Secondary School of Art in Warsaw with the title of Exhibitor’s Technique (1993) and the Post-Secondary Jazz College at the Complex of State Secondary Music Schools. F. Chopin in Warsaw at Bednarska in the jazz guitar class (1997). She studied jazz guitar with Brandon Furman and Piotr Lemański. She studied classical guitar with Leszek Potasiński and Marek Walawender. An interesting fact is that, she was the first guitarist at the Jazz Department at Bednarska and it was for her, that the jazz guitar class was opened at this department. In 2000, she obtained a Master’s degree from the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Warsaw, defending a thesis in the aesthetics of music on the subject of John Cage, and in 2003 – she obtained a Master’s degree in Jazz at the Universiti für Musik und Darstellende Kunst (University of Music and Dramatic Art) at Graz (Austria) in the jazz guitar class.
She participated in lessons and workshops with musicians such as: Wayne Brasel, Karl Ratzer, Christian Rover, Mike Stern, Susanne Weinert, John Abercrombie, Garison Fewell, Bob Mintzer, Ron McClure, Billy Hart, Adam Nussbaum, Clarke Fischer, Bill Dobbins, Wynton Marsalis, Alan Jones.
After returning to Poland in 2003, she opened the “Diuna” Music Club known as Diuna Club, at ul. Dobra 33/35, which it ran until 2009. It has become a cult meeting place for Warsaw’s artistic bohemia. There were many concerts and music festivals, as well as various artistic events.
In 2004, she founded the “Diuna Foundation”, the aim of which is to support and promote culture and art, with particular emphasis on jazz music. Krzysia Górniak is the founder and president of the foundation.
In 2010-2011, Krzysia Górniak worked in Polish Radio as the head of the Recording and Concerts Department. With the Concert Studio of Polish Radio W. Lutosławski and the Music Studio of Polish Radio. A. Osiecka in Trójka.
Since 2012, he has been involved in independent artistic, concert and publishing activities. She is the leader of the bands: Krzysia Górniak Quartet, Krzysia Górniak Trio and Astrolabe.
Albums:
Krzysia Górniak has released 10 albums, including 6 original ones, where she is a guitarist & composer, arranger and producer:
- 2002 – Tales
- 2004 – Ultra
- 2009 – Emotions
- 2012 – Feelings
- 2016 – Moments
- 2020 – Memories
She participated in the release of 4 albums, where she was a guitarist, arranger and producer, they are:
- 2008 – Garden Of Love / collaboration with Szymon Pejski/
- 2015 – Tribute to Nat King Cole – Maciej Miecznikowski & Krzysia Górniak /collaboration with Maciej Miecznikowski & Atom String Quartet/
- 2021 – Carols
- 2022 – Astrolabe – Krzysia Gorniak & Rui Teles /collaboration with a Portuguese singer Rui Teles/
Single:
- 2022 – Sweet Almonds – Astrolabe
- 2020 – Strawberry Kisses
- 2020 – Sweet Almonds
- 2016 – Meditation
- 2016 – Moments
- 2009 – Emotions
- 2004 – Orange /collaboration with Kuba Badach/
- 2004 – Silver
Publications:
- John Cage and the contemporary aesthetic thought / Krzysztofa Górniak (2009) – Musica Sacra Nova
- Recipient of new music / Krzysztofa Górniak (2009) – Musica Sacra Nova
Organizations:
- Krzysia Górniak is the founder and president of the Diuna Foundation.
- Krzysia Górniak is a member of the Musicians’ Trade Union in Poland, the Polish Jazz Association PSJ, and a member of STOART, ZAIKS and ZPAV.
Musical activities:
Krzysia Górniak began her professional musical career in 1995 with the orchestra of the Roma Musical Theater in the production of Roman Czubaty’s Blue Castle, directed by Jan Skotnicki, and played about 100 performances with the orchestra.
Since then, he has been giving concerts on festival and club stages in Poland and abroad, as well as in philharmonics and theaters, incl. in Austria, France, Germany, Greece and Slovenia.
Krzysia Górniak has collaborated with many famous musicians. Among them are: Grzegorz Grzyb, Michał Jaros, Marcin Jahr, Piotr Wrombel, Michał Wróblewski, Łukasz Makowski, Maciej Miecznikowski, Kuba Badach, Ewa Mikulska, Szymon Pejski, Wojciech Gogolewski, Zdzisław Kalinowski, Paweł Pańta, Krzysztof Ścierański, Wojtek Pilichowski, Michał Grott , Evangelos Tzimkas (Greece), Frank McCombe (USA) Rui Teles (Portugal). She also co-founded the following bands: Event Horizon Msc and Garden of Love. In 2022 she founded the band Astrolabe with Portuguese singer Rui Teles.
Her way of playing is a combination of virtuosity with subtle femininity, she finds herself in many musical styles, freely navigating in various conventions.
Currently, she takes part in many projects, cooperates with symphony orchestras and conductors, has played, among others, With:
The Orchestra of the Polish Chamber Philharmonic in Sopot conducted by Wojciech Rajski, the Symphony Orchestra of the Świętokrzyska Philharmonic in Kielce conducted by Maciej Tarnowski, the Symphony Orchestra of Karol Namysłowski, conducted by Tadeusz Wicherek, as well as with string quartets:
Atom String Quartet and Barock Quartet.
Awards:
Creativity of the Young
Krzysia Górniak won the first prize in the artistic photography category in the National Photo Competition “Youth Creativity” in Gdynia for the series of photos “Model” in 1993.
Pat Metheny about the first album “Tales” Krzysi Górniak wrote:
“I have been listening to your CD – and you all sound really good on there! Nice blend between you and I think it is great that you seem to be working hard on trying to get your own group sound and concept happening!”
International Songwriting Competition
Krzysi Górniak’s composition “Blue” from the album “Ultra” was in the finals of the International Songwriting Competition in 2005. The jurors of the international competition were, among others Tom Waits, Joss Stone, Sonny Rollins, Macy Gray, John Scofield and Steve Vai, and out of 15,000 entries, only 12 songs entered the finals.
Krzysi Górniak’s composition “Sea Salt On My Lips” from the album “Memories” in 2020 was qualified for the semi-finals of the International Songwriting Competition 2020.
Jazz Forum
In the plebiscite for 2018, the readers of the Jazz Forum monthly placed Krzysia Górniak among the 10 best Polish jazz guitarists.
Artistic creativity:
Krzysia Górniak had a talent for painting and drawing since she was a child. She began learning drawing at the age of 12 in the Plastic Center in the Town Square in Gliwice. She graduated from the Secondary School of Art in Warsaw with the title of Exhibitor’s Technique (1993), and also attended the “Nowolipki” State Artistic Center. In 1993, she won the first prize in the artistic photography category in the national photographic competition “Creativity of the Young” in Gdynia for the series of photos “Model”. In 2001, she created a series of paintings “Angels – the same face at different moments”. The series was shown at Cafe Palver in Graz (November 2001), at Porgy & Bess in Vienna (January 2002) and at Cafe Kulturalna in Warsaw (September 2002). One of the works from the series Angels is on the cover of her first album – Tales. In the years 2003-2009, several paintings from the series were parts of the interior design at Diuna Club in Warsaw.
he series of paintings “Angels” was exhibited in 2003 at the Gallery of Creative Education during the 19th International Jazz Meetings in Głogów.
On January 12, 2017, a collective exhibition of works by Krzysia Górniak took place at the Concert Studio of the Polish Radio. W. Lutosławski in Warsaw during the premiere concert of the album “Moments”.
Currently, the artist is working on a new series “Miłość”, and accepts orders for “Wedding Portrait”.
Concerts
Over the last 27 years of active creative work, I have played many concerts on Polish and foreign stages. I cordially invite everyone to follow my upcoming events on Krzysia Górniak’s Facebook profile.
Music Offer
Krzysia Górniak Quartet presents a modern and original face of jazz. The band consists of great personalities – musicians who have been appreciated on the Polish jazz scene for years. Krzysia Górniak creates illustrative music, saturated with subtle emotions, tuning to reflection. Her compositions are musical images of memories and fragments of life captured in sounds.
Listen
The Sea Salt on My Lips recording from the concert of the KrzysiaGórniak quartet in 12on14 Jazz Club, Warsaw (12.2019).