Gryka Aleksandra
Born on 17 May 1977 in Warsaw, during the years 1998–2003 she studied composition with Krystyna Moszumańska-Nazar, Magdalena Długosz and Marek Chołoniewski (electroacoustic composition) at the Music Academy in Cracow, graduating with distinction. While a student she received a scholarship of the Minister of Culture for the academic year 2002/03 for outstanding achievements, and in 2005 a scholarship from the Foundation for Promoting Creative Arts of the same Ministry. In 2003 she received a bursary from Central Washington University as part of a student exchange programme with the Music Academy in Cracow. She improved her skills at composition courses acanthes / IRCAM (Cracow and Helsinki, 2000), at Buckow, Germany (2001) and at a masters course in Reichenau, Austria with Jan Jirásek in 2002, as part of the Internationalen SommerAkademie Prag-Wien-Budapest.
In 2000 she received the First Prize at the composers’ competition EuroArtMeeting in Wrocław for her High3bbingNor for symphony orchestra. She has twice, in 2003 and 2006, been nominated for the Passport award established by the periodical “Polityka“, and has also been nominated for the TVP Kultura award for 2006.
In 2004 she received an award from the Christoph und Stephan Kaske Foundation for her electroacoustic compositions.
Her works have been performed in a number of countries, including Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Great Britain and Ukraine. Since 2001 they have been featured in the programmes of the Warsaw Autumn festival: in 2003 the PolishGerman Youth Ensemble conducted by Rüdiger Bohn performed Interialcell, and in 2006 her opera SCREAM YOU (part of operatic saga kommanderkobayashi by various authors), premiered in Berlin in 2006, was shown during the festival.
Since 2005 Aleksandra Gryka’s music for theatre can be heard on the stages of theatres in Warsaw (Grand Theatre – National Opera: first performance of the ballet Alpha Kryonia XE 2006), Wrocław, Toruń, Częstochowa and Koszalin. Since 2004 she has been collaborating with the Berlin opera group Novoflot; this collaboration has produced the opera SCREAM QUEEN (2008), Erschöpfung (2010) and Glück (2011). In 2011, as part of the project Made in Poland – Miłosz Sounds, the workeinerjedeneither commissioned from the composer was performed at the Sacrum Profanum festival.
Her works have been included in the repertoires of well-known new music ensembles, such as Kwartludium (since 2001), Nonstrom (since 2005), an_ARCHE new music ensemble (since 2008) and Asasello (since 2009). They are also part of the repertoire of the harpsichordist Gośka Isphording. Since 2011 the composer has also been collaborating with the dancer Dominika Knapik.
S e l e c t e d w o r k s: FOR D for piano (1999), LIEN-AL for cello, harpsichord and accordion (2000), High3bbingNor for symphony orchestra (2000), NTERIORYZACION for computer (2000), OXYGEN no. 369,1 for tape and piano (2001), NonStopping center for harpsichord (2001), (1”) exists as… (-1”) for flute, accordion, three percussions, piano and cello (2001), Project ienfor tape, video and female dancer (2002), JaIchIJe for string quartet and marimba (2002), Interialcell for instrumental ensemble (2003), Alpha Kryonia XE, ballet (2003), konstrunity 0100for 12 voices (2004), esufor tape and video (2004), Tii for soprano and instrumental ensemble from the operatic saga project kommander kobayashi (2004/05), ambeoidal MTOCSs for clarinet, marimba, piano, violin, tape and video (2005), NTvacou for contrabass recorder, harpsichord, violin and cello (2006), Youmec for harpsichord and tape (2006), SCREAM YOU from the operatic saga project kommander kobayashi II (2006), {FFO.NO.}e for cello (2007), BAe 146 OY-CRG.Sylar for instrumental ensemble (2007), NEI for violin, tape and video (2008), SCREAM QUEEN, opera (2008), t.aÁmiper for trumpet, orchestra and electronics (2009), The LighetM for string quartet (2009), Erschöpfung opera (2010), Glück, opera (2011), einerjedeneither for orchestra (2011), observerobserver for contrabass recorder and video (2012).
