Born in Oława in 1971, he graduated in composition from the Academy of Music in Warsaw (1997) after studies with Włodzimierz Kotoński. Simultaneously he studied the clarinet with Ludwik Kurkiewicz. At the age of 22 he made his Warsaw Autumn debut with La Strada.

In 1995, his work 3 for 13 was awarded 1st Prize at the International Rostrum of Composers in Paris in the under-30 category. In 1996, his Epiphora again came 1st in the young composers’ category at the 4th International Rostrum of Electroacoustic Music in Amsterdam. He has composed works for such soloists as Elżbieta Chojnacka, Ewa Pobłocka, Jerzy Artysz, Andrzej Bauer, Maciej Grzybowski, and Jacek Laszczkowski, and has cooperated with leading conductors including Jean-Paul Dessy, Jacek Kaspszyk, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Diego Masson, Wojciech Michniewski and Reinbert de Leeuw. He has received commissions from the Warsaw Autumn Festival, Grand Theatre – National Opera in Warsaw, Belcea Quartet, de ereprijs, Icebreaker, and Kronos Quartet. Since 1996, he has regularly composed stage music for the director Krzysztof Warlikowski, as well as collaborating with such directors as Piotr Cieślak, Grzegorz Jarzyna and Andrzej Woron. He is the author of music to movies by Mariusz Treliński and Małgorzata Szumowska.

He was a founding member and clarinettist in the contemporary music ensemble Nonstrom (which performed in 1990–2005). In January 2000, he received the Passport Award of the “Polityka” Weekly. In the same month, his composition 3 for 13 was presented at the Midem Classique in Cannes. In June 2008 he received the OPUS Public Media Award for his Symphony No. 2, and in 2011 – the Cavalier’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta. In 2012 he was awarded the prestigious Prix France Musique SACEM for his music for Jerzy Skolimowski’s film Essential Killing. Since 2008, he directs the music stage of Warsaw’s Nowy Theatre. His music for numerous feature films has been awarded at e.g. the Gdynia Film Festival.

 

Selected works: ...Though Daedalus Flew Safe..., trio for piano, clarinet and cello (1990), La Strada for three instruments (1991), 3 for 13 for thirteen performers (1994), Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1996), Epiphora for piano and tape (1996), Shakespeare’s Sonnets for male soprano and piano (2000), An Ignoramus and a Madman, chamber opera to a libretto by Krzysztof Warlikowski after Thomas Bernhard (2001), An Album Leaf for cello and tape (2002/09), Klave for microtonally tempered harpsichord and chamber orchestra (2004), Becoming Fine for baritone, microtonally tempered harpsichord and string ensemble, to words by Marcin Świetlicki (2005), Prologue for string orchestra (2006), String Quartet No. 2 (2006), Sonata for cello solo or with live electronics (2006), Symphony No. 2 (2006), St Mark Passion for voices and instruments (2008), Vivo for choir, orchestra and electronics (2010), Berceuse for ten singers (2010), Symphony No. 3 for alto and orchestra (2011), Two Verses by Miłosz for actor, actress, 10 musicians, electronics and video (2011), Klavierstücke for Casio CTK-731 synthesiser (2012), King Lear, musical in two acts (2012), Wax Music for wax cylinders and piano (2012).