Ryczek, Mateusz

Born in 1986. In 2011 he gratuated with honours from the Music Academy in Wrocław, where he studied with Grażyna Pstrokońska-Nawratil (composition), Cezary Duchnowski (computer music), and Zbigniew Karnecki (theatre and film music). He also participated in composition courses organized during Ostrava Days and by Ensemble Musikfabrik (Composer Collider). 

His music has been regularly performed in Poland, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Turkey, Italy, Hungary, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Belarus, Russia, Switzerland, Austria, the United States, and Ukraine, at festivals such as Warsaw Autumn (concerts of the Polish Composers’ Union Youth Circle), Musica Polonica Nova, Musica Electronica Nova, Poznań Music Spring, Dialogues (Minsk), 2014 World Music Days, amd Kyiv Contemporary Music Days.

He has won awards at many competitions for composers, including 1st Prize at Crescendo in Tarnów (2004), 1st Prize at the double bass composition competition of the Word Bass Festival (2008), 3rd Prize at Fides et Ratio (2009), and 2nd Prize at Composers’ Concert of the Year (2011). He has received scholarships from the Minister of Culture and the Marshal of Lower Silesia. He participated in projects such as Missa Solemnis, Sound Factory, Hallo Wrocław 2016! (Polish–German cooperation), Flexible Orchestra, and Music Masters on Air, where his piano composition Sub-Depth of the Nightwas performed in six European countries. He has also participated in educational projects for children and the youth, including Up-Down – Be like Karłowicz (commission of the Szczecin Philharmonic), Tutting (initiator and artistic director, Musica Electronica Nova 2017), and Step by Step (artistic installation, providing sounds to the tower and the Witches’ Bridge). 

He has composed music for many theatre plays and to Tomasz Tryzna’s film Lag Island. In 2013, For Tune Records label released his monographic album PLANETONS.

He is the president of the board of the Wrocław branch of the Polish Composers' Union. 

Selected works: R152 for flute, vibraphone, double bass and piano (2004), Dancing with the Pots for flute, xylophone, kitchen instruments and piano (2004), Dies irae for choir and orchestra (2005), Mirror for two pianos tuned a quartertone apart and percussion (2005), Breath for string trio (2006), Song from Otłoczyn I. Hommage to Grandfather Bronek for children’s accordion and piano (2006), Meditations I. Dawn for violin and piano (2006), Cycle of 24 Danyszowas for synthetic computer-controlled instruments (2005–7), Song from Otłoczyn II. The Sounds of Childhood for flute, violin, metal percussion and piano (2007), Harmonia mundi for piano and three instrumental groups (2007), Sancuts for soprano, mezzosoprano, baritone, string quartet and organ (2007), Rings of Saturn for double bass (2007), Time Rituals for orchestra (2007–8), NGC 4414 for two pianos and two percussions (2008), Song of the Guardian Angel for saxophone and youth ensemble (2008), Neptune for alto flute and live electronics (2008), On the Chess Knight at Lost Its Golden Horseshoe, opera for children to a libretto by Marta Ćwiklińska (2008), Proxima Centauri for organ (2008), 100-Year-Old Fugue for string orchestra (2008–9), Meditations II. The Longing of the Rising Sun for piano (2009), Knights of the Centuries for two stereophonic choirs (2009), Song from Otłoczyn IV. Two Words of the Princess to Her Beloved On the Farm for voice and live electronics (2010), Espilon Aurigae for cello and double bass (2010), INFRASYMPHONYfor orchestra (2010), Metasonora for orchestra (2010), Dream Shreds for string quartet (2010), Sub-Depth of the Night for piano (2011), Copper Sky for voice and computer or soprano and computer (2011), Madhouse for clarinet, electric guitar, cello, accordion and video by Piotr Bartos (2011), Seven Knocks for three marimbas (2011), Andromeda’s Plait for two percussions (2011), Sagittarius A for alto saxophone and live electronics (2011), Nebulae (2012), Memory Flash for string orchestra and computer (2012), Ocean of Europa for flute, bass clarinet, trombone and twelve cellos (2012), Sound from Behind the Iron Curtain, collage for Piotr Nowicki’s Contemporary Art Gallery (2012), Etherfor flute, double bass and piano (2013), Hidden Light for cello solo (2013), 28 Days of the Moon for violin, clarinet, percussion, piano and Hammond organ (2014), Tuba Dei for youth orchestra and electronics (2014), Crosstalks for harp and ensemble (2014), Menagerie for animated film, sampler, double bass and percussion (2015), Songs of Rozalia for flute, oboe, viola and cello (2015), Witches’ Fanfare for brass quintet (2015), Very Sad Song for soprano, flute, clarinet, violin and cello (2016), Requiem for Świdnica Crossing for electronics (2016), Hommage à Carl Czerny for electric viola (2017), Bittersweet for orchestra and choir (2017), Up and Down, suite on themes from Mieczysław Karłowicz’s music for orchestra and electronics (2017), Shadow Diver, chamber opera after Erna Rosenstein (2018), Catalogue of Clouds for two pianos and video (2018).