Majkusiak, Mikołaj

Born in 1983, he graduated with honours from the composition class of Stanisław Moryto and the accordion class of Włodzimierz Lech Puchnowski at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. He has received many scholarships from the Polish Ministry of Culture, including the Young Poland Scholarship. 

He has appeared in concert halls, and has presented his works throughout Europe, Japan, and Canada, including at the Klara Festival in Brussels, Wratislavia Cantans, Ljubljana Festival, Musica Polonica Nova in Wrocław Festival, Latvian New Music Days, Premieres Festival in Katowice, Warsaw Guitar Festival, Polish Music Festival in Cracow, and the Warsaw Philharmonic. 

His Concerto classico for accordion and symphony orchestra, which he composed at the age of 17, has proved particularly popular, with over 70 performances by orchestras such as the Vienna Radio Symphony, Croatian Radio and TV Symphony, Gulbenkian Orchestra in Lisbon, Košice Philharmonic, Lviv Philharmonic, Göteborgs Konserthus, Odense Koncerthus, and Duisburg Philharmonic. 

In 2007, Majkusiak has recorded a CD titled Road to the Unknown for the Polish Radio, featuring musicians such as Urszula Dudziak, Jakub Jakowicz, and Cezary Konrad.

He is also the author of over 40 original orchestrations, performed notably by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Chilly Gonzales, Cornelius Meister and Vienna Radio Symphony, Jules Buckley and Metropole Orchestra, Nicolas Krauze and Orchestre de Chambre Nouvelle Europe, Marek Moś and the AUKSO Orchestra. 

Selected works: Concerto classico for accordion and symphony orchestra (2001), Toccata for organ (2001), Paura for chamber ensemble (2001), Anxiety Neurosis for violin, bass clarinet and marimba (2002), Hard Rock for violin, cello and piano (2003), Rhythms for trombone (2003), Thoughts for bass and piano after Blaise Pascal (2004), Road to the Unknown for female voice, violin, DJ and string orchestra (2004), Concerto nevrotico for accordion quintet (2005), FisConcerto for two accordions and orchestra (2007), Sailor’s Symphony for men’s choir and large symphony orchestra (2007), Concerto in F for guitar and string orchestra (2007), Rhythms of Doubt for cello and accordion (2010), up2U for accordion and string quartet (2013), Concertino for Violin and String Orchestra (2014), Concerto in Air for wind quintet (2014), Rhythm Games for cello, accordion and string orchestra (2014), The Elements – Earth, Fire for accordion and saxophone (2014), Sonata for Violin and Accordion (2015), Dyad for accordion (2016), Crossover Concerto for piccolo, Hammond’s organ, string quartet, EWI, piano, electric guitar, accordion, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone and percussion (2017), Oboe Quartet The Black Lodge (2017).