Adam Makowicz
Encyclopedia
Adam Makowicz born Adam Matyszkowicz (August 18, 1940 in Hnojník
, during World War II
) is a Polish-Canadian pianist
and composer living in Toronto
. He performs jazz
and classical piano pieces, as well as his own compositions. Besides playing solo, he has worked with such musicians as Michał Urbaniak, Tomasz Stanko
and Leszek Możdżer
, as well as with the National Symphony Orchestra of Washington DC, at the Kennedy Centre, at the Carnegie Hall
, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
, London, the Moscow Symphony Orchestra
, and other major orchestras at concert halls in Americas and in Europe. His technical skills as jazz pianist have been compared to that of Art Tatum
, Oscar Peterson
, and Errol Garner among others. His specialty in classical piano since his studies in the 1950s has been the music of Chopin.
Adam Makowicz was born into a family of ethnic Poles
in Gnojnik (now in the Czech Republic
), in an area annexed by Nazi Germany
at the beginning of World War II
(see also: Polish minority in Czechoslovakia). After the war, he was raised in Poland
. He studied classical music at the Chopin Conservatory of Music
in Kraków
. Overcoming cultural restrictions under communism
, he developed a passion for modern jazz. At the time, freedom and improvisation
were disapproved by the pro-Soviet authorities. Nonetheless, he embarked on a new professional life by switching from the career of a classical pianist to that of a touring jazz pianist. After years of hardship, Makowicz got a regular gig at a small jazz club in a cellar of a house in Kraków. By the mid 1970s, Makowicz established himself as one of the leading pianists in Europe. He was named the "Best jazz pianist" by the readers of "Jazz Forum" magazine, and was awarded a gold medal for his contribution to the arts.
In 1977 Makowicz made a 10-week concert tour of the United States
, produced by John Hammond
. At that time he recorded a solo album titled "Adam" on CBS
. In 1978 he settled in New York
. Makowicz was banned from Poland during the 1980s after the Polish regime imposed martial law
to crush the Solidarity movement. At that time he took part in Ronald Reagan
's initiative called "Let Poland Be Poland," joining many artists and public figures.
During the 2000s, he moved to Toronto, Canada, and continued his career as a concert pianist and recording artist. In the course of his career spanning 40-years, Makowicz performed with major symphony orchestras, such as the National Symphony Orchestra, at the Carnegie Hall
, at the Kennedy Centre, and other major concert halls in Americas and in Europe. Eventually he recorded over 30 albums of jazz, popular, and classical music, with his own arrangements of pieces by Chopin, Gershwin, Berlin, Kern, Porter, Rogers, and other composers. Makowicz also wrote and recorded his own compositions for piano.
Makowicz has been building bridges between cultures by his numerous concerts performance and recordings of cross-cultural and cross-style compositions. He performed and recorded music by Chopin and Gershwin with the Warsaw Philharmonic, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, National Symphony in Washington, London Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and other internationally recognized companies. In 1999, in commemoration of 150th anniversary of Chopin's death, Adam Makowicz played his piano tribute to Chopin at the French Embassy in Washington. His interpretations of classical pieces by Chopin and Gershwin are marked by finesse
, inventiveness, and extraordinary technical virtuosity
.
Hnojník
is a village in Frýdek-Místek District, Moravian-Silesian Region, Czech Republic, on the Stonávka River. It has a population of 1,446 ; 11.5% of the population are Poles.- History :...
, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
) is a Polish-Canadian pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
and composer living in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. He performs jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and classical piano pieces, as well as his own compositions. Besides playing solo, he has worked with such musicians as Michał Urbaniak, Tomasz Stanko
Tomasz Stanko
Tomasz Stańko is a Polish trumpeter, composer and improviser. Often recording for ECM, Stańko is strongly associated with free jazz and the avant-garde....
and Leszek Możdżer
Leszek Mozdzer
Leszek Możdżer is a Polish jazz pianist. He is also a music producer and a film music composer.He has graduated from the Academy of Music in Gdansk, Poland...
, as well as with the National Symphony Orchestra of Washington DC, at the Kennedy Centre, at the Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra"...
, London, the Moscow Symphony Orchestra
Moscow Symphony Orchestra
Founded in 1989, the Moscow Symphony Orchestra comprises 80 musicians, including graduates from such institutions as the Moscow Conservatory, Kiev Conservatory, and Saint Petersburg Conservatory. The orchestra is produced by Stas Namin, and conduced by Konstantin Krimets. It has recorded over 100...
, and other major orchestras at concert halls in Americas and in Europe. His technical skills as jazz pianist have been compared to that of Art Tatum
Art Tatum
Arthur "Art" Tatum, Jr. was an American jazz pianist and virtuoso who played with phenomenal facility despite being nearly blind.Tatum is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time...
, Oscar Peterson
Oscar Peterson
Oscar Emmanuel Peterson was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, "O.P." by his friends. He released over 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, and received other numerous awards and honours over the course of his career...
, and Errol Garner among others. His specialty in classical piano since his studies in the 1950s has been the music of Chopin.
Biography
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
in Gnojnik (now in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
), in an area annexed by Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
at the beginning of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(see also: Polish minority in Czechoslovakia). After the war, he was raised in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. He studied classical music at the Chopin Conservatory of Music
Academy of Music in Kraków
The Academy of Music in Kraków is a conservatory located in downtown Kraków, Poland.-History:The Academy, until 1945 as a conservatory under the name Cracow Conservatory or Conservatory of the Music Society, was founded in 1888 by the eminent Polish composer Władysław Żeleński thanks to artistic...
in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
. Overcoming cultural restrictions under communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
, he developed a passion for modern jazz. At the time, freedom and improvisation
Improvisation
Improvisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or...
were disapproved by the pro-Soviet authorities. Nonetheless, he embarked on a new professional life by switching from the career of a classical pianist to that of a touring jazz pianist. After years of hardship, Makowicz got a regular gig at a small jazz club in a cellar of a house in Kraków. By the mid 1970s, Makowicz established himself as one of the leading pianists in Europe. He was named the "Best jazz pianist" by the readers of "Jazz Forum" magazine, and was awarded a gold medal for his contribution to the arts.
In 1977 Makowicz made a 10-week concert tour of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, produced by John Hammond
John H. Hammond
John Henry Hammond II was an American record producer, musician and music critic from the 1930s to the early 1980s...
. At that time he recorded a solo album titled "Adam" on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. In 1978 he settled in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Makowicz was banned from Poland during the 1980s after the Polish regime imposed martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
to crush the Solidarity movement. At that time he took part in Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
's initiative called "Let Poland Be Poland," joining many artists and public figures.
During the 2000s, he moved to Toronto, Canada, and continued his career as a concert pianist and recording artist. In the course of his career spanning 40-years, Makowicz performed with major symphony orchestras, such as the National Symphony Orchestra, at the Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, at the Kennedy Centre, and other major concert halls in Americas and in Europe. Eventually he recorded over 30 albums of jazz, popular, and classical music, with his own arrangements of pieces by Chopin, Gershwin, Berlin, Kern, Porter, Rogers, and other composers. Makowicz also wrote and recorded his own compositions for piano.
Makowicz has been building bridges between cultures by his numerous concerts performance and recordings of cross-cultural and cross-style compositions. He performed and recorded music by Chopin and Gershwin with the Warsaw Philharmonic, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, National Symphony in Washington, London Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and other internationally recognized companies. In 1999, in commemoration of 150th anniversary of Chopin's death, Adam Makowicz played his piano tribute to Chopin at the French Embassy in Washington. His interpretations of classical pieces by Chopin and Gershwin are marked by finesse
Finesse
In contract bridge and similar games, a finesse is a technique which allows one to promote tricks based on a favorable position of one or more cards in the hands of the opponents....
, inventiveness, and extraordinary technical virtuosity
Virtuosity
Virtuosity is a 1995 techno-thriller film directed by Brett Leonard. The movie tells the story of a virtual villain's successful attempt to escape into the "real world". SID 6.7, the villain program portrayed by Russell Crowe, is eventually transplanted into an android body and escapes...
.
Instruments
- BösendorferBösendorferBösendorfer is an Austrian piano manufacturer, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Yamaha. The brand is known for producing pianos with a uniquely rich, singing, and sustaining tone...
pianos - some live performances in the 1990s and 2000s, some recordings - Steinway & SonsSteinway & SonsSteinway & Sons, also known as Steinway , is an American and German manufacturer of handmade pianos, founded 1853 in Manhattan in New York City by German immigrant Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg...
pianos - most stage performances with symphony orchestras, and solo from 1950s through the 2000s, some recordings - BaldwinBaldwin Piano CompanyThe Baldwin Piano Company was the largest US-based manufacturer of keyboard instruments, most notably pianos. It remains a subsidiary of the Gibson Guitar Corporation, although it ceased domestic production of pianos in December 2008.-History:...
pianos - some performances in the USA - C. Bechstein PianofortefabrikC. Bechstein PianofortefabrikC. Bechstein Pianofortefabrik AG is a German manufacturer of pianos, established in 1853 by Carl Bechstein.-Before Bechstein:...
pianos - live performances and some recordings in Europe - BluthnerBlüthnerBlüthner, formally Julius Blüthner Pianofortefabrik GmbH, is a piano-manufacturing company founded by Julius Blüthner in 1853 in Leipzig Germany.- History :...
pianos - some performances in Europe - FazioliFazioliFazioli Pianoforti is a piano manufacturing company based in Sacile, Italy.Fazioli currently produces 110 pianos a year from its single factory, and has annual revenues of €6 million.- History :...
pianos - some performances - Rhodes electric piano - live recording in Europe
- YamahaYamahaYamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...
pianos - some performances and studio recordings
Selected discography
- 1965 AM trio with Novi Singers Exlibris GC, Zurich Switzerland
- 1968 Novi in Wonderland Saba SB. West Germany
- 1968 New Faces in Polish Jazz. Muza. Poland
- 1973 "Adam Makowicz Unit" Polish Jazz, Vol. 35 Muza. Poland
- 1975 Live Embers - Adam Makowicz, Piano Muza SX 1218. Poland
- 1975 Tomasz Stanko & Adam Makowicz Unit JG Records. West Germany
- 1977 "Adam" CBS Columbia
- 1983 "The Name is Makowicz" live at Sheffield Lab with Phil WoodsPhil WoodsPhilip Wells Woods is an American jazz bebop alto saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader and composer.-Biography:...
, Marc Johnson, Bill GoodwinBill GoodwinBill Goodwin was for many years the announcer and regular character of the Burns and Allen radio program, and subsequently The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show on television from 1950-51...
, and Gene Estes - 1986 "Moonray"
- 1987 "Interface"
- 1993 The Music of Jerome Kern Concord / Bellaphon, Germany
- 1993 Live at Maybeck Recital Hall Concord / Bellaphon, Germany
- 1994 My Favorite Things: The Music of Richard Rodgers ) Concord
- 1997 A Tribute to Art Tatum VWC Records
- 1998 Gershwin Bank Slaski. Poland
- 2000 "Reflections on Chopin" AM Records
- 2000 Adam Makowicz plays Duke Ellington Musicians Showcase Records. USA
- 2003 Songs for Manhattan Adam Makowicz, solo piano. USA
- 2003 "A Tribute to George Gershwin" with the Orchestra Della Svizzera Italiana. (DVD) Image Entertainment
- 2004 Makowich vs Mozdzer at Carnegie Hall Pomaton. EMI.
- 2006 "From My Field" Classical music of Chopin, and jazz themes of Gershwin, Berlin, Kern, and Porter.
- 2007 "Indigo Bliss" Jaymz BeeJaymz BeeJaymz Bee is a Canadian musician, writer and radio personality.-Personal life:Jaymz was born and raised in North Bay, Ontario. He is a graduate of Inglenook Community High School.-Early career:...
/ Univesal Music Canada