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Mateusz Smoczyński

jazz violin

Winner of the 2nd International Zbigniew Seifert Jazz Violin Competition. Best jazz violinist of 2017 and 2020 by Jazz Forum, European Magazine. Since 2017 he has taught jazz violin at the Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. Mateusz has collaborated with such renowned Polish musicians as Urszula Dudziak, Tomasz Stanko, Krzesimir Debski, Zbigniew Namyslowski and Jaroslaw Smietana. Together with Joachim Kuhn, Janusz Stefanski and Bronislaw Suchanek, he took part in the premiere of legendary jazz violinist Zbigniew Seifert’s Jazz Concerto for Violin, Symphony Orchestra and Rhythm Section.

Mateusz leads his own quintet with which he recorded his first CD, “Inspirations”, dedicated to his two biggest music influences, John Coltrane and Zbigniew Seifert. In 2007, following the success of this recording, Mateusz received the Minister of Culture and National Heritage Scholarship, and in June 2008 was awarded “Jazz Oscar” in the category “Music Lovers’ Hope of 2007″. Also in 2008, his second recording “Expressions” was released to popular acclaim. In 2017 his quintet released their third album - “Berek”.

2020 marks the release of the first album of Mateusz Smoczyński recorded in collaboration with the legendary German pianist Joachim Kühn under the label of ACT Music to a great critical acclaim (named one of 2020’s breakthrough records by the legendary music magazine Downbeat)

In 2009, Mateusz formed a band with his brother Jan on Hammond organ and the Russian drum star Alexander Zinger called “New Trio”. In 2010 they released their first CD “Simultaneous Abstractions” which was nominated for “Best Recording Debut of the Year” for a Fryderyki award (“the Polish Grammy”). That same year Mateusz co-founded the Atom String Quartet, the very first Polish jazz string quartet. They have recorded two CDs: “Fade In” which won Fryderyki award for “Jazz Album Debut of the Year” and “Places” which won Fryderyki award for “Jazz Album of the Year”. The Atom String Quartet was also on the first place in Jazz Top (survey of readers Jazz Forum magazine) in the 2013 Acoustic Jazz Group of the Year category, and received first prize for the “Bielska Zadymka Jazzowa” Competition, the most important jazz competition in Poland. ASQ collaborated with such great artists like: Branford Marsalis, Mino Cinelu, Rabih Abou-Khalil, Vladislav Sendecki, Grazyna Auguscik, Janusz Olejniczak, Grzech Piotrowski, Natalia Kukulska, Sebastian “Karpiel” Bulecka and many others. In 2014 they performed with Leszek Mozdzer Trio in the Berlin Philharmonic (recorded and released on the prestigious label ACT). Mateusz had the opportunity to play with pianist Richie Beirach, trumpeter Ack van Rooyen, bassist Glen Moore, and drummer Janusz Stefanski, at the “Zbigniew Seifert in Memoriam” Festival. In 2014, he also performed with Bobby McFerrin at the “Solidarity of Arts Festival”.

In 2012, he was invited to assume the first violin chair of the legendary multiple Grammy winning Turtle Island Quartet. Founded in 1985, TIQ is universally acknowledged to be the first string quartet to achieve artistic and commercial success incorporating jazz improvisation and rhythmic techniques into the two hundred year old string quartet tradition. To date, together with TIQ he has performed well over a hundred concerts, in some of the most important venues in the USA and throughout the world. This period has also included TIQ appearances with artists such as saxophonist Ravi Coltrane in a concert focused on his father John Coltrane’s iconic work, A Love Supreme, Cajun fiddler Michael Doucet, vocalists Nellie McKay, Bobby McFerrin and Tierney Sutton, who invited TIQ to play on her Grammy nominated CD focused on the music of Joni Mitchell, “After Blue.” In October 2014 they released their latest recording, “Confetti Man”, to critical acclaim and honors, including an award for best American Chamber Music Recording from the National Federation of Music Clubs. As he enters his fourth season with TIQ, he will be participating in performances with jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut, concert settings including the famous Ravinia jazz festival in Chicago and Jazz Club Coca Cola at Lincoln Center in New York.