Marcin Masecki – Solo Piano

About this event

In celebration of Piano Day, Galway Jazz Festival are thrilled to present Polish supremo Marcin Masecki for one night of utterly astonishing virtuosic music making.

In 2000 Masecki was awarded a scholarship to study at Berkley College of Music, and in 2005 went on to win the first prize and gold medal at the International Jazz Competition in Moscow.

As a classical musician he is currently releasing an album devoted to Chopin’s Nocturnes, performed on his faithful companion - a small and rather dinky upright piano of British make. As in all his previous classical releases, Masecki presents well known masterpieces in a refreshingly new light, often challenging the way they are usually listened to. This time he puts into question the primacy of the expensive, perfect, polished, tuned and shining Steinway grand, thus introducing lo-fi into classical music. Previous classical releases have heard Masecki deconstruct Scarlatti sonatas, record Bach on his grandmother's vintage and out-of-tune Steinway and perform Beethoven whilst wearing noise cancelling headphones ('to try and understand better how Beethoven would have sensed his music')

On the jazz side he has been leading a traditional big band for the last 4 years, playing his own arrangements of swing music for dance parties. Recently a mini version - duet with drummer Jerzy Rogiewicz - has been presenting an older type of jazz, namely ragtime (but with a modern edge) to great acclaim.

The concert will be preceded with a public interview with Marcin by RTÉ lyric fm's Ellen Cranitch.
We are absolutely honoured that Marcin has accepted our invitation to celebrate Piano Day, and his first ever appearance in Ireland with GJF!