Stefan Wesołowski

Stefan Wesołowski, born 1985 - composer, violinist, music reviewer. Studied at the Music Academy in Gdańsk and the Académie Musicale de Villecroze in France.

Winner of many recognised awards and distinctions, including J & A Beare Solo Bach Competition (2006, London, United Kingdom), Internationaler Johannes-Brahms-Wettbewerb (2008, Poertschach, Austria), young artist by the President of Gdańsk (2007). With the personal initiative of legendary virtuoso Emanuel Ax, Stefan Wesołowski had the opportunity to play on the rare Matteo Albani violin from 1702, which he borrowed from the famous collection of Charles Beare in London.

As a teenager he wrote liturgical songs for Dominican Order, that are now performed in Dominican centers throughout Poland and abroad.

In November 2008, Stefan Wesołowski released his debut album “Kompleta” (Compline) - combines the classic sound of a string quartet with melismatic voices and electronic soundscapes. The material was released by the Pointa Foundation, in cooperation with Gusstaff Records and supported by the Polish National Cultural Centre (Narodowe Centrum Kultury). The album gained recognition from both critics and audiences.

An important part of his creative activity was a collaboration with Michał Jacaszek, Wesołowski composed the instrumental parts for most of his projects.

In 2008 Jacaszek and Wesołowski released the album "Treny", published by the Norwegian label Miasmah and the Polish label Gusstaff. It had worldwide distribution and gained international recognition (album of the year in Nowa Muzyka portal, one of the 10 best CDs of the year by the „Przekrój” magazine, one of the 10 most influential records of the year by the British portal Boomkat). They played on many major festivals, including Heineken Open'er Festival (Gdynia, Poland), Tauron Nowa Muzyka (Katowice, Poland), Unsound (Krakow, Poland and New York, USA), Off Festival (Katowice, Poland), Urban Explorers Festival (Dordrecht , Netherlands), Feeerieen Festival (Brussels, Belgium), as well as concerts in Leipzig (Germany), Lvov (Ukraine), Stockholm (Sweden) and a tour of the UK (Norwich, London, Bristol, Oxford, Liverpool, Gateshead).

Wesołowski and Jacaszek also co-created the music for the multimedia show "Stany Złożone", completed for the Wybrzeże Theater in Gdańsk, for two films of Jan Komasa – Wrocławska Golgota (Wroclaw Golgotha, 2009) and Sala Samobójców (Suicide Room, 2011). They also recorded the piece „Elegia” for the Ghostly International compilation, SMM: Context, and were among the artists invited to take part in the first edition of „Męskie Granie” - most renowned Polish artists concert tour.

Stefan Wesołowski compositions were used as musical illustration for many movies, shows and exhibitions, including Thyra Hilden and Pio Diaz installation „Holy Trinity on Fire" and the show of Iwona Gilarska Physical Dance Theatre, "From heaven to earth” directed by Marcel Leeman (Switzerland). Wesołowski was also invited to record a piece for the label Few Quiet People, published in the 2011 compilation.

Stefan Wesołowski is currently working on a new album.