Andrzej Kurylewicz (born November 24, 1932, in Lwów, died April 13, 2007, in Konstancin-Jeziorna) was a prolific Polish composer, pianist, trumpeter, trombonist, and conductor. His training encompassed both classical music and jazz traditions, and he’s considered a pioneer of jazz in Poland, skillfully pursuing both musical forms in parallel.

He began studying piano at age 6 in Lwów. After World War II, he continued his musical education in Gliwice and Kraków. In 1954, his academic career was cut short due to his professional involvement with jazz and his refusal to join the Polish United Workers’ Party (PZPR), a testament to his artistic and personal integrity.

From 1964 to 1966, he directed the Polish Radio and Television Orchestra in Warsaw. He lost this position due to his continued refusal to join the PZPR. As an instrumentalist and conductor, he performed in many European countries, the United States, Canada, and Cuba, spreading his music and Polish culture. From 1965, with his wife Wanda Warska, and from 1987 also with their daughter Gabriela Kurylewicz, he managed the “Piwnica Artystyczna Kurylewiczów” (Kurylewicz Artistic Cellar) in Warsaw, an important cultural hub.

Kurylewicz composed classical (chamber and symphonic), theatrical, film, ballet, and jazz music. He wrote song cycles based on poems by renowned Polish and foreign poets. In 1984, he was named “Stadtkünstler” (City Artist) of Wilhelmshaven, and from 1989, he collaborated with the State University of Kansas (USA), demonstrating his international recognition. In his later years, he performed as a pianist in concerts featuring the music of Karol Szymanowski and Fryderyk Chopin.

Selected Discography of Andrzej Kurylewicz

• Go Right (Polish Jazz) (1963, re-released in 2005) – A foundational album in the Polish jazz scene.
• Muzyka Teatralna i Telewizyjna (Theatrical and Television Music) (1975) – Features some of his most iconic soundtracks.
• Contemporary Music Formation (1973)
• Somnambulists (released in 1961, but containing recordings from 1958)
• 10 + 8 (1967)
• Korozje (with Tomasz Stańko) (1986)
• Muzyka Kameralna (Chamber Music) (1987)

Notable Original Compositions:

Film and Television Music:

• “Polskie Drogi” (Polish Roads) (1976-78) – The music for this famous TV series brought him immense popularity and remains one of his most recognized works.
• Music for the film Powrót (Return), dir. Jerzy Passendorfer (1959–60)
• Music for the film Lalka (The Doll), dir. Ryszard Ber (1977–78)
• Music for the film Lekcja Martwego Języka (Lesson of a Dead Language), dir. Janusz Majewski (1979)
• Music for the film Droga (Road), dir. Ryszard Ber (1980)

Jazz Compositions:

• “Obsession”
• “Nyamaland”
• “Minor Bop”
• “Tubby”
• “The Ballad About Lost Wages”
• “So-So”
• “Go Right”
• “Microphonophobia”
• “Juz ja z tobą nie zostanę”
• “Requiem dla Z.C.”
• “10 + 8”
• “Rondo z filmu ‘Cyrograf dojrzałości’”
• “Twarz widza”

Classical and Chamber Music:

• Concerto on themes from Jarzębski for trombone and jazz orchestra (1966)
• Rok Polski / Polish Year, 12 songs for amplified voice and orchestra (1975)
• Schema Quattro per Quattro for strings, trombones, and percussion (1975)
• Pięć Rozgrzewek / Five Warm-ups for solo piano (1975)
• Adagio da Dramma for orchestra (1976)
• Screenplay for symphony orchestra and tape (1977)
• Trzy Pieśni Romantyczne / Three Romantic Songs for baritone and piano to the poems of Alexander Pushkin (1977–79)
• Psalm 60 for string orchestra (1978)
• Episodi per Tre for horn, harp, and double bass (1978)
• Capriccio per oboe solo (1978)
• Nastroje / Moods for solo double bass (1979)
• Szkic Krajobrazu / Landscape Sketch for strings (1979)
• Te Deum for soprano and organ (1979)
• Pięć Pieśni wg Jana Kochanowskiego / Five Songs based on Jan Kochanowski for voice and string orchestra with piano (1980)
• Sonet for strings (1980)
• String Quartet No. 1 (1980)
• Capriccio a due for flute and cello (1981)
• Pięć Pieśni wg Czesława Miłosza / Five Songs based on Czesław Miłosz for voice and string orchestra with piano (1981)
• Salve Regina for boys’ choir and organ (1981)
• Hail Mary [version I] for soprano and organ (1981)
• Hail Mary [version II] for soprano and string quartet (1981)
• Symphonic Poem No. 1 “In Verona” for mixed chorus and large symphony orchestra (1981)
• Little String Quartet (1982)
• String Quartet No. 2 “Stuttgart” (1982)
• Drzeworyt 1 / Woodcut 1 for solo flute (1982)
• Missa Brevis for soprano and organ (1982–83)
• String Quartet No. 3 “Easter” (1983)
• Drzeworyt 2 / Woodcut 2 for solo flute (1983)
• Dormitina for string trio (1986)
• Blow the Wind for wind quintet (1987)
• Time For Jazz (Blow The Past) for wind quintet (1989)
• Trio per tre (for clarinet, viola, and piano) (1994)
• New Year’s Quartet (for clarinet, trombone, cello, and piano) (1995)
• El Dancion Sentimental for piano trio (1998)
• String Quartet No. 4, Of the Prayer (1999)