Nikola Kolodziejczyk
You were born in 1986 in Krakow, Poland.
Started playing piano at the age of 4.
Jazz was always round the corner. When recieving classical training from your second piano teacher Irena Rolanowska, at W. Zelenski 2nd Grade School of Music in Krakow you were already fixed on searching this corner, playing piano in a Jazz Ensemble led by Kazimierz Chludek, listening to Chick Corea's Return To Forever, Bobby McFerrin or Leszek Mozdzer. The Ensemble has won several prizes, and gave you your first individual jazz prize.
From this period comes your first group, a quartet consisting of a bassoon, cello, el. bass and el. piano (Wiktor Krzak: bsn, Michal Bromboszcz: vc, Piotr Domagalski: b), founded to record your early compositions.

At your last year of music school you also attended Fr. Chopin "Bednarska" 2nd Grade School of Music in Warsaw, exclusively for the Jazz Departament held there. And definitely for the teachings and counsel of Andrzej Jagodzinski, great and renown polish jazz pianist.
After a year of a creative boost, having won the second prize playing solo on the Jazz Pianist's Festival Competition held in Warsaw, and a honourable mention at Tygmont "Warsaw Hopes" Jazz Competition with your newly created trio (Piotr Filipowicz: b, Lukasz Dmochewicz: dr) you succesfully struggled for a place at the prestigous jazz institute of The Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice (PL), where you studyied under the eye of Wojciech Niedziela. You have also started Your formal education as a composer under the eye of Edward Anthony Partyka who is now mentoring Your large ensemble compositions for Extreme Conditions and Composer's Ensemble.

Your recent cooperative project with Amine and Hamza M'Raihi: Perpetual Motion - will be released and toured with in early 2010. Musicians from Tunisia, Serbia, America and France were brought together by M'raihis to record Their music with a string quartet you arranged for. For an added value the record features great Tunisian vocalists and even a piano solo.

Your cooperative project with Adam Baldych: Storyboard - is available in stores. Project involves a string orchestra, a jazz quartet with violin and electronics (Maciej Szczycinski: b, Michal Bryndal: dr).
"Composing and arranging for the needs of this band was the most fun, tiring and serious work for me. All the time I am learning how to succesfully cooperate not only in the getting-it-done area, but the creative side also."

Having the opportunity to learn from such great musicians you can now present with pride your newest projects:

ONK: Nikola Kołodziejczyk Orchestra - project exploring the forgotten rhythms with aid of bass clarinet, flute, soprano saxophone, vibaphone, strings, woodwind section and more.
Stryjo: Real Book Adventures - coming to a venue near You. Stryjo is Maciek Szczycinski on double bass, Michal Bryndal on drums and Nikola Kołodziejczyk on piano.

Individual awards:
# Montreux Jazz Festival 2007 Bösendorfer Solo Piano Competition - semi-finalist
# Lotos Jazz Festival "Bielska Zadymka Jazzowa 2007"- Audience Award
# Krokus Jazz Festival 2007 - Individual Honorable Mention
# Jazz Juniors 2006 - Individual Honorable Mention
# Nadzieje Warszawy 2005 - Individual Honorable Mention
# DEBIUTY 2005 3rd Jazz Pianists' Competition - 2nd prize
# XVII Ogólnopolski Festiwal Muzyki Jazzowej i Rozrywkowej Szkolnictwa Artystycznego w
Elblągu 2004 - Individual Honorable Mention

Band awards:
# Lotos Jazz Festival "Bielska Zadymka Jazzowa 2007" (Orkiestra Nikoli Kołodziejczyka)
# Krokus Jazz Festival 2007 (Bartek Pieszka Quartet)
# Jazz Juniors 2007 (Bartek Pieszka Quartet)
# Jazz Juniors 2006 (Snub Cube)
# XVII Ogólnopolski Festiwal Muzyki Jazzowej i Rozrywkowej Szkolnictwa Artystycznego w
Elblągu 2004 (PSM II st z Krakowa)

Scholarships
# Berklee World Scholarship Tour 2006 Recipient
# Sapere Auso Scholarship 2007 and 2008 Recipient