Sep 22nd ~ Prusniowski Trio performs an exhilaring, impromptu and intimate performance at Pregnant Buffalo Lounge of Chopin Theatre following their appearance at 2013 World Music Festival.

 

Janusz Prusinowski

Fiddler, who also plays the dulcimer, Polish accordion and the hurdy-gurdy; singer and composer. He learnt to play from village musicians and was an early pioneer of the traditional village music revival in Poland. Janusz has played in various bands, including Bractwo Ubogich and Kapela Domu Tańca, and is a co-founder of the “House of Dance” Association (1994). Over the years he has performed concerts throughout Europe, as well as in Africa, Asia and North America, played at hundreds of dances and sung at numerous church fairs. As a musician and composer he cooperates with the Polish Radio Theatre and the Scena Lubelska 30/32 theatre in Warsaw. Together with his wife Kaja he runs the “Play by Ear” children’s theatre; they also compose songs and lullabies. The author of an educational programme, he leads workshops in singing and fiddle-playing. He has organised numerous cultural events and is the artistic director of the “Mazurkas of the World” festival.

 

Piotr Piszczatowski 

Percussionist, accordionist and a keen dancer, who always inspires others to dance at traditional music events and wedding receptions, providing instruction when required. His hobby is recording traditional folk music, both secular and religious. He is especially fond of the countryside traditions of Poland and Belarus. He has been involved in a number of educational programmes in which he taught groups of children and teenagers. A graduate of sociology, Piotr has also worked as a sociotherapist in the “Kuźnia” association. From 1996 to 2007 he acted at, and co-wrote music for, Studium Teatralne. He is now an actor and director at the “Play by Ear” theatre. He has performed with Kapela Domu Tańca, Kapela Brodów, Adam Strug and Aleksander Łoś, and was one of the original founders of the “House of Dance” Association and the “Mazurkas of the World” festival.

 

Michał Żak

Flautist, clarinetist and shawm-player; a student of Jean-Michel Veillon. Over a number of years he has been exploring Polish village music. One of the co-founders of the House of Dance in Poznań, Michał collaborates with groups playing traditional village music, world music, early music, jazz and fusion, and has received many awards at the annual “Nowa Tradycja” competition organised by Polish Radio. He composes and performs music for theatre performances and silent films and has been involved in various educational projects. He travels to lands near and far in search of new melodies and exotic flavours. He has performed at hundreds of venues around the world, from festivals to concert halls. A former member of the Lautari band, he has collaborated with Marcin Pospieszalski, Zbigniew Łowżył, Michał Czachowski, Yair Dalal, Amin M’raihi, as well as Polish Radio and the National Theatre. www.michalzak.pl

 

Piotr Zgorzelski 

Plays the folk bass and performs traditional dances. A co-founder of the “House of Dance” Association, for the last fifteen years he has taught traditional Polish dances at workshops in Poland and other European countries. An ethnology graduate, Piotr learnt to dance directly from original dancers of Polish villages and towns, as well as from archival sources. He has developed his own method of dance instruction and has authored and organised cycles of educational cultural projects connected with traditional music and dance. One of his proudest achievements was a project that revived Warsaw’s pre-war tradition of summertime open-air dances. Piotr co-operates with the Scena Lubelska 30/32 theatre as an actor and dancer. To date he has received four scholarships from the Ministry of Culture for conducting cultural activities.

 

Guest musicians:

 

 

Szczepan Pospieszalski

Composer, trumpeter, freely moving across different musical genres. He holds a degree in Composition, Interpretation, Education and Jazz from Katowice Music Academy under the direction of Professor Alexander Lasoń. Since he was a child he has been involved in many musical projects of the 'Pospieszalscy' family. He performed with Noah's Ark, Raz Dwa Trzy, Deus Meus among others. Currently also working with Adam Strug, Ola Kubicka and POLA (Paulina Pospieszalska).