SPÓŁDZIELNIA MUZYCZNA
Spółdzielnia Muzyczna is among Poland’s most dynamic ensembles specialising in the performance of contemporary music. The musicians have graced renowned festivals such as MaerzMusik in Berlin, the Internationale Ferienkurse für Neue Musik in Darmstadt, AFEKT in Estonia, and a wealth of Polish ones – the Warsaw Autumn International Festival of Contemporary Music, Sacrum Profanum, Audio Art, Unsound, and Musica Polonica Nova. Their most noteworthy accolade includes the prestigious Ensemble Prize awarded by the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation, as well as nominations for the Coryphaeus of Polish Music and the 2022 Fryderyk awards in the Contemporary Music Album of the Year category.
The ensemble has had the privilege of participating in the Ensemble-Akademie Freiburg masterclasses for ensembles led by ensemble recherche, and selection, as one of only four ensembles, for the Young Ensemble Academy, where they worked with the legendary Ensemble Modern.
Spółdzielnia Muzyczna is strongly connected to Kraków, its home city, where it has long developed a variety of regular projects. These include INTERAKCJE / INTERACTIONS – concerts combined with open discussions bridging the creator–performer–audience divide; PLAYGROUND: call for collaborations inviting selected artists to compose together, culminating in the performance of the jointly developed works; OPEN SPACE – workshops in new instrumental techniques for composers; as well as OTWÓRZ USZY, OTWÓRZ OCZY / OPEN YOUR EARS / OPEN YOUR EYES and SPÓŁDZIELNIA NA MIEJSCU / SPÓŁDZIELNIA IS HERE educational and interdisciplinary events designed to open broad audiences to introduce new sounds. As part of the last initiative, Spółdzielnia also organises RYTMICZNE WIERSZOWANKI / RHYMES IN RHYTHM sessions for children where they set well-known poems by Polish poets to sound, incorporating among others elements of body music; ORKIESTRA HAŁASÓW / THE ORCHESTRA OF NOISES with music made together on unconventional instruments; and SPACER DŹWIĘKOWY / SOUND WALK during which participants prick up their ears to the sounds of the city.
In its programs, the ensemble tries to combine the classics of the 20th century with the music of the young generation, giving a special place to Polish artists such as: Zygmunt Krauze, Paweł Mykietyn, Agata Zubel, Andrzej Kwieciński, Artur Zagajewski, Piotr Peszat, Monika Szpyrka, Piotr Tabakiernik, Anna Sowa, Nina Fukuoka, Martyna Kosecka, Marta Śniady, Paweł Malinowski, Jacek Sotomski, Aleksander Nowak and Cezary Duchnowski. Spółdzielnia Muzyczna repertoire also includes compositions by Alex Mincek, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Malin Bång, Marco Ciciliani, Alex Paxton, Joanna Bailie, Oscar Escudero, David Fennessy, Johannes Kreidler, Ricardo Eizirik, Matthew Shlomowitz, Trondem Reinholdtsen, Gerard Grisey, Franco Donatoni, Giacinto Scelsi, Olivier Messiaen, Pierre Boulez, Luciano Berio, Morton Feldman, George Crumb, Georges Aperghis and Salvatore Sciarrino.
Małgorzata Mikulska
Born in 1987 in Limanowa, she began her musical education at the age of ten at the F. Chopin State School of Music in Nowy Sącz, in the flute class. A graduate of the Academy of Music in Kraków in the class of prof. Barbara Świątek-Żelazny. She also perfected her skills at the Hochschule für Musik in Mainz, with prof. Dejan Gavriĉa as part of the Erasmus-Socrates program, and then during her studies at the University of Agder in Kristiansand, in the class of prof. Jørn Eivind Schau and prof. Lars Asbjørnsen.
She is an active artist as a chamber musician and orchestra musician. During her stay in Norway, she completed an internship at the Kristiansand Symfoniorkester (2013/2014 artistic season) and was a member of Det Norske Fløyteensemble. In 2015–2018, she was a flautist at the Musical Theatre in Lublin; in the 2018/2019 artistic season, she collaborated with the Opera at the Castle in Szczecin, and in 2019–2021 with the Lower Silesian Philharmonic in Jelenia Góra.
Since 2015, she has been a member of the Spółdzielnia Muzyczna contemporary ensemble, in which she has participated in many festivals and projects, such as the International Festival of Contemporary Music „Warsaw Autumn”, Sacrum Profanum, the Festival of Tradition and Avant-Garde Music CODES, ELEMENTI, NeoArte — Syntezator Sztuki, Sinfonia Varsovia Swojemu Miastu, Kromer Festival Biecz, Audio Art, opera rara, Workin’ Progress and Ars Moderna.
In 2019, she performed at the Warsaw Autumn as a guest with the Ensemble Kompopolex. In the same year, during the summer courses organized by NOR59-Strykeinsitutt (Oslo), she taught in the flute group. She also developed her skills during numerous master classes with world-class flutists, such as Ruth Wentorf, Moshe Aron Epstein, Wissam Boustany, János Bálint, Mirjam Nastasi, Wally Hase, Carlo Jans, Jean-Claude Gerard, Davide Formisano, Robert Aitken, Pierre-Yves Artaud, Martin Fahlenbock. In 2018, together with the Contemporary Ensemble Music Cooperative, she participated in the Ensemble-Akademie Freiburg, run by ensemble recherche.
Krzysztof Guńka
Born in 1990 in Cieszyn. In 2009 he graduated from the I.J. Paderewski State School of Music of the 1st and 2nd degree in Cieszyn, in the saxophone class of Tomasz Gmyrek. In 2014 he graduated with distinction from the 2nd degree studies in the saxophone class of prof. dr hab. Andrzej Rzymkowski at the Academy of Music in Krakow. In 2015 he completed extraordinary studies in the class of Univ.-Prof. Lars Mlekusch at the Konservatorium Wien Privatuniversität. In 2018 he obtained the title of Doctor of Arts at the Academy of Music in Krakow.
He has participated in many competitions at the national and international level. His most important achievements include 2nd place in the 1st National Wind Instrument Competition in Wrocław (2007), 3rd place in the 6th National Saxophone Festival in Przeworsk (2006), 3rd place in the 8th National Saxophone Festival in Przeworsk (2008), advancement to the semi-finals of the 7th International Saxophone Competition „Gustav Bumcke” in Nuremberg (2010), advancement to the semi-finals of the 1st International Saxophone Competition „Golden Sax of Odessa” (2013), advancement to the finals of the 1st National University Competition „Debut with the Orchestra” at the Academy of Music in Kraków (2014), advancement to the semi-finals of the 8th Michał Spisak International Music Competition in Dąbrowa Górnicza (2014). He has participated in many saxophone master classes, including those of Arn Bornkamp, Nobuya Sugawa, Lars Mlekush, Günter Priesner, Vincent David, Massimo Mazzoni, Claus Olesen. He is also involved in numerous artistic projects: he performs solo, in chamber ensembles, in orchestras and as a soloist with an orchestra both in Poland and abroad (Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia).
Aleksandra Płaczek
A soloist and chamber musician specializing in contemporary music performance. In 2019, she graduated with distinction from the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, in the piano class of Prof. Elżbieta Tarnawska and piano chamber music of Prof. Katarzyna Jankowska-Borzykowska.
As a soloist, she has collaborated with the Lviv Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra conducted by Yuriy Bervetske and the Music of Our Times Orchestra conducted by Marek Moś. In June 2019, she also made her debut on the stage of the National Philharmonic, performing Andrzej Panufnik’s Piano Concerto with the National Philharmonic Orchestra in Warsaw conducted by Karol Szwech.
Winner of a special award in the 12th Competition of 20th and 21st Century Music for Young Performers in Radziejowice. Since 2020, she has been a guest with the Chain Ensemble chamber orchestra. Since 2023, a member of the Spółdzielnia Muzyczna contemporary ensemble. Involved in solo and chamber projects, she has performed in Poland and abroad: India, Austria, Hungary, Ukraine, Italy, Germany, Slovakia, Estonia.
She has performed world and national premieres of works by composers such as: Artur Zagajewski, Alex Mincek, Oliver Schneller, Nina Šenk, Teoniki Rożynek, Rafał Ryterski, Żaneta Rydzewska, Monika Szpyrka, Paweł Malinowski, Matthias Krüger, Nina Fukuoka, Viacheslav Kyrylov.
She has performed at festivals: Warsaw Autumn, Darmstädter Ferienkurse, Afekt Festival, KODY Festival of Musical Tradition and Avant-Garde, TRZY-CZTE-RY, Łańcuch, Musica Polonica Nova, Scena Muzyki Nowego (Nowy Teatr), Elementi, Querceto International Piano Festival. She perfected her skills by participating in piano and chamber music courses led by, among others, ensemble recherche, Piotr Anderszewski, Maciej Grzybowski, Ivan Monighetti, Belcea Quartet, Aleksiej Orłowiecki, Konrad Skolarski, Yozef Ormeny, Krzysztof Polonek and Andrzej Tatarski.
