From 1952 to 1957, he studied musicology at Jagiellonian University. He also completed private studies in composition and contemporary music analysis and theory under Bogusław Schaeffer and Eugeniusz Rudnik at the Experimental Studio of the Polish Radio (1955-57). Until 1974 he was active primarily as a jazz pianist. From 1959, he led bands that included Włodzimierz Nahorny, Zbigniew Namysłowski, Jacek Ostaszewski, Tomasz Stańko, Janusz Trzciński and Michał Urbaniak. He performed with them in many European countries and the United States (for example, at jazz festivals in Newport and Washington). He made numerous recordings. He also collaborated with foreign musicians, such as Stan Getz, Lucky Thompson, Phil Woods and Art Farmer. Between 1965 and 1970, he took part several times – as conductor, pianist and artistic director – in ‘Jazz Workshops’ in Hamburg, organised by Norddeutscher Rundfunk. From 1974 he was the director and artistic manager of the Polish Radio and Television Orchestra Studio S-1 in Warsaw.
Apart from his concert and organisational activities, he was also engaged in journalism and music criticism. He is the co-author of the Lexicon of 20th-century Composers (PWM, Kraków 1963), editor of the entries in the jazz section of the PWM Music Encyclopaedia, as well as author of numerous reviews, articles and essays in music magazines.
Andrzej Trzaskowski's compositional body of work includes orchestral, chamber and piano works, as well as many musical illustrations for film and theatre plays. In 1972, his television ballet Nihil est for 8 Jazz Performers and Symphony Orchestra (1972) received the 3rd Award (1st and 2nd were not awarded) at the Radio and Television Committee Competition and the Main Award at the Polish Composers' Union Competition.
Major compositions:
- Kalatówki 59 for Jazz Sextet (1960)
- Ballade with Silver Cadence for Piano Trio (1961)
- Transformations for Piano (1961)
- Requiem for Scotty for Piano (1962)
- Full Stop for Jazz Sextet (1962)
- Nihil Novi for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra (1962)
- Jazz Variation on the ‘Chmiel’ Theme (1963)
- Introversion for Piano (1963)
- Jazz Variation on the ‘Oj tam u Boru’ Theme for Jazz Quintet (1964)
- Post Scriptum [version I] for Jazz Quintet (1964)
- Synopsis [version I] for Jazz Quintet (1964)
- Blue-beard for Instrumental Ensemble (1964)
- Cosinusoida for Instrumental Ensemble (1965)
- My Point of View for Instrumental Ensemble (1965)
- Synopsis [version II] for Orchestra (1965)
- The Quibble for Instrumental Ensemble (1966)
- Seant for jazz sextet (1966)
- The Opener I for Instrumental Ensemble (1967)
- Disagreement for Jazz Quintet (1967)
- Piece for Ronnie for Instrumental Ensemble (1967)
- Post Scriptum [version II] for Orchestra (1967)
- Music on a Dominant with a Minor Second and a Quarter for Jazz Sextet (1968)
- Something Rustic for Chamber Ensemble (1968)
- Posters for Jazz Sextet (1969)
- Epitaph for K. K. [version I] for Jazz Sextet (1969)
- Collection for Instrumental Ensemble (1970)
- Double for Jazz Quintet and Tape (1970)
- The Opener II for Jazz Orchestra (1970)
- Bloki for Piano, Electric Violin and Orchestra (1971)
- Magma for Flute, Electric Violin and Orchestra (1972)
- Nihil Est, Television Ballet for 8 Jazz Performers and Symphony Orchestra (1972)
- Pół-żartem… [Half-joking…] for Orchestra (1973)
- His Better Feeling for Orchestra (1974)
- Vision for Piano, Alto Saxophone and Orchestra (1974)
- Better Luck Next Time for Orchestra (1974)
- Epitaph for K. K. [version II] for Orchestra (1974)
- Close Up for 3 Performers (1979)
- Suspensus for Orchestra (1980)
- Variations in Modern Style on Popular Themes for Piano
Originally written in Polish by Anna Iwanicka-Nijakowska, Polish Music Information Centre, Polish Composers' Union, Dec 2007, translated into English by PG, May 2021