Paweł Potoroczyn, director of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute; Tomasz Stańko; Nina Kowalewska-Motlik, Superbrands Poland, photo: Kuba Kiljan
The jazz trumpeter and composer has received Culture.pl’s distinction for Poland's most influential artists and global impact
"For his craft and skill, his uncompromising approach to music and for bringing Polish music to the most world’s most prestigious concert halls", Tomasz Stańko was given the award, a cooperation between Superbrands Poland and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, which holds Culture.pl in its portfolio of projects and works to bring Polish culture to global audiences.
Stańko, named "one of the world's most original and innovative jazz trumpeters" by the New Yorker magazine, has been enjoying fresh acclaim with his latest project, the album Wisława from 2013. Recorded with his New York Quartet of David Virelles on piano, Thomas Morgan on double bass and the percussionist Gerald Cleaver, the disc pays tribute to Polish poet and Nobel-laureate Wisława Szymborska on the first anniversary of her death. The quartet has performances scheduled in Essen, London, Oslo and Hamburg.
"I was most inspired by Szymborska as a person" Stańko said in the interview, "her greatness, her singularity, her beauty, her goodness, and of course what she created, but that is somewhat obvious". The two met on several occasions, and in 2009, he performed duets with her at the Kraków Opera, for one of her last book events. "My role was to comment on the poetry, to play short interludes", Stańko reminisced. The performance was released as a disc to accompany Szymborska's bilingual volume Tutaj / Here, by the publisher Zank.
Superbrands Poland is part of a global business operating in over 50 countries worldwide. An international organisation that aims to reward successful brands that have built up the strongest position in its industry, awards are given on the basis of brand recognition, the brand's unique qualities and the company's relationship with its customers. In 2012 the daring Polish theatre directors Krzysztof Warlikowski and Grzegorz Jarzyna receive the first Culture.pl Superbrands award.
Sources: article by Anna Legierska for culture.pl, Superbrands website, culture.pl
Editor: MJ, 08.04.2013