At the end of his classical studies he devoted his time to jazz music and he had his first important success as the co-author of the group Central Heating Trio with whom he won the first position at the Jazz Juniors'90 Festival in Krakow and he also won the first position at the Festival Pomeranian Jazz Autumn - "Key to Career" in 1991. Central Heating Trio also qualified to the finals of international jazz competitions in 1990: 9. European Jazz Competition in Leverkusen, Germany and "Europe Jazz Contest" Hoeilaart, Belgium.
In 1995 he recorded with Susan Weinert his first author's record Meeting in Krakow. That year he founded the first group Cezary Konrad Quartet with whom in 1999 he recorded the author's record One mirror...many reflections.
Since 1998 he has cooperated with Anna Maria Jopek. In 2005 he founded Cezary Konrad's New Band. Last years he cooperated with such music formations as Włodek Pawlik Trio, Krzysztof Herdzin Trio, Zbigniew Wegehaupt, Andrzej Kurylewicz Trio.
Besides above mentioned musicians, Cezary Konrad performed and recorded with many excellent figures of Polish jazz scene: Leszek Możdżer, Zbigniew Namysłowski, Tomasz Stańko and with many foreign musicians: Karrin Allyson, Randy Brecker, Deborah Brown, Mino Cinelu, Joe de Franco, Volker Greve, Gary Guthman, Omar Hakim, Paul Imm, Didier Lockwood, Pat Metheny, Nippy Noya, Susan Weinert.
Since 2006 he has been performing with solo concerts.
He is a laureate of many awards: the Mateusz Święcicki Prize "Mateusz" awarded by III Program of Polish Radio. He received the K. Komeda Grant awarded by Ministry of Culture and Art and recently he has received Award for The Best Percussionist 2006 and 2007 in the category "Jazz/Latin/Funk Percussion Player" from readers of the magazine "Top Drummer". He recorded almost 80 records. He has worked with Warsaw Percussion Group and Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Projects:
- Central Heating Trio
- Cezary Konrad / Susan Weinert
- Cezary Konrad Quartet
- Cooperation with Anna Maria Jopek
- Cezary Konrad's the New Band
- Włodek Pawlik Trio
- Krzysztof Herdzin Trio
- Andrzej Kurylewicz Trio
- Warsaw Percussion Group
- Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Selected discography:
- Susan Weinert & Cezary Konrad "Meeting in Krakow" (1996) Susan Weinert - guitars
Cezary Konrad - drums & percussion (additional keybord)
Martin Weinert - 5 string electric bass
Zbigniew Jakubek - keybords
Marek Podkowa - tenor saxophone
- One Mirror...Many Reflections (Selles Records, 2000) Cezary Konrad - drums
**os:Darek Krupa*os*krupa*dariusz** - guitars
Piotr Żaczek - el. bass & fretlees bass
Marek Podkowa - tenor sax, EWI
Zbigniew Jakubek - lead synth
Leszek Możdżer - electric piano & acoustic piano
- Bajor Michał "Twarze w lustrach" (Sony Music Polska / MTJ, 2002)
- Curyłło Dorota "Jazz do poduszki" (Polskie Radio, 2002)
- Curyłło Dorota "Lady Be Good" (Fonografika, 2007)
- Filip Wojciechowski Trio "Classic Jazz" (Record Publishing House Sächsische Tonträger, Berlin, 2000)
- Geppert Edyta "Wierzę piosence" (Universal Music, 2002)
Opinions:
- Cezary Konrad - One Mirror...Many Reflections"
"(...)Sophisticated compositions invites the band to perform a role of musical avant-garde in electric jazz which has been very neglected recently with us. Cezary Konrad is likewise Darek Krupa under large influence of Allan Holdsworth, he is on a good way to create on the basis of this inspiration his own style. We can divide these recordings into two types: these that refers to electrical jazz played by Coltrane's guitar, in some way to TRIBAL TECH output and to other performers of this type at the turn of the 90's and compositions more personal.(...)" (Piotr Nowicki)
Author: Marek Romański, January 2009.