Employees

dr

Jakub Szafrański

choral conducting

Born on January 8, 1988 in Warsaw. In the years 1994-2006 he attended the Grażyna Bacewicz State Primary and Secondary Music School. He graduated in the trumpet class of Tomasz Chmielarz. Then he obtained a bachelor's degree at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music (UMFC) in the specialties of Playing the Trumpet in the class of Wiesław Woźnicki (2010) and Leading Music Ensembles in the conducting class of Dr Agata Góreczna Jakubczak (2013, diploma with honours). In 2015, at the same university, he graduated with a master’s degree from the specialty of Choral Conducting in the class of prof. Ryszard Zimak (diploma with honours), and in 2017 composition in the class of prof. related dr hab. Paweł Łukaszewski (diploma with honours). In 2022, he defended his doctoral thesis “Contemporary compositional techniques and performance problems in selected choral pieces by Warsaw composers at the beginning of the 21st century” supervised by Sławek A. Wróblewski.

Composition

His pieces are performed at concerts and festivals around the world eg.: World Choral Expo, International Festival of Contemporary Music, Warsaw Autumn, The Central European Music Forum, Karuizawa International Choral Festival.
The album Midnight Stories by the Art'n'Voices with a piece by Jakub Szafrański received the Fryderyk 2021 award in the Music Album of the Year category.
His works are included in the repertoire of such ensembles as: The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge, Orkiestra Muzyki Nowej, World Youth Choir, Metropolitan Chorus of Tokyo, sekstet wokalny proMODERN, Kammerchor Hannover, Poznański Chór Kameralny, Polski Chór Kameralny, TURKSOY Choir,  Chór Szkoły Głównej Handlowej w Warszawie, Archikatedralny Chór Męski Cantores Minores, Zespół Wokalny Art’n’Voices, Art'n'Voices Vocal Ensemble, VOCORE Vocal Ensemble.
Jakub Szafrański's works were released by Schott Music GmbH & Co. KG Weihergarten, Leonard  Music, Ars Musica, and Polska Muzyka Chórlna XXI.
Author of numerous arrangements of liturgical songs performed in the Warsaw Cathedral, arrangements of popular music, as well as a composer of film music. The movie "Great Fear" with his music, won at the Kameralne Lato 2020 festival.
Interviews with Jakub Szafrański concerning his work were included in the national and international medias "Interntional Choral Bulletin", “FarCoro”, “Dirigo”, “RDC Radio, and the podcast "Choir Stories".

Conducting

Conductor and choir director in Polish Royal Opera form 2022 where he prepared choruses operas written by e.g. C. Monteverdi, J.S. Bacha, G.F. Händel, W.A. Mozart, S. Moniuszko, G. Rossini and also premieres of cotemporary operas by Z. Krauze and P. Opałka.
From 2022 he is conductor of Church Music Department Vocal Ensemble at UMFC.
In 2015-2021he has been an assistant conductor in the choir of the Warsaw School of Economics (SGH) and first conductor of Female Choir of Warsaw School of Economics.
Since 2016, he became the second conductor in the Archcathedral Male Choir of Cantores Minores at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Warsaw.
In 2012, on the initiative of Jakub Szafrański, the Male Vocal Ensemble Foyer was established of which he was the conductor and musical director. In 2012-2015 he gave concerts with this group all over Poland.

Scientific and education activity

Since 2017, he has been working as a lecturer at the UMFC at the Faculty of Music Education, Choral and Rhythmics, the Faculty of Vocal and Acting and the Faculty of Church Music.
In his research, Jakub Szafrański focuses on Polish choral music from the interwar period and contemporary compositional techniques used in choral music. These issues are presented in scientific works and during scientific conferences.
In 2013, he reconstructed J. A. Maklakiewicz's Missa pro defunctis on the basis of the manuscripts collected at Warsaw University Library.
Founder and artistic director of the Music Festival in Pasym 2022.
Founder of the Artistic and Scientific Club of Choral Conducting (KANDC) at the UMFC and its first chairman.
Co-founder and artistic curator of the Klasycznie Niepoważni (Classically non-serious) concert series.
Co-organizer of the 21st International Academy of Early usic (2014) He co-organized the XXI International Academy of Early Music in 2014.

Website: www.jszafranski.com

Awards:

1. I prize in International Composition Competition AERCO: my first 50 years for Waterfall for eight voices. Bologna 2020.
2. I prize in 57. Tadeusz Baird Young Composer Competition for Trobey Pastora for six voices. Warsaw 2016.
3. I prize in Third International Competition For Children’s Choir Composition CORINFESTA for From the railway carriage for choir, Bologna (Italy) 2019.
4. I prize in First International Competition Cantu Gaudeamus for Female Choir of Warsaw School of Economics, Białystok 2016.
5. II prize in 5th Japan International Choral Composition Competition forPSALM 66, Tokyo, Japan 2023.
6. II prize in 18th. International Composers Competition MUSICA SACRA NOVA 2022 for In te Domine speravi, Brauveiler, Germany 2022.
7. II prize in w International Federation for Choral Music Composition Competition 2017 for Falling stars for mixed choir a cappella, Austin (USA) 2018.
8. II prize in International Young Composer Competition “Vox juventutis ‘17” for Laudate Pueri for two mixed choirs, Viluns, Lithuania 2017.
9. II prize in 14th International Composers Competition MUSICA SACRA NOVA 2018 for Gloria Angelis, Gdansk 2018
10. II prize in
11. II prize in International Composer Competition Musica Caelestis for De judicio Dei for two female choirs, Warsaw 2017 and the award of the Rector of the UMFC, Klaudiusz Baran, Warsaw 2017.
12. II prize (I not awarded) for Female Choir of Warsaw School of in The International May Choir Competition by Prof. Georgi Dimitrov - Varna w category of homogeneous, Varna 2017.
13. III prize in 15thInternational Composers Competition MUSICA SACRA NOVA 2018 for O vos omnes for two mixed choirs, Gdansk 2019.
14. III prize in 3th Polish Composer Competition Opus 966 for Tu es filius meus for mixed choir a cappella, Poznan 2015.
15. III prize in Polish Composer Competition “John Paul II – son of polish land” for Hail, oh Mother for mixed choir, Warsaw 2017.
16. Distinction in 2ed Polish Composer Competition Opus 966 for Libera nos Domine for mixed choir a cappella, Poznan 2014.
17. Distinction in 4th Polish Composer Competition Opus 966 for Modlitwa for mixed choir a cappella, Poznan 2016.
18. Special prize „German premiere” founded by Kammerchor Hannover for Tu es filius meus for mixed choir a cappella, Poznan 2015.
19. Special prize fondue by Polish General Consul in Cologne for the best polish composer during 14th International Composers Competition MUSICA SACRA NOVA, Brauweiler (Germany) 2018.
20. Honorable Mention for the best arrangement to the song Today I cannot come to you during Sacrosongfestival of the Warsaw-Prague Diocese, Otwock 2018.

List of major compositions:

1. Agnus Dei for male a cappella choir (2013)
2. Libera nos, Domine for mixed choir a cappella (2014)
3. Tu es filius meus for mixed choir a cappella (2015)
4. Trobey Pastora for vocal sextet, words by Marcabru (2015)
5. 10 emotions for oboe, trumpet, percussion and double bass (2016)
6. Toccata Hoffata for piano (2017)
7. Laudate Pueri for two mixed choirs a cappella (2017)
8. De iudicii Dei for two female choirs a cappella (2017)
9. Vesperae in ascensione Domini for Gregorian choir, two mixed choirs and symphony orchestra (2017)
10. for chamber orchestra (2017)
11. Natura harmonis for double bass quartet (2017)
12. Pulchra Natura for piano quintet (2017)
13. Falling stars for a cappella choir (2017)
14. for a cappella male choir (2018)
15. Hail o Mother for mixed choir a cappella (2018)
16. Jubilate Deo for mixed choir a cappella (2018)
17. O vos omnes for two mixed choirs a cappella (2019)
18. From the railway carriage for 3 equal voices and body percussion (2019)
19. I dreamt a dream for mixed choir a cappella (2019)
20. Alleluja Cantores for male and organ (2020)
21. PSALM 66 for mixed choir a cappella (2021)
22. for eight a cappella voices (2020)
23. Ubi Caritas for mixed choir a cappella (2022)
24. In te Domine speravi in memory of Wacław from Szamotuły for mixed choir a cappella (2022)
25. Pater Noster for mixed choir a cappella (2023)