Janusz Szrom

Biography

His musical education started in 1977 on the piano, at Nysa School of Music. Then, in 1981, he started to play on trumpet while continuing to perfect the piano skills, in Chrzanów School of Music. In 1989, after graduating from the Secondary School of Music in Kraków, majoring in trumpet (minor in piano), he first entered John Paul II University to play organ and later (in 1990) matriculated to Musical University in Kraków to study music theory. Finally, in 1992 he began study in Katowice at the prestigious Karol Szymanowski University of Music’s School of Jazz and Popular Music. In 1995, he received his master's degree with Honors as a Jazz Vocalist. In January 2012, he received PhD degree from the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. In June 2014, he completed the process of habilitation at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, gaining the rank of a "habilitated doctor,"- equivalent to the American title of "assistant-professor." The title of his work was "Polska piosenka popularna interpretowana w języku jazzowym. Analiza utworów z płyty ŚPIEWNIK." ("Polish pop music translated into the language of jazz. An analysis of the works from "Śpiewnik.")

His career as a jazz vocalist started in 1994, when he won the 2nd place honor at the International Meeting of Jazz Vocalists in Zamość. Next year, in 1995 – he was the first prizewinner of the publicity prize at the Fall Pomeranian Jazz- "Key to Career’s Door", which is one of the most important honors for a young artist to achieve. Since then he has performed at numerous festivals and music meetings, as Jazz nad Odrą, Jazz Jamboree, Old Jazz Meeting "Złota Tarka" in Iława, Jazz Standard Festival in Siedlce, Jazz Muzeum in Ostrów Wielkopolski, National Festival of Polish Song in Opole and International Meetings of Jazz Vocalists in Zamość.

In 2008, Janusz Szrom was selected by Michel Legrand to perform his famous What are you doing the rest of your life song during the Legrand’s concert at the prestigious 50th Jubilee Jazz Jamboree festival in Warsaw. Jazz Vocalist of the Year in Poland for the years of 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013 and 2014 elected by the readers of the "Jazz Forum" magazine.

Except from active performing, he also has a great experience as a composer, arranger, and teacher. He teaches vocal class at Fryderyk Chopin's College of Music in Warsaw, at Aleksander Zelwerowicz's Theater Academy in Warsaw and at the Academy of Music in Poznań. Also, he has worked for many years as the teacher and instructor of famous Summer Workshops of Jazz Music in Puławy and Chodzież. Janusz Szrom holds the position of the Artistic Director for the Polish-Ukrainian Musical Workshop at Lwow. In addition to appearances on various TV shows and in radio programs such as Kabaret Olgi Lipińskiej (Olga Lipińska Cabaret), Irena Kwiatkowska and Her Guests and others, he has also served as acting teacher in TV programs like Star Academy or Jak Oni Śpiewają.

He took part in two music theatre performances: in 1999, at Ateneum Theatre, Warsaw, in the play inspired by Jonasz Kofta’s lyrics - Kofta (directed by Artur Barciś), co-starring with Joanna Trzepiecińska; and in 2008, at the Centralny Basen Artystyczny, in the play based on the greatest songs of polish 19th century great composer Stanisław Moniuszko, rearranged by greatest contemporary composers like Włodzimierz Nahorny or Andrzej Jagodziński - Moniuszkowo (directed by Barbara Dziekan).

Janusz Szrom is also an author of the music project called Straszni Panowie Trzej. It happens to be a first jazz arrangement of the songs from the unforgettable Older Gentelmen Cabaret, written by Jerzy Wasowski and Jeremi Przybora. In 2009, two of his albums: "Straszni Panowie Trzej" and „Talk with me” has acquired a Gold Record Awards. A board member of the PSJ (Polish Jazz Society) since 2009.

Medals

Discography