Endorsers
Gniewomir Tomczyk
Gniewomir Tomczyk – drummer, artistic event producer, and educator. He is a graduate of the I. J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań. He was a finalist in the competitions of the Bielska Zadymka Jazzowa Festival (2019) and the Krokus Jazz Festival (2019) and the winner of the First Prize at the National Rhythm Festival Drum Battle (2008). He leads several original projects, including Futuropolis, Gniewomir Tomczyk / Project, The Funky Bump!, "Perpetus," and GESO GATO. He has released three solo albums: “Pieces of My Journey,” “Quality Jazz Live,” and “Event Horizon,” as well as six singles with music videos: "Futuropolis," "Initiation," “Light Up!,” “Rush,” “Generation of Numbers,” and “Mechanical Cats.” Since 2024, he has held the position of Vice President of the Polish Jazz Association.
The band Gniewomir Tomczyk / Project has performed numerous club and festival concerts, promoting their albums. In 2019, they appeared at two international festivals: Jazz Juniors and Jazz w Ruinach. In the fall of 2018, they opened for the legendary drummer Jojo Mayer / Nerve. They also participated in the Witamina Jazz Festival, featuring a special guest performance by Kayah, a renowned Polish vocalist, songwriter, and producer. His debut album “Event Horizon” was recognized and highlighted in the ranking of Magazyn Perkusista (issue 7-8/2018) as one of the “100 Most Important Polish Albums for Drummers” and was nominated in Jazz Forum magazine’s Jazz Top 2018 ranking in the “Electric Band” category.
He has participated in numerous nationwide tours with the band XXANAXX, performing at various festivals, club concerts, and prestigious events, including the Fryderyk Music Awards ceremony (2017). The band's latest album, “Gradient,” won a Fryderyk Award in the “Electronic Music” category (2019).
Gniewomir collaborates regularly with projects such as Beksiński.live, Syntfonia, Marika, Aleksander, Michał Sołtan, Patrycja Zarychta, and producer MIN t. He has performed at prestigious music festivals in Poland and abroad, including Open’er Festival, Orange Warsaw Festival, Spring Break, Audioriver, Męskie Granie, Lato z Radiem, Off Camera, Tauron Nowa Muzyka, Szalone Dni Muzyki, Off Festival, The Great Escape (Brighton), Don’t Panic We’re From Poland (Hamburg), Witamina Jazz, Summer Jazz by Jazz, and the VI Jazz Picnic by the Lagoon. He has made numerous media appearances, including Polish Radio (such as the Agnieszka Osiecka Music Studio and Witold Lutosławski Concert Studio), Radio RDC, and Polish Television (programs like Pegaz, Świat się Kręci, Halo Polonia, and Kulturalni.pl).
He has collaborated and performed with many outstanding artists and projects, including Kayah, Apostolis Anthimos, Michał Urbaniak, Katarzyna Nosowska, Natalia Szreder, Błażej Król, O.S.T.R., Fisz, Rogucki, Józef Skrzek, Komendarek, Ten Typ Mes, Marika, Reni Jusis, Schmidt Electric, and many more. He is an endorser of the Polish brand Polmuz, the music store Pro Drum, and Roland.
As an organizer, he has over 200 concerts to his credit, including numerous original series on the Warsaw club scene. Currently, he runs a series of jazz, original, "tribute to," soul, and hip-hop concerts under his own brand – GT/ART MUSIC.
While studying, he simultaneously gained musical experience by participating in numerous concerts, including performances at the National Philharmonic. He also has recording credits, including albums featuring the I, II, and VII Symphonies of the esteemed Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki. These recordings were made with the Sinfonia Iuventus Orchestra under the maestro's baton. He also performed with Serj Tankian, vocalist of “System Of A Down,” in symphonic concerts at the legendary Warsaw Congress Hall and Energa Stadium in Gdańsk. He has also performed with the Das Warschauer Symphonite-Orchester and the Opera and Philharmonic of Podlasie.
Education:
- I. J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań: Graduate of the jazz percussion class led by Prof. Krzysztof Przybyłowicz.
- H. Majewski Post-Secondary Jazz School in Warsaw: Jazz percussion class under Prof. Krzysztof Gradziuk.
- Fryderyk Chopin University of Music, Białystok Faculty of Instrumental Studies: Percussion studies with Prof. Henryk Mikołajczyk.
- E. Młynarski State School of Music Complex No. 1 in Warsaw: Studies under Prof. Bogdan Lauks.
- K. Kurpiński State Music School No. 1 in Warsaw: Studied under Prof. Małgorzata Zubera.
- Private lessons and consultations with Louie Palmer (Los Angeles/British drummer who has collaborated with Mike Stern, Randy Brecker, Tom Scott, Tim Lefebvre, Janek Gwizdala) and Carlos Botello (Dallas/Owner and creator of the "Left Hand Path Drum Book" series, recommended by Beetle Percussion, Mapex Marching, Salyers Percussion, and Sabian Cymbals).
Sylvain Darrifourcq
Percussionist, multi-instrumentalist, improviser and composer, Sylvain Darrifourcq (born in 1979) trained as a classical percussionist. He opts late for the drums, discovers rock, jazz and improvised music. A recognized figure of this generation of improvisers curious about borders, he is a musician in great demand. He has collaborated with many French, European and American personalities such as Joëlle Léandre, Joachim Kühn, Tony Malaby, Michel Portal, Louis Sclavis, Marc Ducret, Andrea Parkins, Akosh S, Kit Downes... In 2009, he obtained a "Victoire du Jazz" with the Emile Parisien Quartet, of which he was the drummer for more than 10 years. Over the course of human and musical encounters, his attraction to current forms of creation becomes clearer and pushes him to create his own festival in the company of singer / double bass player Elise Dabrowski: the DA festival. Passionate about questions of temporality, space and rupture in music, he now creates a very personal language, built around the notions of "poly-speed", "physical quality" and the mechanization of the sound gesture. Thus are born his own projects MILESDAVISQUINTET!, IN LOVE WITH and TENDIMITE. His research leads him to question the plastic dimension of his productions. In 2019, together with Nicolas Canot, he gave birth to the FIXIN ecosystem - a set of projects ranging from sound installation to performance - featuring digitally controlled motors in a minimalist and immersive light scenography. He also collaborates with composers Karl Naegelen, Guillaume Hermen; the visual artists Zimoun, Yves Chaudouët; the choreographers Soa Ratsifandrihana, Liz Santoro and the author Françoise Dô. In 2023, he created HECTOR Editions with the aim of publishing books with scientific content and knowledge sharing, and published the book 20,000 WORDS co-written with Antoine Le Bousse.
Sebastian Kuchczyński
Kuchczynski began his musical education at the age of 5. In 1996 he started playing with a local Brass Band in Brodnica, Poland. He played in Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, France and Netherlands.
Sebastian began his education at the University of Karol Szymanowski in Katowice, focusing on jazz and popular music. That is where he met much accomplished polish and European jazz musicians.
In 2008 he received a solo prize in the Open category and a special prize for The Biggest Festival Talent on „I’st Tarnów Jazz Contest 2008". The prize was given to him by the leader of the jury John Betsch, who is known for working with Steve Lacy.
Next important event was a first Grand Prix prize won in 2010 in the international jazz competition "XXXIV Getxo Jazz in Spain" with a Wierba-Schmidt Quintet, with whom he also recorded 3 albums.
He began playing with the Polish-Cuban band called Recicl-G en Cuero, established by Yoilan Perez Harriette and where we can also find a great Cuban pianist Rey Ceballo. He was a co-organizer of "Film Jazz Project", together with Michael Patches Stewart, who knows from years of work with Tina Turner, Earth, Wind & Fire, Marcus Miller and Kenny Garret.
From 2016, he is a member of soul-hip hop band called "Radiostatik", established by Michał Wróblewski. The lead vocalist Andre Washington, is known for working with artists such as Beyonce, Aretha Franklin, Jennifer Lopez and Raashan Ahmad - famous LA rapper.
In his professional career, Kuchczynski was 3-time nominee for the FRYDERYK award in the debut album category. Ola Trzaska "All Around" 2013 r. ; Przemysław Florczak "Image Of My Personality" 2011 r.; Biotone "Another Space" 2011 r.
In 2017 He moved to US in where he started to work with many great musicians witch included: George Garzone, Marco Pignataro, Danilo Perez, Joe Lovano, Jamichael Frazie or Natalia Lacrete.
He recently graduated from the "Berklee Global jazz Institute” - Master program at Berklee College of Music. After graduation he Recorded a studio album in New York studio “Bunker” with MArgaux Vranken and the string quartet from Julliard Music School.