Jagoda Szmytka
Jagoda Marta Szmytka is a Polish composer. She has attracted attention for her style of music, which uses elements not only of sound, but also of the sense of space and visual arts, and also for her opera, Dla głosów i rąk. She is a well-known composer in Europe and has been recognized abroad, winning numerous juried scholarships, including the Staubach Honoraria for Composition.
Biography
Jagoda Szmytka studied history of art and philosophy at the University of Wrocław, Poland as well as composition and music theory with Krystian Kiełb and Cezary Duchnowski at the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław. This was followed by postgraduate studies in composition with Pierluigi Billone and Beat Furrer at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, with Beat Furrer at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts, and with Wolfgang Rihm at the Karlsruhe University of Music.Szmytka has received numerous scholarships and grants from various foundations including Austrian Agency for International Cooperation in Education and Research, an artist grant funded by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), a scholarship of the Oscar und Vera Ritter Stiftung, a scholarship from the Baden-Württemberg Art Foundation, Alfred Toepfer Stiftung, the Wolfgang Rihm Scholarship of the Hoepfner Foundation, and the Staubach Honorarium for Composition by the Darmstadt Summer Courses.
In both 2011 and 2014 she was composer-in-residence at ZKM Karlsruhe, which in between those appointments she had served as composer-in-residence at Paris. She was awarded with the Villa Serpentara Scholarship 2017 by the Academy of Arts, Berlin.
Szmytka lives as a freelance composer in Frankfurt am Main. She founded an artist's and musician's group called "Play" which meets biweekly and performs once a month.
Work
Szmytka's work uses sound and also includes visual elements such as text, theatre and painting.The work on her release, "Bloody Cherries", was performed mainly by Ensemble Garage, and was considered to be sensual and gestural by Polityka.
Szmytka’s compositions are featured at international festivals and institutions including Warsaw Autumn, where she premiered "Lost." Her work has been performed at the Lucerne Festival, Festival Ultraschall Berlin, Wien Modern, Eclat-Festival Stuttgart, Darmstadt International Summer Courses for New Music, Musica Polonica Nova, Rheinsberger Musiktage, Deutschlandfunk Cologne, ZKM Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe, Polish National Opera Warsaw. Ensembles performing her works include Ensemble Garage, Ensemble Interface, ensemble recherche, European Workshop for Contemporary Music, IEMA, E-MEX Ensemble, Duo leise dröhnung, Kwartludum, Ensemble l'arsenale, Ensemble Besides.
Works
Solo music
körperwelten for amplified string instrument, audio, videon ¿i? study of who where when for harpsichord or prepared piano, audio, video Open the box! #1 for accordion solo Open the box! #2 for organ solo GAMEBOY for sampler, audi, videoChamber music
per._o for 2 flutists and 1 pianist or percussionist forfall for amplified clarinet/bass clarinet, violin, piano, percussion, audio files Just before after #1 for ensemble, optional: amplification Just before after #2 for amplified ensemble Watch out! of the box for amplified cello, piano, audio, video electrified memories of bloody cherries. extended Landschaft von Musik for amplified ensemble hand saw WeltAll-Stars. generously for amplified ensemble sky-me type-me for four voices amplified with megaphones f* for music for E-guitar, amplified cello for travellers like angels or vampires for amplified ensemble Oh no, I've lost my lofty bow for amplified ensemble greetings from a doppelgänger for amplified ensemble and transducers Inane prattle for amplified ensemble, audio files pores open wide shut for flute, cello, piano, percussion empty music for amplified ensemble Limbo Lander. Audiovisual context composition for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, percussion, video, audioWorks for ensemble
verbrenne Life! for ensemble, 4 megaphones happy deaf people. Staged piece for amplified cello, large ensemble, video and audio projectionsStage works
dla głosów i rąk . Chamber opera for soprano, 7 singers, ensemble, audio and video projectionsDiscography
- „Jagoda Szmytka – bloody cherries: electrified memories of bloody cherries / for travelers like angels or vampires / hand saw WeltAll-Stars. generously / sky-me, type-me / pores open wide shut / f* for music / greetings from a doppelgänger“ WERGO 2014