Szymon Ćukowski
As a performer working in a wide range of musical settings â from jazz quartets to chamber ensembles, orchestras, and studio sessions â the most important qualities I look for in mouthpieces are a great tone, wide range of colors, excellent playability, and ease of articulation across all registers. The Chedeville Umbra F5, Kanter Cinema (Bb and A clarinets), and Elite F5 (bass clarinet) are simply miraculous. They’re reed-friendly, sound fantastic, and are truly a joy to play.
Biography:
SZYMON ĆUKOWSKI – saxophonist, clarinetist, flutist, keyboardist, composer, arranger, and bandleader, born June 10th, 1986 in Bydgoszcz Poland. He graduated from the F. Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz in A. DudziĆski’s clarinet class (2010), the S. Moniuszko Academy of Music in GdaĆsk in M. SikaĆa’s jazz saxophone class (2014), and M. SikaĆa’s jazz flute class (2022). Doctor of Musical Arts, lecturer at Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz and Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz.
Winner of numerous awards, including the Grand Prix at the Petersburg Spring 2019 competition, 1st place in the Soloist category at the Blue Note PoznaĆ Competition (2014), Best Instrumentalist Award at the 16th Review of Young Jazz and Blues Bands of the Gdynia Sax Club (2013), Best Instrumentalist at the 13th Big Band Festival in Nowy TomyĆl (2008), and 2nd prize at the Student Jazz Festival in Bydgoszcz with the Walking Quartet (2009).
Recipient of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage Scholarship (2011), and the Artistic Scholarship of the Marshal of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship three times (2013, 2015, 2019).
He comfortably navigates various musical styles, from jazz to fusion, Latin, and experimental music, focusing mainly on contemporary jazz in its various forms. Currently, he is a member of groups such as the Szymon Ćukowski Quartet, Krystyna StaĆko Sextet, Orange Trane, MichaĆ Gozdek Quartet, Bartosz Pernal Orchestra, Jan Konop Big Band, Eljazz Big Band, Bartosz Staszkiewicz Orchestra.
He has performed alongside artists such as Jerzy MaĆek, Cezary Paciorek, Jan SmoczyĆski, Maciej SikaĆa, Marcin Gawdzis, Przemek Dyakowski, Krystyna StaĆko, Piotr LemaĆczyk, Zbigniew and Jacek NamysĆowski, Ilona DamiÄcka, Adam Ć»uchowski, Tomasz SowiĆski, Jan Freicher, Dominik Wania, Adam LemaĆczyk, StanisĆaw Soyka, Kasia Kowalska, Wojciech Pulcyn, PrzemysĆaw Jarosz, Sebastian Frankiewicz, PaweĆ Dobrowolski, Tyler Hornby, Kristian Alexandrov, Bartosz Pernal, Maciej KÄ dziela, Ćukasz Ojdana, MichaĆ Tokaj, and Aga Zaryan.
Szymon Ćukowski is also the author of music for several theatrical productions, including the play “The Reunification of the Two Koreas” by J. Pommerat, directed by Ćukasz Gajdzis, composed together with Tomasz Lewandowski.
He has also performed abroad in United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Greece and France.
Selected Discography:
Ărganek: MTV Unplugged (2024)
LNSD Quartet – Unasked, Unanswered (2021)
JĂłzef Eliasz and Eljazz Big Band – Polish Songs (2021)
JĂłzef Eliasz and Eljazz Big Band – Bach (2021)
Szymon Ćukowski Quartet – Short Sketches (2020)
Orange Trane feat. Eskaubei – WolnoĆÄ (2019)
Agnieszka MaĆecka Quintet – In Search of… (2018)
JĂłzef Eliasz and Eljazz Big Band – After the Catastrophe. Music by Krzysztof Komeda (2017)
Szymon Ćukowski Quintet – Hourglass (2017)
JĂłzef Eliasz and Eljazz Big Band – Carols and Pastorals (2016)
Tomasz Ćosowski Acoustic Trio feat. Szymon Ćukowski & Piotr LemaĆczyk (Soliton, 2015)
Szymon Ćukowski Quintet – Szymon Ćukowski Quintet (Soliton, 2014)
Piotr LemaĆczyk Quartet North – Baltic Dance (Soliton, 2014)
Marcin Gawdzis Quintet – Shadows of Autumn (Soliton, 2013)
Jan Freicher & Symphonic Fusion – The Vega Concert (2015)
