Born in 1981, he is currently a student of composition under Grażyna Pstrokońska-Nawratil at the Academy of Music in Poznań. In September 2000 he received the special prize for composition as well as the Sergei Slonimski award at the First International Competition for Young Pianist-Composers in St. Petersburg, as well as Second Prize at the National Student Competition in Bydgoszcz for his Wind Quintet Antipasto. In December of that year he was honoured at the Tadeusz Baird National Polish Composers' Competition for his work Sator. Last year he received the 'Silver Carriage' journalists' award for his artistic achievements.
His works have been performed at the 2001 'Warsaw Autumn' Festival (the concert of the Youth Circle of the Polish Composers' Union), 'Musica Polonica Nova' in Wrocław (2002) and the 'Poznań Musical Spring' (2002). His latest success was Third Prize at the National Student Competition for a Fugue in Bydgoszcz (June 2002).

Selected works: Agnus Dei for ten performers (1999/2000), Sator for soprano solo and ecologically recycled materials (2000), Lux aeterna for four male voices (2001), Pranajama for wind instruments and percussion (2001), 3 Poems for mezzo-soprano and piano (2001), Im Augenblick for clarinet and viola (2002), Recordare for eight voices (2002), Flash for two flutes and piano (2002).

3 Poems was composed in August 2001. The piece is an attempt to capture the ascetic language of poetry by e. e. cummings.

Tomasz Praszczałek