Bartłomiej Krcha

born in Kraków, he graduated from the Music Academy in Wroc-ław, where he studied composition and theory with Jan Antoni Wichrowski. He is currently completing his postgraduate studies
in composition with Eugeniusz Knapik at the Music Academy in Katowice.
His honours include Third Prize at the 5th Lutosławski International Composers’ Competition in Warsaw (2001, for L’homme armé) and Third Prize in the international competition for a symphonic piece at the Euro-Art Meeting in Wrocław (2000, for Mandala).

Selected works: Psalm 121 for a cappella mixed choir (1998), L’homme armé for orchestra (1999), Lyric of a Sleeping Man for a cappella mixed choir to a text by Miron Białoszewski (1999), Mandala for orchestra (2000), Homo Viator for orchestra (2001), Analogies for tape (2001), Ad Ignem for tape (2001–02), The Garden of Birds for tape (2002), Music for String Orchestra (2003), A Conversation for flute and clarinet (2003), Blues for vibraphone (2003),

The Garden of Birds was written on the basis of material from recording of birds made in the Beskid Niski mountain range, the sounds of pipes from dismantled church organs which I brought from Switzerland (to the genuine astonishment of customs officers), as well as synthetic sound samples generated by means of two analogue synthesizers. In addition to the quasi-organ sounds, there is also the singing of a whale, which, like the croaking of frogs, is taken from a relaxation cd featuring the voices of nature. The task of the synthesizers was, among others, to be as faithful as possible an imitation of ‘genuine’ animals. The samples thus produced were used alternately with the originals. All the musical materials were edited with the use of a sampler. In purchasing it I took advantage of a considerable discount which the firm p.p.h. Brzóstowicz Marian was kind enough to offer me. I take this opportunity to express my thanks.