Born in Bielsko-Biała, he studied composition (with Henryk Mikołaj Górecki; diploma with distinction) and accordion (with Joachim Pichura) at the State Higher School of Music in Katowice. Upon graduation (1975) he began his teaching activity, initially in Wrocław and, after a year, in Katowice.
He was a prizewinner of numerous composers’ competitions, including the Young Composers’ Competition of the Polish Composers’ Union (1976), the Artur Malawski Competition (1976, 1980), the Carl Maria von Weber International Competition in Dresden (1978, 1979), the competitions in Digne-les-Bains (1981, 1987) and in Ancona (1986).
In 1984 and 1986 he lectured on modern techniques of accordion playing at Darmstadt, and in 1987 ran courses at the ‘Time of Music’ Summer Academy in Viitasaari, Finland. On commission from Krzysztof Penderecki he composed his 2nd Symphony for Strings to be premiered at Lutosławice Festival 1984 and then to inaugurate the Warsaw Autumn 1991 under the baton of Penderecki. In 1986 he received a Witold Lutosławski grant and two years later won a scholarship from the Scottish Art Council. He died in Czechowice-Dziedzice.

Principal works: Nocturne, Prelude and Fugue for accordion quintet (1971–75), Three pieces for oboe and trumpet (1972), Sketches for clarinet (1972), Sonata for Accordion (1972), Canon for accordion (1973), Study I–V for accordion (1973–78), Partita for Oboe, Clarinet and Bassoon (1974), Three Studies for soprano solo, flute and percussion (1974–76), Symphony No. 1 (1975), Canti di Wratislavia for orchestra (1976), String Quartet No. 1 (1976), String Quartet No. 2 (1978), Six Programmes for reciters and instruments (1973-82), Transpainting, audio-visual performance (1977), Sonata for Solo Tuba (1978), Con vigore, concerto for eight performers (1978), Concerto for Orchestra (1978–81), Sonatina for accordion (1979), Three Meditations for accordion (1979), Chorale, Four Bagatelles, Cathedral for accordion (1979), Three Pieces for accordion quintet (1980), Alkagran or a Place on the Right Bank of the Vistula for Accordion Quintet (1980), The Wind Is Spreading the Echo over the Glade for accordion, version A (1981), Little Partita for violin solo (1981), Salve Regina for unaccompanied boys’ or women’s choir (1981), Reminiscences for string quartet (1983), Winter Impressions for accordion (1982), Trifle for accordion and bass clarinet (1983), Capriccio for accordion (1983), Spring Impressions for accordion (1983), Relief I and II for accordion (1984, 1985), Summer Impressions for flute, clarinet and accordion (1984), Symphony No. 2 for 13 stringed instruments (1984), Relief III for organ (1985), Relief IV for soprano and tubular bells (1985), Where the Rainbow Ends for percussion and bass clarinet (1985), Three Studies for accordion (1985), Relief V for cello (1985), Relief VI for bass accordion (1986), Autumn Impressions for amplified bass accordion (1986), Divertimento for accordion (1986), Sonata No. 2 for accordion (1987), Four Novels for accordion (1987), Nocturne for accordion duo (1987), String Quartet No. 3 (1988), Relief VIII for tape and accordion (1989), Relief IX for string quartet and tape (1988), Sonata for Guitar (1990).