Piotr Wyleżoł - NOSPR

An outstanding, multi-award winning and widely recognized on the international jazz scene, Polish jazz pianist, composer, and band leader, “one of Europe’s most prodigiously talented pianists in Europe”. (Amrys Baird, Jazz&Blues, London 2016)

By many listeners and critics, Piotr is characterized by his unique melodic approach, noticeable Slavic lyricism, finesse of composition, and harmony. With his album Human Things released in 2018, Piotr wrote a new chapter in the legendary Polish Jazz publishing series, thus fitting into the pantheon of the greatest Polish jazzmen in history, among such legends as Krzysztof Komeda, Tomasz Stanko, Zbigniew Namyslowski, and others.

Piotr was born on December 6th, 1976. Already as a child, he was winning awards at national piano competitions in Poland. He was called the “golden child“ when, at the age of 10 and 11, he performed Mozart’s and Beethoven’s piano concertos with philharmonic orchestras.

Multiple times, Piotr was nominated for the most important Polish music award “Fryderyk” (the Polish equivalent of a Grammy Award), in every existing jazz category: Artist of the Year, Composer of the Year, and – more than once – Best Jazz Album of the Year.

In 1999, Piotr graduated from the Jazz Department in the Academy of Music in Katowice. As a student, Piotr started to cooperate with giants of Polish jazz like Janusz Muniak, Jarek Smietana, Ewa Bem, and others. Wyleżoł was also the laureate of an individual award at the International Jazz Improvisation Competition, a special prize for the best instrumentalist in the Jazz nad Odrą International Competition and Festival, as well as many other jazz competitions with several groups.

Since the beginning of his activity as an artist, Piotr Wyleżoł has been leading bands playing his original music. He has recorded 14 albums as a leader and several dozen with other artists. His latest trio album Children's Episodes, released by Fresh Sound Records label, was nominated for a Fryderyk Award in the Jazz Album of the Year category. 

Besides his artistic career, Piotr Wyleżoł has been leading the Jazz Piano Class at the Krakow Academy of Music since 2008.

However, critical acclaim is not a matter of recent years. Since the release of his first, debut album Yearning in Poland and Japan, recorded while studying at the Jazz Department of the Academy of Music in Katowice, critics have not spared warm words about him:

“This is one of the most interesting debut albums. A trio composed of young Polish musicians built an atmosphere worthy of the greatest achievements in their genre.” (European jazz magazine Jazz Forum)

“Hats off” was the title of an article in one of the German magazines reporting the performance which promoted the first album of the young Piotr Wylezol’s trio in Dusseldorf.

About his recent quartet album, I Love Music:

 “[It] is another great album by this extraordinary artist. Music that fascinates from the first note. In the recording you can feel the concert spontaneity and intuitive understanding of the musicians. Beautiful compositions and creative improvisations make each song an extraordinary listening experience.” (Jacek Brun, Jazz-fun.de).