Maria Pomianowska

Maria Pomianowska as a student at the Academy, she was granted scholarship to learn sarangi under the guidance of maestros Ustad Sabir Khan and P.Ram Narayan in India. Since 1984 she has studied the unique techniques of playing European and Asian instruments. She has traveled to India, China, Korea, Japan and the Middle East. In 1994 she worked with prof. Ewa Dahlig and luthier Andrzej Kuczkowski on a successful reconstruction of two Polish folk string instruments, which have not been preserved to present times – Biłgoray suka and Płock fiddle.

The artist has given concerts all over the world for the past 30 years. During her 5-year stay in Japan (1997-2002) she presented Polish traditional and classical music in the biggest music venues. She has composed and performed with world-famous artists: Yo-Yo Ma, Boris Grebenshchikov, Ram Narayan, Fazal Qureshi, Gil Goldstein, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Branford Marsalis, Kayhan Kalhor and others. She has released 23 solo albums, many of which have received international awards.

In 2010 she opened the first in Poland Faculty of Ethno-music at the Academy of Music in Cracow. Since 2011 she has created unique programmes featuring the Mazovian traditional music performed with Egyptian, Ethiopian, Indonesian, Tunisian, Algerian, Pakistani, Senegalese, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Irani and Indian musicians in Asia and Africa. In 2014 she published a book "Traditional Knee Fiddles" with prof. E. Dahlig-Turek. In 2016 she created band Reborn-Voice of Suka - very special formation using for playing only reconstructed forgotten Polish knee position fiddles. Their CD "Voice of Suka" immediately found itself on prestigious British list-Top of the World typed by Songlines (April 2017).

Band:

• Maria Pomianowska – vocals, Bilgoray suka, Płock fiddle 
• Aleksandra Kauf – Bilgoray suka, Mielec suka, vocals 
• Iwona Rapacz – bass suka 
• Karolina Matuszkiewicz – Bilgoray suka, Mielec suka, vocals 
• Patrycja Napierała – percussion

Discography (choosen):

2017 – "The Voice of Suka"
2016 – "Stwórco Łaskawy", Maria Pomianowska Ensemble
2015 – "Warszawa - Dakar", Maria Pomianowska & Groupe Gainde 
2013 – "Dwugłowy smok", Pomianowska & Kinior 
2013 – "Poland-Pakistan. Sounds from two Continents"
2012 – "Rawabit. Więzy. Poland-Tunisia"
2012 – "Tekla Bądarzewska – Zapomniany dźwięk"
2010 – "U źródeł muzyki Chopina", The Polish Ensemble
2010 – "Chopin na 5 kontynentach" Maria Pomianowska & Friends
2008 – "Cztery pory roku, sacrum i profanum", The Polish Ensemble
2002 – "Suita Jedwabnego Szlaku"
2001 – "Zapomniany dźwięk"
1997 – "Kolędy znane i zapomniane", The Polish Ensemble
1996 – "Oj, chmielu", The Polish Ensemble
1995 – "Muzyka nizin", The Polish Ensemble
1989 – "Muzyka z księgi", Raga Sangit

Video:

"Wind"- with The Voice of Suka band

"Step"- with The Voice of Suka band

"Chopin in Africa" with the OFAM Orchestra and guests