Bio

Inspired by perceiving the surrounding reality as a complex coexistence of order and chaos, Paweł Mańka, an award-winning Polish composer and guitarist, combines the formal, harmonic and aleatoric concepts of musical modernism with the freedom of contemporary improvised music. A debut album of his Semiotic Quintet, Kubizm (2021), earned a Fryderyk Award nomination after its premiere during Warsaw Summer Jazz Days and subsequent performances at numerous other festivals, including Jazz nad Odrą, Jazz Juniors, Jazz w Ruinach, and the Polska Jazz Festival.

In his compositions, the boundaries between structured ideas and freedom often blur, creating dynamically evolving musical scenarios. A recipient of scholarships from the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage (Młoda Polska) and National Institute of Music and Dance (Jazz Phonographic Debut), Paweł also holds a Master’s degree in Composition from Syddansk Musikkonservatorium and currently resides in Copenhagen. His sophomore album for a large ensemble is set to be released in 2025.

Throughout his musical journey, Paweł participated in several workshops and masterclasses, including the New York Jazz Masters (2017), the International Jazz Platform (2018, 2019), the Engelsholm Jazz Summit (2019, 2023) and the International Jazz Platform – Better Live Edition (2024).