Jan Pilch

Born in 1956, Pilch is one of the most outstanding, most versatile Polish percussionists. He plays contemporary, jazz, ethnic and popular music. He is a lecturer at the Music Academy in Cracow, from which he originally graduated. He co-founded the “Muzyka Centrum” Artistic Association, is the leader of Inside Drumming ensemble, and founder of Cracow Percussion Group – a contemporary music ensemble grouping musicians associated with Cracow’s Music Academy.

He also collaborated with the famous contemporary music group MW2, as well as Polish and foreign orchestras.

As a soloist and chamber musician, Jan Pilch took part in the most important Polish festivals of contemporary music, such as the Warsaw Autumn, Poznań Music Spring, Musica Polonica Nova in Wrocław, Audio-Art in Cracow, Musik des XX Jahrhunderts in Nuremberg, Aspekte in Salzburg, Inventionen and Musik Biennale in Berlin, Melos-Etos in Bratislava, Musica Viva in Munich and many others e.g. in Amsterdam, Dresden, Kyoto, Munich, Moscow, Stuttgart and Tokyo.

In 2003 he initiated the International Percussion Festival “Sources and Inspirations”, which he regularly organises in Cracow with much success. He has made numerous radio, LP and CD recordings of contemporary and jazz music.