Piotr Baron was born in Wroclaw in Poland in 1961. He made his professional jazz debut in 1977 as a teenager. He was a soloist at Jazz nad Odra in 1978 and won a second prize at the festival in 1980. Piotr was awarded the Grand Prix in 1984 as a soloist at San Sebastian’s festival “Jazz Aldia”. Mr. Baron holds a Master of Fine Art degree from the Karol Lipinski Academy of Music, Wroclaw. Piotr baron has worked with many jazz musicians from Poland, as well as most European countries, throughout his long and successful career. Some of the names include Zbigniew Namyslowski, Tomasz Stanko, Henryk Majewski, Henryk Miskiewicz, Jaroslaw Smietana, Wojciech Karolak, Zbigniew Lewandowski, Krzesimir Debski, Janusz Muniak, Tomasz Szukalski, Darek “Oles” Oleszkiewicz, Piotr Wojtasik, Jan Ptaszyn Wroblewski, Bo Stief, Jasper Van’t Hof. Piotr was the concert master (first alto-saxophonist) for the European Broadcasting Union International Big Band 1998, Stockholm. Many jazz musicians from the USA have performed with him, including Ray Charles, Al Porcino and Billy Harper, Roy McCurdy. John Hicks. Victor Lewis. Roy McCurdy. John Hicks. John Mayer. John Hicks. John Mayer. John Hicks. John Hicks. John Mayer. John Hicks. John Hicks. John Mayer. John Hicks. Jon Mayer. John Henderson. Marvin “Smitty” Smith. Carter Jefferson. Bobby Johnson, Skip Hadden, Skip Hadden, Skip Hadden, Wayne Bartlettlett. Apart from his jazz touring, Piotr also performs with chamber and symphonic orchestras. He is often joined by Jacek Niedziela, Jan Walczynski and Bohdan Jarmolowicz, who are all jazz, classical, and contemporary musicians. Cezary Duchnowski’s “Monada”, or Krzysztof Shedzin’s symphonic poetry “Looking for Balance”, are some examples. Piotr baron appears as a sideman in more than 80 albums. His recordings include jazz legends like Art Farmer and Eddie Henderson, Wadada Lee Smith, John Hicks and Victor Lewis, as well as Marvin Smitty Smith. Along with Piotr Woutasik and Darek Oleszkiewicz as well as Kuba Stankiewicz, Cezary Konrad, he was also co-founders and co-leaders of Traveling Birds Quartet. The cult group recorded two CDs, “Traveling Birds Quintet”, (1994), and “Return to the Nest,” (1995). Piotr baron is a leader in his own projects and has produced eight CDs. “Take One”, “Tango” (1996), “Blue Rain” (1997) and “Bogurodzica” (2000). “Reference” (2004). “Salve Regina” (2007). “Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus (2008). The newest, “Kaddish” (2011). Piotr has been ranked as the top tenor and soprano jazz saxophonist in the Jazz Forum magazine reader polls for the past 20 years. He is also highly regarded as an alto and baritone, clarinetist, and flutist. In 2000 and 2004, he was nominated for the prestigious Fryderyk Awards as the musician-of-the-year. His solo CDs “Bogurodzica”, and “Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus,” were nominated for the Fryderyk Awards as the best jazz album in 2000 and 2008. Because of his position in the European music scene, Mr. Baron was chosen to endorse companies like “Henri Selmer Paris”, (saxophones u0026 clarinets), and “Rico”, (reeds u0026 accessories). Piotr baron was awarded a Bronze Medal “Meritorious for the Culture – Gloria Artis” as well as a Honor Distinction (“Golden Badge”) by Polish Jazz Society in recognition of his 30th year of artistic activity. Piotr baron is an educator. He teaches jazz harmony, improvisation and saxophone at Nysa State Higher Vocational School, Wroclaw School of Jazz and Popular Music, and at the University of Zielona Gora. He has led jazz workshops at University Of California Irvine and California Institute Of The Arts, Valencia, as well as at Ankara Bilkent University, Turkey, Prague – Czech Republic, Lwow, Ukraine, and various summer workshops in different cities throughout Poland. From 1994 to 2011, Piotr hosted his weekly radio jazz show on Polish Radio Wroclaw. He started his radio activities again at radioJAZZ.fm in 2012. As a freelancer, he has worked as a Jazz Forum European Magazine reviewer and Diapazon.pl publicist. Piotr currently performs extensively in Europe as part of his own quintet, and as a featured sideman for top Polish and European bands. From www.baron.cba.pl
