Tomasz J. Opalka

Tomasz Jakub Opalka is a Polish composer of film and new music.

“One of the most creative and distinctive voices of new music in a long time” wrote Grammophone, and musicologist Małgorzata Gąsiorowska attested: “Opałka is a master of color. He never uses the traditional orchestra conventionally. He combines instruments in original ways and creates new soundscapes.”

Tomasz Jakub Opałka’s music is characterized by energy, sound sensitivity, sophisticated orchestration and harmonic innovations. He combines a wealth of influences in his works, distancing himself from both conceptualism and postmodernism. He strongly opposes the use of a priori concepts of the musical work that are not rooted in the essence and content of music itself.

His bold explorations transcend the boundaries of theoretical trends and are firmly rooted in creative intuition combined with thoughtful technique. The composer pays close attention to structure, musical form, and narrative development. Recordings of his works have been published by Warner Music, among others.