Grzech +
Hanna Banaszak, Ewa Bem, Ruth Wilhelmine Meyer
Grzech +
Hanna Banaszak, Ewa Bem, Ruth Wilhelmine Meyer
September 27, 2025 NOSPR Katowice / Poland
Grzech+ Projects are a musical journey led by Grzech Piotrowski, with the special participation of two legendary voices of the Polish music scene — Ewa Bem and Hanna Banaszak — as well as the extraordinary Norwegian star Ruth Wilhelmine Meyer and the gifted vocalist and cellist Tamara Behler.
During the concert, audiences will be immersed in saxophone mantras — solo soundscapes where Grzech Piotrowski paints with tones, awakening the imagination of the listener. The program will also feature pieces from the World Orchestra repertoire with Ruth Wilhelmine Meyer, premiere performances with Ewa Bem, and selected works from Hanna Banaszak reimagined for a string octet. Additionally, the concert will include highlights from the debut album of vocalist and cellist Tamara Behler.
Grzech Piotrowski is an artist who, for over three decades, has danced on the edge of film music, classical, jazz, ethno, roots, and open improvisation. A saxophonist, composer, and music producer, he creates projects filled with space, emotion, and magic — projects where rich personalities and musical temperaments merge in harmony. In 2009, he founded World Orchestra, an international ensemble that defies conventions, bringing together extraordinary soloists — both vocalists and instrumentalists — from all corners of the globe. This bold fusion of world music roots with symphonic orchestration, jazz, folk, and cinematic sounds has given rise to spectacular musical spectacles. Alongside these large-scale productions, Piotrowski honed his signature style through solo performances and more intimate formats — ultimately shaping the unique voice of his saxophone. The year 2025 marks a culmination of these years of artistic collaborations. From among them, Piotrowski has selected the “gems” and brought them together for a singular project: GRZECH+.
A few words from Grzech about…
Ewa Bem “My collaboration with Ewa Bem stretches back to 2008, when I produced a jazz-funk rendition of the classic duet ‘Hit The Road Jack’ for Borys Szyc’s album. Since then, Ewa has joined the Alchemik Big Band (starting in 2021), and in 2022 we revived the fantastic 1980s album Ewa Bem Loves The Beatles, now performed live as Ewa Bem & Grzech Piotrowski Band. The upcoming concert at NOSPR is a special moment — a chance to create something entirely new for Ewa. The intimacy and acoustics of the venue inspire me to compose for a string octet, which may become the seed of a future orchestral album.”
Hanna Banaszak “I first met Hanna around twenty years ago in the Agnieszka Osiecka Studio, where I was playing as a sideman. In 2022, I invited her to the Old Jazz Meeting, where she enchanted the audience. A year later, she graced the stage at my own festival, Wschód Piękna. Since then, we’ve been in conversation — and I’ve been gently, but persistently, reminding her I’m still here. That persistence has now blossomed into her special appearance in our Katowice concert. Hanna is fully present — she devotes herself to the here and now, often saying that life is too fascinating to keep singing the same songs over and over. New string arrangements will bring fresh color to our performance together.”
Ruth Wilhelmine Meyer A truly extraordinary vocalist, Ruth is a pillar of the Norwegian vocal scene, known for her use of multiphonic vocal techniques. Her voice carries echoes of ethnic traditions, Norwegian folk, classical lineage, and avant-garde expression. She has developed a wordless vocal language spanning over six octaves, crafting sonic landscapes that blur the lines between real and surreal, the expected and the unknown — where sound itself becomes the storyteller. Since 2009, she has been the lead soloist of the World Orchestra. Ruth explores the voice as an instrument, mimicking birdsong and nature, blending joik, Norwegian folk, and Mongolian throat singing into one breathtaking expression.”
Tamara Behler A graduate of the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, Tamara is a cellist and vocalist whose style weaves retro swing with Polish tradition and a hint of Scandinavian tone. What makes her unique is her ability to sing while playing the cello. Her debut album, set to be released in the summer of 2025, enchants with lyricism, nostalgia, and precision. She has already collaborated with Ewa Bem, Urszula Dudziak, Alchemik Big Band, and the World Orchestra.
GRZECH+ Would Not Be Possible Without These Longtime Artistic Friends — Masterful Soloists and Instrumentalists:
Atom String Quartet
Stanisław Słowiński – violin
Dominik Wania – piano
Piotr Schmidt – trumpet
Shachar Elnatan – guitar
Jan Wierzbicki – bass
Matheus Jardim – drums
String Octet
Grzech Piotrowski – a graduate of the prestigious Jazz and Popular Music Department at the Academy of Music in Katowice, where he studied saxophone, Grzech Piotrowski has been nominated three times for the Fryderyk Awards (2012, 2013) and the Mateusz Award (Polish Radio, 2012). He won the Grand Prix at the Hoeilaart Jazz Festival in Belgium (1998), the Grand Prix at the “Dwa Teatry” Festival in Sopot for music to the play Baryton Saxophone by Skvorecky, and first prizes at the festivals Jazz nad Odrą, Pomeranian Jazz Autumn, and Jazz Juniors. He is the founder of numerous ensembles: World Orchestra (est. 2010), Alchemik, Oxen, Jazz Deconstruction, Freedom Nation, and Head Up.
Selected Symphonic Works:
“Lech, Czech and Rus” Symphony premiered on July 9, 2016 at NOSPR Concert Hall in Katowice. Composed for the 1050th anniversary of the Baptism of Poland, the symphony explores the musical collision between pagan Slavic traditions and Gregorian chant. “Symphony of the Hundred” Premiered March 3, 2018 at the Grand Theatre – National Opera in Warsaw. Performed by the National Opera Orchestra and Choir, joined by the World Orchestra — nearly 200 artists on one stage in a monumental celebration of sound.
Throughout his career, Grzech Piotrowski has collaborated with a wide array of prominent Polish and international jazz and world music artists, including: Jon Christensen, Arild Andersen, Mino Cinelu, Bendik Hofseth, Eivind Aarset, Theodosii Spassov, Bulgarian Voices Angelite, Ewa Bem, Urszula Dudziak, Grażyna Auguścik, Ruth Wilhelmine Meyer, Marcin Wasilewski, Atom String Quartet, Terje Isungset, Kayah, Sinnika Langeland, Wu Wei, Sainkho Namtchylak, Sergiej Starostin, LRK Trio, Vladiswar Nadishana, Sebastian Karpiel-Bułecka, Anna Maria Jopek, Shachar Elnatan, Peter Somos, Piotr Matusik, Tamara Behler, Marcel Comendant, Lars Andreas Haug, Michał Barański, Hadrien Feraud, Sebastian Wypych, Robert Luty, Liz Rosa, Fatu Djaquite, Jenifer Solidade, Gregory Privat, Rain Sultanov, and many others.
One of Grzech’s unique strengths lies in discovering new artists, producing and shaping their sound, and supporting their artistic growth. His productions have played a key role in launching the careers of artists such as Kasia Moś, Afromental, Anna Karwan, and Marcin Masecki.
