Jan Kaczmarek Polish composer, Oscar winner Date of Birth: 29.04.1953 Country: Poland

1. Early Life and Education
2. Founding the Eighth Day Orchestra
3. International Breakthrough
4. Oscar-Winning Score for "Finding Neverland"
5. National Commissions and Performances
6. Sundance-Inspired Media Center in Poland

Early Life and Education

Jan A.P. Kaczmarek, a Polish composer renowned for his Oscar-winning scores, was born into a diplomatic family. Despite his initial pursuit of a law degree at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland, political beliefs led him to abandon a diplomatic career and embrace music as a path to self-expression.

Founding the Eighth Day Orchestra

In the late 1970s, Kaczmarek collaborated with Jerzy Grotowski's Theatre Laboratory. This experience inspired him to establish the Eighth Day Orchestra in 1977. The orchestra embarked on European tours in the late 1970s, amassing a total of 18 tours to date.

International Breakthrough

During the orchestra's American tour in 1982, Kaczmarek recorded his first album, "Music of Farewell," for Flying Fish Records. His relocation to Los Angeles in 1989 paved the way for his success in American theater. He composed music for the Goodman Theatre in Chicago and the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, earning a Drama Desk Award for his score for "Tis Pity She's a Whore" at the New York Shakespeare Festival in 1992. The New York Times hailed the music as "worthy of a Visconti or Bertolucci film."

Oscar-Winning Score for "Finding Neverland"

Kaczmarek's talent reached new heights with his Oscar-winning score for Marc Forster's film "Finding Neverland" in 2005. He also received the National Board of Review Award for Best Music, a Golden Globe nomination, and a BAFTA nomination for his musical achievements.

National Commissions and Performances

Kaczmarek has composed two major symphonic works commissioned for pivotal national events in Poland: "The Freedom Cantata" (2005), commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Solidarity movement, and the "Oratorio 1956," marking the 50th anniversary of the suppression of the Poznan rebellion against totalitarianism. The premieres of both works were broadcast live on Polish television.

Sundance-Inspired Media Center in Poland

As a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Kaczmarek is dedicated to promoting the arts in his home country. He has established the Rozbitek Institute, a Sundance Film Festival-inspired center for innovation in film, theater, music, and media. The institute's grand opening is scheduled for early 2009.