Grzegorz Karnas

A singer born in Upper Silesia, Poland, to a family devoid ofmusical traditions. Finished one year of classical guitar at thesecondary music school in Rybnik. Graduate of the JazzInstitute of the Academy of Music in Katowice, consideredprestigious in Poland. Karnas has worked with top-lineyounger artists of Poland's jazz scene as well as its legends.In 1998, he was awarded first prize at the International JazzVocalists' Meeting in Zamość (Poland). The following year, hisdebut album "Reinkarnasja" (Nottwo 2000) was released andput Karnas on the road touring throughout the main clubs andfestivals in Poland and Slovakia (International Jazz Pianists'Festival in Kalisz, Bratislava Jazz Days). Summer of 2004saw the premiere of Grzegorz Karnas' self-produced soloproject "Sny-Dreams of a Ninth Floor" (DeBies 2004)promotion of which took place with a series of over 30 cluband festival concerts in Poland (Warsaw Summer Jazz Days),Slovakia and Czech Republic (Prague Jazz Open, Jazz GoesTo Town in Hradec Kralove , International Jazz Festival inKosice), Germany, Romania (Sibu Jazz Festival) and manyothers. A new album "Ballads for the End of the World"featuring brilliant silesian cello player Adam Oleś wasreleased in april 2006. Promotions of both projects continue in2007. Also in 2006 Karnas was awarded first prize at YoungJazz Singers Competition Brussels. In august 2007 he was awinner of CREST JAZZ VOCAL competition in southernFrance. He is the artistic director of International JazzCompetition For Singing Musicians "Voicingers"

Awards

-Grand Prix - International Meeting of Jazz Vocalists Zamość 1998 -Grand Prix - Concours des Jeunes Chanteurs de Jazz de Bruxelles 2006 -Grand Prix - Concours des Chanteurs de Jazz Cest Jazz Vocal 2007

Gear

Grzegorz Karnas conducts music workshops for people who would like to engage in music-making using the instrument which is the human voice. Since playing music with the voice is based not only on play, but also on becoming familiar with several seemingly self- evident aspects of it, the issues dealt with during these workshops include: breathing, articulation and transmission of one's voice based on its natural tone, in keeping with its primary function – conveying emotions. Among other things, group sessions consist of creating so- called “cyclic cantos”, the aim of which is to broaden rhythmic awareness by bringing one into contact with what are known as poly-rhythms. This is a way to quickly create a live improvisational choir based on a group of people who - once familiar with a given rhythmic element, onto which a successive rhythmic element that creates a simple counterpoint to the first is then superimposed – are able to create a percussive effect. Notes in simple arrangements of intervals are then superimposed onto this mixture of rhythms. The melodies change in the course of their being sung, and the choir follows the cues of a leader.

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