BIOGRAPHY
PAWEL PUDLO
COMPOSER, DIRECTOR, PRODUCER
Pawel Pudlo is a Polish composer of symphonic and film music. He is also the author and director of multidisciplinary projects such as 'Elements' and ‘Phoenix Cities’, combining music with social activities involving scientists, educators, activists, and artists from various disciplines such as music, film, visual art, and sculpture. His symphonic music is directed towards a broad audience.
Since 2005, he has been creating music listened to worldwide, with his concert pieces and compositions for films and commercials presented in Poland, the USA, Germany, France, Spain, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Estonia, and Israel. He has over 200 compositions to his credit, ranging from orchestral and chamber works to popular genres like electronic, pop, rock, and metal. As a music producer, he often combines orchestral sounds with electronics and ethnic instruments. He is also a graphic designer (album cover artworks and visualisations) and takes on the roles of director and editor for music videos.
Pawel Pudlo's music has been performed in prestigious venues such as the United Nations Headquarters in New York (USA), the International Congress Center in Berlin (Germany), the National Stadium in Warsaw (Poland), and the Olympic Stadium in Kyiv (Ukraine). His music is performed by outstanding musicians from around the world, who are members of orchestras such as the Berliner Philharmoniker (Germany), Barcelona Symphony Orchestra (Spain), Florence Opera (Italy), Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (Malaysia), Saint Petersburg's Mariinsky Theatre (Russia) and from Poland: the National Philharmonic Orchestra in Warsaw, the Grand Theatre - National Opera in Warsaw, and NOSPR in Katowice.
The composer of music created for special occasions (such as the UEFA European Football Championship EURO 2012 and the international branding campaign for the Republic of Poland, 'Move Your Imagination') and anniversaries (the 100th anniversary of granting municipal rights to the city of Zabrze; the 30th anniversary of the UNEP/Grid-Warsaw Center, implementing the United Nations Environmental Program in Poland; the 20th anniversary of Rekopol S.A. Company; the 20th anniversary of ZM-Concept Company; and the 15th anniversary of the Wood and Brass Band orchestra.
'Elements' is a symphony composed by Pawel Pudlo, which became the foundation for a multidisciplinary project of the same title, combining music, art, and environmental education. The project premiered in 2018, including performances at the Sudeten Philharmonic and the Ksiaz Castle. In addition to traditional symphonic instruments, the orchestra played on recycled instruments (e.g. washing machines drums and plastic bottles). The creation of the project involved nearly 200 people, including musicians and educators from the University of Wroclaw. Educational activities accompanying the project engaged 500 students from primary and secondary schools. The concert was also performed in the Szczecin Philharmonic and the Royal Palace in Wilanow. Pawel Pudlo was responsible for the composition, direction, and production of the project. Read more about the 'Elements'
The anti-war concert titled 'War Horns' premiered at the Solidarity of Arts Festival in 2015 in Gdansk. The composition was performed by musicians from Poland, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Russia. The piece was also presented at the National Symphony Orchestra of Polish Radio concert hall (NOSPR) in Katowice, and at the Warsaw Uprising Museum in Warsaw (as part of a project combining music and historical education titled 'Phoenix Cities'). The recording of the composition, released in 2017, received positive reviews in international music magazines and was distinguished in the category of ‘Album of the Year 2018 - classical music’. Read more about the project
Pawel Pudlo composed an orchestral-choral piece that premiered at the National Stadium in Warsaw. The composition was commissioned by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and during the UEFA European Football Championship EURO 2012, it was played before each match on all eight stadiums in Poland and Ukraine. Eight different choreographies were created for this music, involving a total of 1000 dancers from both countries. Over 1.5 million people attended the live performances, and it was broadcast by 100 television stations worldwide. Read more about the Euro 2012
In 2011, for the Polish Tourist Organization, Pawel Pudlo composed music for the opening ceremony of the world's largest tourism trade fair, Internationale Tourismus-Börse in Berlin (ITB Berlin), which has been held cyclically since 1966. A multimedia dance show, serving as the main event of a marketing campaign promoting the Republic of Poland under the title ‘Move Your Imagination’, was watched live by over 5000 representatives from the tourism industry and politics worldwide. Read more about the project
Pawel Pudlo is a composer, director, and producer of the fantasy opera 'Violemi'. In the 2010 project, for which an entire world was created in the literary layer, over 90 individuals were involved. This simultaneously stands as the largest independent musical production in Poland. The composition, blending opera with elements of musical and film music, was warmly received by both audiences and critics in the music and film industries. Read more about the ‘Violemi’
He participated in the International Days of Sports Marketing at the headquarters of the Polish Olympic Committee in Warsaw, serving as an expert on the practical application of copyright law. He also delivered a lecture titled 'Performing Artist vs. Modern Technology - How to Win,' targeting students and graduates of the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, as well as music high schools across Poland.
He is one of the protagonists in the feature-length documentary film 'A few questions about hearing the world' portraying the profiles of four composers of contemporary symphonic music. The film premiered at Ujazdowski Castle in Warsaw and was also showcased on Polish Public Television, as well as at film and music festivals in Poland, France, Israel, and Estonia.
He was a scholarship recipient of the Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage (2021) and the Marshal of the Silesian Voivodeship (2016). Recipient of the international film music composition competition at the Transatlantyk Festival 2012, selected from among over 100 composers from around the world. He received a medal from the Union of European Football Associations for his contributions to the pre-match ceremonies of the UEFA European Football Championship (2012). Honored in the category of 'Album of the Year 2018 - classical music' ('Hi-Fi i Muzyka' magazine).
Selected reviews
"If you've ever wondered what sounds a horn can produce except those you know, then you should listen to the "War Horns", a concert for 10 horns by Poland's Pawel Pudlo. This is an absolutely brilliant piece. […] a symphonic poem that describes the war, the resulting chaos, and the painful consequences. It's an anti-war piece, says Pudlo. It premiered in Gdansk, a symbolic city in the Second World War, but also the birthplace of the "Solidarnosc" freedom movement. The performance by 10 Polish horn players is phenomenal."
Remy Franck's Journal – Pizzicato. Classics In Luxembourg
"Hollywood panache, great orchestration, and choirs."
Jerzy Rzymowski – New Fantastyka Magazine
"The album "Elements" is an ecology lesson [...] as a soundtrack for our internal reflections on consumption, ecology, and the future of the world, […] I can wholeheartedly recommend the album on World Environment Day."
Agata Rzedowska – The Polish Radio RDC , Green-News.pl portal
“Can you play the bottles of yogurt and milk, aluminum cans, old anvil, and a tree trunk along with a symphony orchestra at the concert hall and then receive a standing ovation? Yes, you can - so it was at the Sudeten Philharmonic Concert Hall!”
Walbrzych Dla Was Info Magazine
‘Pawel Pudlo composed a concerto for ten soloists, who play also as an orchestra […] Excellent arrangement.
An exceptional record.’
Hanna and Andrzej Milewski – Hi-Fi i Muzyka Magazine
‘The composition 'Gears of Time' not only delights but truly moves.’
Dr. Małgorzata Mańka-Szulik – Mayor of the city of Zabrze
''Gears of Time' is an excellent, condensed, and coherent work, very demanding for both the soloist and the orchestra. Great energy, pulse, and 'heartbeat' are very clearly captured and maximally exploited here, to the extent that when performing this piece, you involuntarily merge with it. The composition is not easy, but in the end, it proved to be a superbly composed gift for Zabrze on its 100th birthday. Conducting the world premiere was a great pleasure for me!'
Slawomir Chrzanowski – conductor, director of the Zabrze Philharmonic
‘The entire composition is maintained in the popular and dynamic atmosphere of contemporary music for top-notch action and adventure movies. [...] Pudlo is a master of this style [...] he belongs to the group of the best.’
Glos Zabrza Weekly
‘The selection of repertoire met with exceptional approval from the audience.’
City Hall of Zabrze
' [...] there's much to remember! [...] the world premiere of the symphony 'Gears of Time' [...] with a full audience [...] An incredibly interesting piece, showcasing the entire range of violin sounds combined with the contrasting part of the symphony orchestra.'
Zabrze Philharmonic
“Thrilling, varied in color music with its agenda embedded in a valid environmental objection. More than a one-hour-long poem touched the Wałbrzych audience. Attentive, focused and pulled into a musical fabric, the listeners awarded the composer with a spontaneous ovation. The work, which was commented upon after the concert, was praised for emotional intensity, cinematographic impressions, surprising use of the performing medium [...] it is great when the musicians of the orchestra together with the audience succumb to a universal fascination with a new work which goes beyond the classical repertoire and meets the expectations of both the performers and the audience.”
Sudeten Philharmonic
"The playing is excellent; powerful, dynamic, and full of character. […] I have to stress how much I enjoyed the actual playing and indeed – given Pudlo's cinematic background – he achieves some striking and dramatic musical effects. […] some rather unrelentingly sombre writing – lots of musical gloom and doom."
Nick Barnard – Musicweb International
"An interesting new contribution to the horns-in-mass phenomenon created by Polish composer, Pawel Pudlo [...] The horn playing of the recording is superb [...] What you hear is cinematic and blockbuster, reminiscent of the evilest moments of film, such as Saruman’s "Caverns of Isengard" in the Lord of the Rings, or the angry, horrifying horning in "Cape Fear" movie [...] Kudos to Pudlo for his innovative method of marketing this work.‘
Nathan Pawelek – The Horn Call Magazine (International Horns Society)
"The score is full of passion and momentum, which is worthy of many a Western composer of film music. […] Pudlo skillfully uses techniques developed by the contemporary masters of the genre. [...] A huge plus for the arrangements and good mixes. […] such epic and electrifying tracks [...] are few and far between on the Polish market".
Tomasz Goska – FilmMusic.pl
"The "War Horns" piece sounds very interesting. The tone of ten French horns and interesting, raw harmonic and rhythm structure are the main value of the music album."
Bronislaw Tumilowicz – Tygodnik Przegląd Magazine
"Atypical set of musicians allowed Pudlo to create an original and predatory sonic texture at the symbolic level seamlessly compatible with the piece theme and its message. […] plasticity of sound in conjunction with the melody of recurring themes, make the piece closer to the film scores. […] Pudlo is also a producer and the creative director of his initiated projects the scale of which usually goes spectacularly beyond the score itself. […] Once again, marketing flair of the composer and his ambition to offer the listeners high-quality products can be seen."
Krzysztof Ruszkowski – Soundtracks.pl
"Listening to the piece written for an ensemble of 10 French horn players is impressive. Pawel Pudlo harnessed the power inherent in the instruments in the form of a pacifist message to the world mired in wars. In his music, we see the suffering, the pain, but also firm opposition to the reality around us. […] "War Horns" is one of the most remarkable recording projects of 2017."
Robert Ratajczak – Longplay.blox.pl
"The fairytale atmosphere clashes with the seriousness of the battle motifs. Sensitivity, delicacy, beauty, and pure intentions are captured in the soprano parts performed by Magdalena Babiszewska. Meanwhile, the dark side of history is represented by the singing of Krzysztof Forkasiewicz. 'Violemi' is essentially a ready film score."
Moosikk.Blogspot.com
"Epic style is present here from the very beginning. There is no time to get bored or whine. "Violemi" is a piece which is surprisingly good and climatic."
Jacek Lubiński – Film.org.pl
‘Composition 'War Horns' is a profoundly impressive work of art that evocatively portrays various aspects of war.‘