Vitold Rek
Vitold Rek (* October 18, 1955 in Rzeszów, Poland as Witold E. Szczurek) is a double bassist, composer and music educator. He studied classical double bass at the Academy of Music in Kraków when Krzysztof Penderecki was rector there. His playing "unites jazz influences with classical and East European folk elements", with a focus on live performance and composition. Career. Rek's festival appearances include Montreux Jazz Festival, London Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz (The Hague), Willisau Jazz Festival, Berlin Jazz Festival, ISB Double Bass Convention USA, Mexico Jazz Festival, Banlieus Bleues Festival in Paris and the Jazz Jamboree  in Warsaw among many others. Concerts have taken him also to Mozambique, Cuba and Mexico. He has performed in the Purcell Room in London and in the Paris Olympia. Charlie Mariano, John Tchicai, Albert Mangelsdorff, Karl Berger, Vladislav Sendecki, Tomasz Stanko, Günter Baby Sommer, Dom Um Romao, Peter Giger, Emil Mangelsdorff, Gerd Dudek, Heinz Sauer, Ralf Hübner, Bob Degen, Christof Lauer, Makaya Ntshoko and Shlomo Carlebach have featured among his key musical partners. He collaborates with the Frankfurt Radio HR Jazz Ensemble. Vitold also enjoys his work with German writers, combining spoken poetry with his own solo performance. He works  closely with the poet Johann P. Tammen and other partners have included Volker Braun, Oskar Ansull, Sarah Kirsch and Kito Lorenc. He teaches jazz double bass and coaches ensembles at both the Hochschule für Musik, Mainz and the Hochschule für Musik, Frankfurt. In 2008 Vitold Rek was honored twice: with Tomasz Stanko’s 5-CD album "1970-1975-1984-1986-1988" - Platinum Prize in Poland - and with Emil Mangelsdorff’s CD "Blues Forever" - Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik 2008 in Germany. In November 2008 Vitold Rek performed as soloist the premiere of Jazz Concerto Grosso (composed by Piotr Wrobel) for double  bass, flute (soloist Jadwiga Kotnowska) and symphony orchestra during the Polish Chamber Music Festival in Warsaw.