PhD Jakub Olejnik

Head of the Jazz Music Department, double bassist, bass guitarist, composer, educator, and promoter of musical life. A graduate of the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław, where he studied double bass in two majors: classical music and jazz & popular music. For over 20 years, he has been performing, recording, and collaborating with leading figures of the Polish music scene. He is a member of Zbigniew Lewandowski’s Quintet as well as Kuba Stankiewicz’s Trio. He co-leads the Piotr Rachoń Quartet, collaborates with trumpeter Piotr Schmidt, the Bartosz Pernal Big Band, and vocalist Justyna Szafran.

He has performed with artists such as: Rory Stuart, Caren Karroll, Rufus Reid, Carlos Piñana, Dante Luciani, Achille Succi, Anne Paceo, Nicolas Simion, Leszek Możdżer, Piotr Wojtasik, Piotr Schmidt, Paweł Tomaszewski, Krzysztof Kiljański, Piotr Baron, Grzegorz Nagórski, Henryk Miśkiewicz, Tomasz Pruchnicki, Przemysław Jarosz, Kuba Stankiewicz, Agata Zubel, L.U.C., Zbigniew Lewandowski.

He has collaborated with institutions such as the Capitol Musical Theatre in Wrocław, the Polish Theatre in Wrocław, and the National Forum of Music. He has appeared in Europe and Asia at festivals such as: Jazz Nad Odrą, Warsaw Summer Jazz Days, Era Jazzu, Jazz Juniors, Cologne Jazz Night, Jazz Bez, Jazz Fest Brno, RCK Pro Jazz, Koskovo Jazz Festival, Musica Sacromontana, Green Town of Jazz, and Przystanek Woodstock. From 2017 to 2022, he was the artistic director of six editions of the Bass & Beat Festival, an event combining various styles and showcasing bass and beat as the foundation of contemporary music across genres. Since 2022, he has served as the artistic director of the Krokus Jazz Festival held in Jelenia Góra.

Since 2020, he has been the Vice President of the Polish Jazz Association in Wrocław, where he is responsible for cooperation, programming, and the implementation of artistic, educational, and publishing projects. As of September 2023, he has been a member of the Board of the Association of Performing Artists STOART. Jakub Olejnik combines his passion for music with his teaching at the Jazz Music Department of the Academy of Music in Wrocław, where he runs the double bass and bass guitar jazz classes. Since September 1, 2024, he has been serving as Acting Head of the Jazz Music Department. He also conducts jazz courses and workshops in Poland and abroad, and actively participates in conferences, symposia, and seminars concerning the European cultural sector and music industry.

Selected Discography:

Zbigniew Lewandowski Quintet, A New Opening (2024)

Kuba Stankiewicz, Inspired by Różycki (2023)

Justyna Szafran, Nie ma. Osiecka / Satanowski (2022)

Zbigniew Lewandowski / Bartosz Pernal Big-Band, Salute to Buddy Rich (2021)

Piotr Rachoń Quartet, Amazonia (2020)

Karolina Pernal Quintet, Claridad (2020)

Bartosz Pernal Sextet, Into The Wild (2019)

Kasia Stankowska, Nie Ma Szczęścia Bez Miłości (2013)

Jan Adamczewski, Jan Adamczewski (2011)

L.U.C., WarSaw (2010)

Chopin Profanum Quartet, Chopin Profanum (2010)

Elżbieta Woleńska, Claude Bolling, Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio (2007)

Kasia Stankowska, Passions (2005)