BASTARDA Founded by clarinettist, improviser and composer Paweł Szamburski in conjunction with two other unconventional musicians: Tomasz Pokrzywiński (cello) and Michał Górczyński (contrabass clarinet). This unusual combination of instruments creates a unique, completely new timbre, which has become the characteristic feature of Bastarda’s style. The Trio has been praised for creating their own musical language, which has become the tool for reinterpreting early music. Chorales, motets and litanies are merely starting points for improvisation and new compositions; rich counterpoint of early polyphony implodes into minimalism; the “alla bastarda” method finds its way in a new context.

That way musical traditions of the past morph into A modern, original and personal artistic voice. Paweł Szamburski, Tomasz Pokrzywiński, and Michał Górczyński – coming from different musical backgrounds – are interested in demonstrating how early music can sound today, filtered through their personal and contemporary musical experiences. The group’s members share their knowledge with audiences from all around the world and also scholars; taking part in project meetings and debates, as well as playing live improvised music inspired by the ongoing research of the early music period. This creative and brave approach to early music has not gone unnoticed. After releasing their first album, Bastarda was invited to become an official partner of the international research project HERA „Sound Memories. The Musical Past in Late-Medieval and Early Modern Europe” conducted by leading European musicologists. Thanks to that collaboration the ensemble has taken part in numerous conferences, project meetings and debates, and also performed to great critical acclaim in front of scholarly early music audiences. These concerts have been described as jazz-like experiences, bringing a thrilling freshness and unpredictability to the medieval and renaissance repertoire.