Joanna Żółkoś-Zagdańska

Assistant professor PhD Joanna Zolkos-Zagdanksa (Żółkoś-Zagdańska)

Vocalist, musician, graduate of Jazz and Popular Music Faculty at The Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice – Vocal Jazz. She began her artistic activity with Consonans band, being a secondary music school student (trumpet class) in Lodz (Łódź). At the same time she performed her first solo recordings with orchestra conducted by H. Debich. During university years she continued to develop musical passion. Along with composer, orchestrator and pianist Adam Zolkos (Żółkoś) they record broadcasts for Polish Radio, the charts and entertainment programmes transmitted in Polish Television (TVP) with: the Poznan Radio Orchestra conducted by Z. Gorny, Alex Band big band conducted by A. Maliszewski, Big Warsaw Band conducted by S. Fialkowski, Kukla Band conducted by K. Kukla. She goes on tours in Poland and abroad with the orchestras mentioned above, performing jazz, musical repertoire as well as pieces of music dedicated to her by outstanding Polish artists. Vocal interpretations are recognized by jury members and audience at music festivals as well as radio and TV charts listeners and viewers (Rekawiczki/Gloves, Ide va banque/All in, Kolorowa mgla/Colourful mist, Moja samba/My samba, Spokoj/Calm, Przesnij/Dream over, Sciezka posrod drzew/Path among the trees and many other). Represented Poland at international music festivals, such as:

1984 – The Bratislava Lyre – Czechoslovakia (Slovakia)

1984 – Istanbul International Jazz Festival – Turkey

1987 – Television and Radio Festival OIRT – 1st prize Grand Prix, Bulgaria (Eurovision equivalent)

1987 – International Festival ‘The Golden Orpheus’ – 2nd prize, Bulgaria

Selected national festivals:

1979 – ‘Debuts’ – The National Festival of Polish Song in Opole

1986 – ‘Premiere’ – The National Festival of Polish Song in Opole – honourable mention , ‘Gloves’ (“Rękawiczki”), award winners concert ‘From Opole to Opole’ (“Od Opola do Opola”) – ‘All in’ (“Idę va banque”)

1987 – ‘Premiere’ – The National Festival of Polish Song in Opole – ‘Beyond applause’
(“W czasie wolnym od braw”), award winners concert ‘From Opole to Opole’ (“Od Opola do Opola”) – ‘Dream over’ (“Przesnij”)

1990 – ‘Premiere’ – The National Festival of Polish Song in Opole – 2nd prize, ‘Calm’ (“Spokoj”) recorded as ‘Peace of mind for good morning’(“Na dzien dobry daj mi swiety spokoj”), award winners concert ‘From Opole to Opole’ (“Od Opola do Opola”) – ‘The house of ordinary women’ (“Dom zwykłych pan”)

1992 – ‘Premiere’ – The National Festival of Polish Song in Opole – ‘My SOS’ (“Moje SOS”)

Songs and jazz standards performed by Zolkos-Zagdanska were recorded on vinyl and CD’s by Polish Recordings (Polskie Nagrania), Pamaton, Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz and many other.

She goes on tours, works as a vocal consultant on trainings, workshops as well as takes part in jury, accomplishes and records new vocal projects (solo album ‘Joanna Zagdanska. Selected songs – Adam Zolkos, Dave Brubeck’ – 2018). Jazz vocal students and graduates are award winners of national and international festivals (International Festival ‘Jazz Struggles’, 2nd prize – Kamila Abrahamowicz; International Music Festival ‘Carpathia Festival’, Grand Prix – Anna Grzelak; Festival ‘Heartbeat’ in remembrance of Andrzej Zaucha – Golden awards: Dominika Kasprzycka, Tadeusz Seibert, Marta Fitowska; ‘Debuts’ – The National Festival of Polish Song in Opole – 1st prize Marta Fitowska with MOA band; and many others), record solo albums (Krzysztof Iwaneczko – award winner of main prize in The Voice of Poland; Marta Fitowska – a scholar of Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland), go on tours across Poland and abroad, get roles in musicals (‘Legally blonde’
– Cracow – T. Siebert, M. Chrusciel, Nine – Poznan), develop research and teaching (doctorates Kamila Abrahamowicz-Szlempo, Monika Malec-Piotrowska).