There are so many things we may never understand, but we can always dream.
Hania Derej – (2005) – composer, pianist, conductor. She is a student at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam (jazz composition and arrangement) and the Music Academy in Cracow (symphonic conducting). She is the author of more than 130 compositions, some of which have been recorded on 9 CDs, including at the recording studio of the Polish Radio in Katowice. Hania creates music in various styles, including jazz, illustrative, chamber and electronic music. Hania’s music stimulates the imagination, is characterized by melodiousness and carries an emotional message. Hania is the recipient of many awards, including the nomination for the “Coryphaeus of Polish Music” award in the category “Discovery of the Year”, Double Grand Prix of the Ladies’ Jazz Festival 2025 in Gdynia (from the Jury and the audience), Main Prize in the plebiscite of representatives of the Polish music scene “Sanki” 2025 of “Gazeta Wyborcza” newspaper (the new hope of the polish music scene), the Main Prize of the first “Jazz Talents” competition within the 21st edition of JazzSpring Zakopane 2025, Triton Award for the greatest artistic personality of the 54th edition of FAMA Festival 2024 in Świnoujście (Poland), a special award for compositions and arrangements at the Junior Jazz Festival 2023 in Wadowice (Poland), and the “Young Composer 2023” award funded by the Polish Composers’ Union in Warsaw during the International Piano Forum in Sanok (Poland). Within this Piano Forum, Hania also received piano awards, such as an distinction for the performance of a concert with the National Polish Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra and a concert with the Lviv Chamber Orchestra “Akademy.” Hania is a scholarship recipient from, among others, the Minister of Culture and National Heritage for outstanding achievements (2025/2026), the Rafał Brzoska Foundation and the Marti Keuning Eckhardt Foundation. As a conductor, Hania has had the opportunity to lead concerts with the National Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra (Poland), Elblag Chamber Orchestra (Poland), Lviv Chamber Orchestra “Akademia” (Ukraine) and the Moravian Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra (Czech Republic), among others. Hania also participates in international music projects and conferences in Europe, such as European FAMES Orchestra (Macedonia), The Playground Residence (Germany, Netherlands), Sync Camp (Poland), International Jazz Platform (Netherlands, Norway, Poland), Music Export Academy in Poland, Global Conservatory and Eastern European Music Export Academy (Ukraine), “Iceland Airways networking mission”, ESNS Showcase Festival & Conference (Netherlands) and Jazzahead 2025 (Germany).In the JAZZTOP2024 music critics’ survey of the international magazine JAZZFORUM, Hania Derej won first place in the “New Hope” category and fifth place in the “New Hope – Ensemble” category as the Hania Derej Quintet. In April 2025, Hania was awarded a distinction in the nationwide “Young Promoter of Poland” Contest, under the Honorary Patronage of the Wife of the President of the Republic of Poland, for young Poles whose activities contribute to the popularization of knowledge about Poland and building a positive image of Poland in the world. In May 2025 Hania received the award of the new hope of the Polish music scene.
Selected achievements of Hani in recent years:
2016-2025 Composing over 130 musical works in various genres (ZAiKS Authors Association).
2016-2025 Recording of eight albums, including five that are registrations of her own performances of her own compositions for piano in the recording studio of Polish Radio Katowice, an album with a chamber orchestra and choir, and an album of arrangements of traditional Christmas carols for chamber ensemble
2021-2025 Conducting concerts with the National Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, Elbląg Chamber Orchestra, Lviv Chamber Orchestra “Akademia” and the Moravian Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra in Olomouc (Czech Republic), FAMES European Orchestra
2022-2025 Composing music for 5 short films, including as part of the Film Music Composition Workshop at the Gdynia Film School with Jan A.P.Kaczmarek (Oscar award winner)
2021-2024 Participant as the winner of the qualification of the youth orchestras (piano, conductor) under the direction of Adam Sztaba at the Pomeranian Philharmonic in Bydgoszcz and at the European Krzysztof Penderecki Music Center in Lusławice
07.2025 Double Grand Prix of the Ladies’ Jazz Festival 2025 in Gdynia (from the Jury and the audience),
05.2025 The Main Prize in the plebiscite of representatives of the Polish music scene “Sanki” 2025 of “Gazeta Wyborcza” newspaper (the new hope of the polish music scene)
04.2025 Distinction in the national competition “Young Promoter of Poland”, under the Honorary Patronage of the Wife of the President of the Republic of Poland
03.2025 Main Prize of the first competition “Jazz Talents” during the 21st edition of Jazz Spring Zakopane
02. 2025 First place in the “New Hope” category as Hania Derej and fifth place in the “New Hope – Band” category as Hania Derej Quintet and a scoring place in the “Piano” category in the JAZZTOP2024 survey of music critics of the international magazine JAZZFORUM
02.2025 Qualifying for the international music project – International Jazz Platform in the Netherlands (Amsterdam)
01-02.2025 Participant as the winner of the international qualification in art residency: Playground Residence in Nijmegen (Netherlands)
01.2025 Qualifying as a delegate from Poland for the international music festival and fair Jazzahead! 2025 in Bremen (Germany)
10.2024 Qualification and participation in the Playground Residence artist residency in Nijmegen (Netherlands)
08.2024 Triton Award for the greatest artistic personality of the 54th edition of FAMA festival in Świnoujscie (Poland) funded by the President of the City of Swinoujscie
07.2024 Participant as the winner of the international qualification in art residency: Playground Residence in Berlin
06.2024 Releasing album Hania Derej Quintet “Evacuation” by ZenneZ Records (Netherlands). Got to playlist like “Fresh Finds of Jazz”, “New Music Friday”, “EQUAL Soptify”.
04.2024 Distinction in the 1st All-Polish Competition “Arrangement FEST” in Kalisz 9Poland)
02.2024 Participant as the winner of the international qualification in the FAMES INSTITUTE project in North Macedonia and International Jazz Platform in Oslo (Norwegia).
11.2023 Special distinction in the New Hope of Jazz competition within the 16th Novum Jazz Festival in Łomża (Poland)
11.2023 Special distinction in the 2nd All-Polish Mieczysław Kosz Young Jazz Pianists Meeting in Krynica (Poland)
07.2023 Third place as an instrumentalist in the competition within the 24th Baszta Jazz Festival in Czchów (Poland)
06.2023 Special award for compositions and arrangements as part of the Junior Jazz Festival in Wadowice
04.2023 Second place as a jazz band at the National Music Competition of the Center for Artistic Education for students of music schools of the second degree (Warsaw)
04.2023 Second place as a jazz band in the category of music schools of the second degree at the IX National Competition of Jazz and Entertainment Bands School & Jazz Festival in Lubaczów
03.2023 First prize in the conducting category at the “Caneres International Music Competition Vienna”.
02.2023 Premiere of Hani’s composition entitled. “My Story” by the National Philharmonic Orchestra during the XVIII International Piano Forum in Sanok.
01.2023 Second place in the category of vocal and instrumental ensembles at the 29th International Festival of Carols and Pastorals in Bedzin as part of the project “Hania Derej and Friends”
07.2022 Special prize in the conducting competition (Young Virtuoso Competition) as part of the Elbląg Master Classes in Music – conducting one of the concerts of the Elbląg Chamber Orchestra in the artistic season 2022/2023 (05.11.2022)
06.2022 Performance with the band at the LOTOS Jazz Festival Bielska Zadymka Jazzowa 2022
06.2022 Third place as a band at the Junior Jazz Festival in Wadowice and finalist in the competition in the instrumentalist category
05.2022 Distinction at the International Jazz Music Competition “KraCamera JAZZ 2022”
04.2022 Honorable mention at the IV International Composition Competition “PATRI PATRIAE” at the W. Kilar State Music School Complex in Katowice.
02.2022 Award for the best performance of the concert with the Lviv Chamber Orchestra “Akademia” (piano concerto I Piano Concerto in C Major, op. 15 by L.v. Bethoveen) and an award funded by the Polish Composers’ Union “Young Composer 2022” in the framework of the XVII International Piano Forum in Sanok (Poland)
2021-2022 Qualification for the project of youth (piano) orchestras under the direction of Adam Sztaba at the Pomeranian Philharmonic in Bydgoszcz and at the European Krzysztof Penderecki Music Center in Lusławice (Poland)
05.2021 Award for the best performance of a concert with the Chamber Orchestra of the National Philharmonic (Jazz Variations on a Theme of Chopin for chamber orchestra and jazz trio by K.Wileński) and “Young Composer 2021” funded by the Polish Composers’ Union in Warsaw
12.2019 Third prize in the Second National Composition Competition for Young Composers “Dostrzegalnia 2019” at the Academy of Music in Poznań – performance of a piece as part of the International Festival of Contemporary Music Poznań Musical Spring.