Hania Derej b. 18/01/2005 in Katowice. Young composer, pianist, conductor.
A graduate of the General Music School of the 1st degree. Feliks Rybicki in Tychy,
student of the 3rd grade of the General Music School of the 2nd degree. Stanisław Moniuszko
in Bielsko Biała in the jazz and classical piano class.
Hania on the piano background
At the age of 10, she prepared her own album entitled Moje paintings, containing her own compositions for piano, which was recorded in 2016 in the recording studio of Polish Radio Katowice. The following albums were recorded in the same studio, i.e. “Unfinished nfinished”, “Thoughts”, “Flying with the wind” and “Searching for Self”. These CDs contain Hania’s own performances of her own piano compositions, recorded, as before, also in the recording studio of Polish Radio Katowice. They are a form of description of reality, dreams and imagination.
Hania participated in many domestic and international piano workshops with the participation of outstanding teachers and artists from Poland and abroad. In addition, she is a laureate of awards received at various musical events, both local and international, including “Special Award of the President of the Lublin Branch of the Polish Composers’ Union” for the presentation of compositional works, obtained during the International Piano Forum “Bieszczady without borders” in Sanok in 2018, “Prize sponsored by the Polish Composers’ Union in Warsaw” in 2019 and 2020 obtained during subsequent editions of the aforementioned piano forum. In December 2019, Hania received the third prize ex aequo in the 2nd National Composition Competition for Young Composers “Dostrzegalnia 2019” at the Academy of Music in Poznań, for the piece “172 on rails” (for viola, trombone, flute and orchestra bells). In addition, Hania received a distinction for the best performance of a concert with the Warsaw Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra (K.Wileński’s jazz variations on Chopin for chamber orchestra and jazz trio) and the “Young Composer 2021” Award funded by the Polish Composers’ Union in Warsaw in the 2021-22 season as part of the 16th International Piano Forum “Bieszczady without borders”. Hania received a similar distinction in 2022 for the best performance of a concert with the Lviv Chamber Orchestra “Akademia” (piano concerto n.1 in C major op. 15 by L.v.Bethoveen). In the same year, Hania became a laureate of the “Young Virtuoso in the Conductor” category and an invitation to conduct the Elbląg Chamber Orchestra during a concert in the 2022/2023 artistic season.
On March 23, 2018, the premiere performance of “The Race of Life”, Hania’s first composition for a chamber ensemble of seven instruments, took place. This performers under the direction of Hania and with the participation of a chamber ensemble formed from a group of colleagues from the music school in Tychy, was held as part of the “Concert of very young composers” in Głubczyce (Poland).
Currently, Hania has over a dozen compositions prepared for chamber ensemble and orchestra, some of which are recorded on the album ‘Eternal Moment’. In February 2023, during the International Piano Forum in Sanok, the premiere of Hani’s piece ‘My Story’ was performed by the National Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra.
As a pianist, Hania played in the school orchestra, in the school Big Band as well in chamber ensembles and professional orchestras they organize,
such as the Lviv Chamber Orchestra or the Chamber Orchestra of the National Philharmonic.
As a conductor, Hania conducted concerts of professional orchestras, such as The Chamber Orchestra of the National Philharmonic, The Lviv Chamber Orchestra, The Elbląg Chamber Orchestra and The Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra.
Hania also composed music for several short films and theatre performance.
Many workshops and individual lessons with many outstanding teachers and masters from Poland and abroad caused a significant impact on the formation and development of the young artist and improve her creativity and skills. Hania is also a scholarship holder of, among others, the Podkarpacka Foundation for Cultural Development and the National Institute of Music and Dance.
In May 2022, Hania received a distinction at the International Jazz Music Competition “KraCamera JAZZ 2022”. In June 2022, Hania performed with the band at the LOTOS Jazz Festival Bielska Zadymka Jazzowa 2022, and won 3rd place as a band at the Junior Jazz Festival in Wadowice and was a finalist of the competition in the category of instrumentalists
Currently, Hania has prepared material containing original compositions for 2 jazz albums (a quintet and a duet) and 1 album with … electronic music, the release of which depends on the “budget” possibilities. There are also a dozen or so songs waiting for their time….:-)