Can you make a small presentation about yourself?
I’m Benjamin Baczewski. I am a Polish composer, but not only a composer… I’m a musician and a multi-instrumentalist. I play clarinet, saxophones, bass guitar, piano, synthesiser, drums and ethnic instruments. All these instruments help me with composition, because I can try something, I can practise, I can record. This is a great experience. And also I offer some deals for design by making sounds for the media. I usually write classical music but also music for the film industry, for video games, for visual media and even popular music.
Can you tell more about your journey in composition and opera? How did it start?After my music degrees, I started with manuscripts, so only instruments, but the next step was with music notation software. What was next? Oh, a very big step was when I started to learn music production. That was a great experience because I learned how to record,mix and master music. Now I can use virtual instruments too. And what about opera? This is a very big topic. I started in 2011. That was the first time when I worked with lyrics, with text and with vocalists. My first three choral works were a success and they won the national composition contest and brought very good motivation for my development.
Next step was an international composer contest in Genua, Italy “My Homeland” for soprano and chamber ensemble won this competition and this piece premiered in Brussels on a Music Day in 2014. I also write music for theatre, I work with ballet so I think I’m ready for this opera.
What inspired you as a composer? Do you have someone or something that gave you inspiration?
Yes, of course. I’m looking for inspiration every day and I try to be creative daily.
I have inspiration in every style. In classical music, I love Stravinsky and Shostakovich, my masters in instrumentation, in form. For example, the Rite of Spring by Stravinsky is one of my favourite pieces. I also love romantic composers like Tchaikovsky and Mahler, but I’m looking for inspiration among modern composers like the Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki. I also like Arvo Part and Rautavaara from Finland. Moreover, regarding film music, I love Hans Zimmer or John Williams and of course Ludovico Einaudi, Ennio Morricone, from Italy. I like Swedish composer Ludvig Goransson, who a few days ago won the Golden Globe.
Looking for inspiration should be a daily process and it is extremely relevant to look for it every day and in everything, being open to the new.
Can you tell us your reflections about the world of opera adapting to our times? How do you think opera can involve more young people?
Fortunately this is a fact: Opera is adapting in our times. In my opinion, the very big test was during pandemic COVID 19. It represented not only a danger but also a new opportunity for some music institutions to start online streaming for the first time. This opened the possibility of finding a new audience and starting working with new people. I think it’s a new solution, maybe daily not the best because live music is the best solution but of course the online broadcast is something new that changed the audience and music world. We can become open to the new public, international public.
Can you tell us your reflection about using new technologies in opera? How do you think Technology can influence opera and your work
Adopting new technologies and modern innovation is a very good direction for opera houses. Working with new technologies is a great opportunity. One example is represented by the mobile applications that have been created in the past few years and this is interesting because the audience can start knowing something about the opera before it starts.
Have you ever worked with young people in general, and how do you feel about it?
Young people and children are very important groups for music and for opera. I work daily with young people because I’m a teacher in a music school. I drive the students throughout their first steps in composition and music production. I’m currently working with every age group but for me, youngsters are the most important for our future. Moreover, young people are a source of good motivation and new energy and I love it.
What are your expectations for Project Butterfly?
Well, first of all, I’m extremely happy. This project represents a new opportunity and a new challenge for me. I’m also very glad because the contest was very difficult, so the emotion is bigger. Being an international collaboration, this project allows me to meet new artists from different countries, new directors, singers and musicians. Moreover, the artistic residence I think will be great because we’ll meet together with the students and we’ll start a powerful creative process. I think this project could open new music doors for me and be a very good opportunity to grow personally and professionally.
How will the theme of water affect your method of composition?
Water is the best topic for me because it’s my daily routine: I live in Gdańsk and I see the sea through my window. What can I make with water in my music? The lyrics are about the sea, so I’ll find inspiration for music from water. I have already written some pieces connected to water so it’s not my first composition of this kind. Water always gives me energy and this energy translated into music produces a unique style. I can use the rhythm like in the river, use scales, and arpeggios. I think I need a piano in my chamber ‘cause it’s one of the best instruments to show the water’s energy. It’s a big theme, I don’t know the libretto yet so don’t know the type of water, it could be rain or sea, but I’m ready.
Do you think that opera could be sustainable?
Sustainability is very hard but fortunately opera produces music so as musicians we only produce sounds. In the production process we don’t need more, only people and set-up. Every opera house has an opportunity to build something eco or bio, for example around the Sydney Opera House they built an artificial coral reef with animals, plants and so on. That’s great! We can use recycled materials in scenography for example, multimedia, technic. That is a good solution to make a change. Also the digitalization to reduce paper consumption. In a longer perspective we can modernise the opera buildings for example with solar panels to start working with renewable energy. I’m not an expert in this topic but fortunately opera produces music.
Do you have a message for the students that selected you?
Firstly, I would like to thank you, this is the best word to express my gratitude. Thank you very much for the trust. I know that the choice was not easy because the music level in this contest was very high, and I’m even more honoured that you chose my piece and my person. So I’ll do everything to not disappoint your expectations.
We’ll soon meet face to face in the artistic residence and I’m really looking forward to it!
All rights reserved | comms.projectbutterfly@gmail.com| Privacy policy
