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Anna Maria Jopek
Vocalist, songwriter, improviser, a passionate visionary. Anna Maria Jopek’s style is a fusion of improvisation, Polish traditional sounds, and European classical music. Born into an artistic family – Anna Maria’s grandmother and father were accomplished singers, she was literally raised backstage – in concert venues and in the dressing rooms of legendary Polish folk group “Mazowsze”, where her parents performed. She was only three years old when she recorded a song for the Polish Radio. At the age of seven, she began her musical education in piano class, and at the age of twelve, she performed at the Warsaw Philharmonic. Graduate of Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw and student of philosophy at the Warsaw University.
For years, Jopek has been writing music and adopting classical and traditional themes to exceptional, multifaceted projects that bring together the world’s most outstanding musicians such as Pat Metheny, Branford Marsalis, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Richard Bona, Oscar Castro-Neves, Makoto Ozone, Noa, Mino Cinelu and others. She also had the pleasure to sing with: Sting, Youssou N’Dour, Bobby McFerrin, Ivan Linz, Nigel Kennedy and Dianne Reeves.
AMJ has performed at the world’s most renowned concert halls such as: Carnegie Hall, Hollywood Bowl, Royal Festival Hall, Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall, Blue Note Tokyo, The Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv or Hamer Hall in Melbourne. She recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studio, Abbey Road in London and Power Station in New York. She has won every prominent Polish music award possible.
In 2017 Anna released the album “Minione” (Bygone) with Gonzalo Rubalcaba. The album presents pre-war Polish tangos and reached the 2017 top ten of Poland’s music bestsellers. In October 2018 she is releasing her new album „Ulotne” (Elusive) recorded with Branford Marsalis that escapes classification of music styles and broadly interprets Slavic motifs in scales, poetics and moods. “Ulotne” also features such stellar musicians as Krzysztof Herdzin, Mino Cinelu, Maria Pomianowska, Robert Kubiszyn, Pedro Nazaruk, Marcin Wasilewski, and Atom String Quartet.
AMJ is convinced that art constitutes the spirituality of our times and that music is a universal language that connects people of all cultures, beliefs, and traditions. She believes in the beauty and gift of listening. Jopek lives between Warsaw and Lisbon, devoted to her children and cats. Running in marathons is her occasional hobby.
“Non-English-speaking singers face the challenge of having to express themselves enough to transcend the language barrier for American audiences, but like Celtic vocal explorer Loreena McKennitt, Jopek has the ability to make that barrier immaterial.
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Anna Maria Jopek at Joe's Pub at The Public Theater
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by Ernest Barteldes
Anna Maria Jopek Joe's Pub at The Public Theater November 5, 2014 New York, NY For the opening of her 2014 North American tour, Polish singer/songwriter Anna Maria Jopek concentrated on reinvented takes on her native country's folk and classical music, as featured on Polanna (Self Produced, 2011). Backed by a pared-down trio rounded out by Marek Napiorkowski on acoustic guitar and Pedro Nazaruk (keyboards, melodica, percussion, acoustic guitar, flutes, zither and ...
read moreAnna Maria Jopek at Jazzy Tiel
![Read "Anna Maria Jopek at Jazzy Tiel" reviewed by Phillip Woolever](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/385719_386725688087002_944173534_n.png)
by Phillip Woolever
Anna Maria Jopek Band Agnietenhof Jazzy Tiel Tiel, The Netherlands November 2, 2013 Any time Anna Maria Jopek makes an appearance in Western European locations, she can count on Polish ex-pats from the neighboring areas to turn out, en masse, for engaging versions of traditional anthems. That's what happened again tonight as hundreds of high- energy devotees headed into this charming, near-central Netherlands town. The concert was a special feature ...
read moreAnna Maria Jopek: Sepia on Blond
![Read "Anna Maria Jopek: Sepia on Blond" reviewed by AAJ Staff](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/385719_386725688087002_944173534_n.png)
by AAJ Staff
A petite blond jazz beauty from Poland, Anna Maria Jopek's first US show at the American Polish Cultural Center in Troy, Michigan was a study in Rembrandt tones and Rubenesque angelic tints, with a touch of samba thrown in. Known as Anya to her 20-something fans and the musicians that know her well like Sting and Pat Metheny, the show was in Polish, but her paintbrush was love in all its colors, a human condition that blows away nationality when ...
read moreAnna Maria Jopek: Polish Diva's 2014 North American Tour
![Anna Maria Jopek: Polish Diva's 2014 North American Tour](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/385719_386725688087002_944173534_n.png)
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Michael Ricci
By Ernest Barteldes Although Polish singer Anna Maria Jopek is well-respected and recognized by fans in Europe and also the numerous artists she has worked with over the years (including Pat Metheny, Tomasz Stanko and bassist Richard Bona), she has yet to be discovered by mainstream jazz/world fans in North America. It is hard to gauge why she hasn't yet been more widely discovered Stateside, but one possibility could be the fact that she is a bit ...
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Anna Maria Jopek
![Jazz Musician of the Day: Anna Maria Jopek](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/385719_386725688087002_944173534_n.png)
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All About Jazz is celebrating Anna Maria Jopek's birthday today!
Anna Maria Jopek
I couldn\'t think of anything more inspiring, motivating and ear opening than working with Pat. He\'s been my first and most important mentor for years, but to actually make music with him was the most thrilling experience in my life..... more
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Anna Maria Jopek
![Jazz Musician of the Day: Anna Maria Jopek](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/385719_386725688087002_944173534_n.png)
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Anna Maria Jopek's birthday today!
JAZZ MUSICIAN OF THE DAY Anna Maria Jopek
I couldn\'t think of anything more inspiring, motivating and ear opening than working with Pat. He\'s been my first and most important mentor for years, but to actually make music with him was the most thrilling experience in my life..... more
Website | Videos | Articles
Follow Anna Maria Jopek
Put AAJ's ...
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Polish Jazz Cools Red Hot Bodrum
![Polish Jazz Cools Red Hot Bodrum](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/385719_386725688087002_944173534_n.png)
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All About Jazz
Popular Turkish summer spot Bodrum will host two Polish jazz female vocalists this week. Already known to Turkish audience, Anna Maria Jopek in Bodrum Castle, and the new hope of jazz scene," Aga Zaryan, in Cabo Verde club in Yalkavak Marina, are going to give their concerts tonight. Enthusiasts of warm female jazz vocals will face a difficult choice tonight. Two great voices from the Polish music scene are coming to Bodrum to perform in two separate concerts. Aga Zaryan, ...
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Exclusive interview to Anna Maria Jopek. The Polish singer performed with Pat Metheny recording a great album...
![Exclusive interview to Anna Maria Jopek. The Polish singer performed with Pat Metheny recording a great album...](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/logo/bd38a72ed12128b10ddc05c6087dacb8.jpg)
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All About Jazz
Anna Maria Jopek is a Polish musician strongly connected to the music of her country but highly influenced by sounds, harmonies, rhythms that come from the jazz world. She has increased her popularity also through a very good album recorded together with Pat Metheny (Upojenie). In this album Anna Maria performs several completely rearranged songs composed by the famous guitar player. She sings them in Polish language providing a new extremely involving aspect. On the other side, on this album ...
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