Jazz at BOK: Hania Derej Trio

We invite you to a concert as part of the Jazz series at BOK!

Hania Derej Threesome

October 18, 2026, 6:00 p.m.

Club Fama, 5 Legionowa Street

Tickets: PLN 45/reduced (for students and pupils), PLN 60/pre-sale, PLN 75/on the day of the concert — at the box offices of the Forum Cinema (5 Legionowa Street) and the Ludwik Zamenhof Center (19 Warszawska Street) and online: bilety.bok.bialystok.pl

Team composition:

Hania Derej — piano, keyboards, compositions

Mateusz Szewczyk — bass guitar, double bass

Gniewomir Tomczyk — drums

Hania Derej Trio is a new project by composer and pianist Hani Derej, in which the artist combines her previous interests and presents new pieces in a modern form based on new experiences. The trio's music is based on electronic, jazz sound with elements of neoclassicism. These are compositions with high intensity, strong emotions, controlled chaos, as well as fragments with beautiful and sonorous melodies surrounded by a lot of ostinat and repetitiveness. Hani Derej's music has always been autobiographical — her songs tell about the current struggles, the race, the dilemmas, the ups and downs that concern each of us.

This material has been presented at major festivals in Poland and abroad such as OFF Festival, Pol'and Rock, Riga Music Week, Polish Jazz Festival in Budapest, Music Week Poland, Iceland Airwaves, MENT Festival. In the fall of 2026, the release of the album and two international tours in Europe are planned. In addition, the band will perform at the EuroJazz Festival in Mexico and the two largest showcase festivals in the world — Eurosonic in Groningen and SWSX in Austin. The project also won a double Grand Prix at the Energa Ladies Jazz Festival Competition in Gdynia.

Hania Derej — composer, pianist, arranger and conductor. Student at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam (jazz composition and arrangement) and the Academy of Music in Krakow (symphonic conducting). The young artist is the author of more than 130 compositions, some of which have been recorded on nine albums, including several in the recording studio of Polish Radio in Katowice. Hania creates music in a variety of styles, including illustration, jazz, chamber, film or electronic music. She is a laureate of composer and performance awards, including: nomination for the Koryfeusz Polish Music Award in the “Discovery of the Year” category, double Grand Prix Ladies' Jazz Festival 2025 in Gdynia (from the Jury and the audience), Main Prize in the “SANKI” 2025 music plebiscite of Gazeta Wyborcza with the title of “new hope of Polish music”, Main Prize of the first competition “Jazz Talents” as part of the 21st edition of the Zakopane 2025 Jazz Spring, the “Hope of Music Lovers of the Year 2024" award as part of the Grand Prix Jazz Melomani 2024 in Łódź, TRYTON Main Award for the largest artistic personality of the FAMA 2024 festival in Świnoujście, a special award for jazz compositions and arrangements as part of the Junior Jazz Festival 2023 in Wadowice, or the “Young Composer 2023” Award funded by the Polish Composers' Association. Hania has an intense concert activity as part of various instrumental projects and ensembles, also performing at major music festivals such as Pol'and'Rock Festival, OFF Festival, Men's Play and others. In the Jazz Top 2024 poll of music critics of the international magazine “Jazz Forum” Hania Derej won first place in the category “New Hope” and fifth place in the category “New Hope — Band” as Hania Derej Quintet. In April 2025, the artist won a distinction in the nationwide Competition “Young Promoter of Poland”, under the Honorary Patronage of the Spouse of the President of the Republic of Poland (project partner: Polish Promotional Emblem Foundation), addressed to young Poles, whose activities contribute to popularizing knowledge about Poland and building its positive image in the world.

Mateusz Szewczyk — double bass player, bassist, arranger. He is actively touring in Poland and abroad, including touring in Asia and the Middle East. In 2020, he graduated with honors from the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice. He taught at his native university in Katowice and at music schools in India. Winner of many awards and distinctions, including Grand Prix at the Jazz Nad Odrą competition, Jazz Juniors, Happy Jazz Festival. Among the artists with whom he has collaborated so far are Leszek Możdżer, Paweł Tomaszewski, John B. Arnold, Anna Gadt, Wojciech Myrczek, David Linx. Together with Marcin Pater Trio he performed at Jazz Crossing Festival, Mladi Lada Jazz Festival, Garana Jazz Festival, Jazz Festival Jazzonalia, Loft Festival, Real Live Jazz Festival, Taichung Jazz Festival Polish Jazz Festival in Budapest, Chamber Hall NOSPR, Voicingers Festival, RCK Pro Jazz Festival, Nisville Jazz Festival, Fara Jazz Festival Sibiu Jazz Festival. He actively participated in many courses such as International Jazz Platform, Voicingers, CHOJAZZ.

Gniewomir Tomczyk — jazz, entertainment and hybrid drummer, as well as producer of artistic events and educator. He is a graduate of the I. J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań. He was a finalist of the competition within the Bielska Zadymka Jazzowa Festival (2019) and Krokus Jazz Festival (2019), as well as the winner of the 1st Prize at the National Drum Battle Rhythm Festival (2008). Founder and leader of the bands: Gniewomir Tomczyk/Project, The Funky Bump! , “Perpetus”, GESO GATO, as well as co-founder of the innovative NextBeat.AI project. He has released three solo albums: “Pieces of My Journey”, “Quality Jazz Live” and “Event Horizon” and five singles along with music videos: “Initiation”, “Light Up!” , “Rush”, “Generation of Numbers” and “Mechanical Cats”. Since 2024, he has been the Vice President of the Polish Jazz Association. His debut album “Event Horizon” was recognized and distinguished in the ranking of the Percusist Magazine (issue 7-8/2018) as “100 Polish Records, Most Important for Drummers” and was nominated in the ranking of the magazine “Jazz Forum” — Jazz Top 2018 in the category “Electric Band”. He has many tours to his credit, which he has played with the XXANAXX band many times throughout the country. The project has been presented at many festivals, club concerts and shows on the occasion of important artistic events, including the Fryderyk Music Awards gala (2017). The band's latest album “Gradient” received the Fryderyk Award in the category “Electronic Music” (2019).