Two Performances of the Makowicz-Medyna-Dingler Jazz Ensemble

The Kosciuszko Foundation and the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Washington, D.C. invite you to two performances of the Makowicz-Medyna-Dingler Jazz Ensemble. 

Adam Makowicz, the legendary Polish-American pianist and composer, is well known for his ability to bring jazz and classical music to life with his own unique twist. Saxophonist Krystof Medyna is another talented musician from Poland, who has been wowing audiences in the New York area since the 80s with his award winning solo and group performances. The two are joined by Jeff Dingler, a bass player and composed from NYC who is making waves with his versatile sound, blending jazz with Ethiopian folk music.

Adam Makowicz – Piano
Krystof Medyna – Saxophone
Jeff Dingler – Bass

Tickets:

Adam Makowicz, Polish-American pianist and composer living in the New York area. He performs jazz and classical piano pieces, as well as his own compositions. Besides playing solo, he has worked with such musicians among many as Earl Hines, Ben Webster, Phil Woods, Jack DeJohnette, as well as with the National Symphony of Washington DC, at the Kennedy Centre, at the Carnegie Hall, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London, the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, and other major orchestras at concert halls in the Americas and in Europe. His technical skills as jazz pianist have been compared to that of Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, and Erroll Garner, among others. He was named the “Best jazz pianist” by the readers of Jazz Forum magazine and was awarded a gold medal for his contribution to the arts. In December of 2022 the Academy of Art in Szczecin, Poland awarded Adam with honorary degree “doctor honoris causa”.

Krystof Medyna began his musical career at age 5. His mother was a trained classical pianist and his grandfather a conductor. From 1975-1978, Krystof lived and performed in Scandinavia. Upon his return to Poland, he founded the group Freakwater, with pianist Andrzej Winnicki. At the 1979 Jazz and Odra Jazz Festival in Wroclaw, Poland, Breakwaterwon the award for Best Group, and Krystof won the award for best solo instrumentalist. Krystof has been living Stateside since 1982. Since then, he has been performing in the New York area with such musicians as Greg Maker, Fukushi Tainaka, Jeremy Pelt, Rodney Holmes, Nasheet Waits, Scott Colley, and Drew Gress, among others.

Born in 1986 in New York City, Jeff Dingler a bass player and composer. His bass work has seen him included in a variety of settings covering a wide range of genres of music. From straight-ahead jazz with The Nelson Riddle Orchestra, to Macedonian rhythms with Brad Shepik’s Balkan Peppers, all the way to Ethiopian folk styles of The Addis Acoustic Project. Jeff’s recent album “In Transit” has received acclaim worldwide for its blending of straight-ahead jazz and Ethiopian folk music. Jeff served for two years as a professor of jazz studies at Mekene Yesus University in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and holds a Master of Music degree from NYU.