Krzysztof Komeda

Krzysztof Trzciński (27 April 1931 – 23 April 1969), known professionally as Krzysztof Komeda, was a Polish film composer and jazz pianist widely regarded as one of the most influential Polish musicians. He is best known for writing the scores for Roman Polanski’s films Knife in the Water (1962), Cul-de-sac (1966), The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967), and Rosemary’s Baby (1968). Komeda’s album Astigmatic (1965) is often considered one of the most important European jazz albums. British critic Stuart Nicholson describes the album as “marking a shift away from the dominant American approach with the emergence of a specific European aesthetic.” Komeda is also known for blending jazz with classical and traditional Polish music. Life and career Early life and education He was born Krzysztof Trzciński on 27 April 1931 in Poznań to father Mieczysław and mother Zenobia (née Gębicka). He chose Komeda as his stage name only upon graduation from university as a means of distancing himself as a jazz musician from his daytime job in a medical clinic. He grew up in Częstochowa and Ostrów Wielkopolski where in 1950 he graduated from the ’liceum (high school) for Boys’. While at school, he partici