percussionist and composer, b. 18th May 1990 in Cracow. He began his music education at the age of seven. Initially he learned the violin, but switched to percussion (Leon Olejniczak’s class) four years later. In his home city he attended the I. J. Paderewski 1st Level and Fryderyk Chopin 2nd Level Music Schools. In 2009 he began his studies at the prestigious Eastman School of Music in Rochester (USA), pursuing a double major in Applied Percussion and Composition. He currently studies percussion with Michael Burritt and Charles Ross, jazz vibraphone with Howard Potter and composition with Carlos Sanchez-Gutierrez.

Tomasz Arnold has received numerous awards in national and international competitions, e.g. the 3rd prize in the National Auditions for Percussionists in Wrocław (2003), the 3rd prize in the National Auditions for Chamber Percussion Ensembles in Cracow (2006, as a trio member), the 1st prize - European Music Prize for Youth for Marimba in the EMCY international competition in Münster, Germany (2006), the 1st prize and the special prize for the best snare drum performance in the International Jonas Taločka Young Talent Percussion Competition in Ukmergė, Lithuania (2007), the 1st prize in the International Competition for Percussion Instruments PENDIM in Plovdiv, Bulgaria (2007), and the 1st prize in the Concours International de Marimba organised by Paris Conservatory in France (2009). In November 2011 he won the 1st prize in the prestigious International Solo Percussion Competition organized by the Percussive Arts Society (PASIC) in Indianapolis, USA. The competition accompanied an annual percussion festival organised by PASIC – an association of percussionists from all over the world.

Tomasz Arnold began to write his own music in 2003, in the 1st grade of middle school. His early attempts at composition were pieces for solo percussion and percussion ensembles. Later he began to compose also for other instruments and larger ensembles, including the symphony orchestra. In 2008 he received the 2nd prize and Audience Award in the 9th National Composer Competition of the “Student Music Forum” Festival in Warsaw for his Miniature for chamber orchestra, and in 2009 he won the 4th prize, Audience Award and Performers’ Award in the same competition for Sinfonietta per archi. Both compositions were recorded in a studio by the Festival Orchestra under Michał Ł. Niżyński. His solo marimba piece Bright Lights on a Dark Night was released in 2009 on the Japanese marimba player Emiko Uchiyama’s CD Works for Marimba. His March! for orchestra and the marimba pieces performed by the composer himself, recorded live and in studio versions, were presented in 2010 on Polish Radio Programme Two in Beata Stylińska’s broadcast “Paths to Career”, of which Tomasz Arnold was a special guest.

At the age of 16 he made his debut as a soloist with the City of Münster Symphony Orchestra, performing Ney Rosauro’s Concerto for marimba and chamber orchestra. Also in 2007 he played a solo recital at the International Percussion Festival “CrossDrumming” in Warsaw. In 2008, as the 1st prize winner of the 2007 Jonas Taločka Competition, he was invited to play three solo marimba and vibraphone recitals in concert halls in the Lithuanian towns of Ukmerge and Šiauliai, as well as in Klaipėda during the Jonas Taločka Percussion Festival. In the same year he gave a solo recital in the City Concert Hall in Abbeville, France and performed Ney Rosauro’s Concerto for marimba and chamber orchestra in the German Neubrandenburg with the orchestra of that city’s philharmonic. In March 2010 he was selected by his alma mater for a solo marimba performance on Kennedy Center’s prestigious Millenium Stage. He also played marimba recitals in Warsaw’s Royal Łazienki Park (2008), Cracow’s Wawel Royal Castle (2009, 2010) and Warsaw’s Royal Castle (2009).

The artist has received scholarships from: the Minister of Culture and National Heritage (2008-07), the City of Cracow (Educational Award 2008), the Polish Children's Fund (in the school years 2007-08 and 2008-09), the “Young Poland” Programme of the National Centre for Culture (2009), Percussion Arts Society Armand Zildjian Percussion Scholarship (2010), Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester (2009 - 2013).

Tomasz Arnold has taken part in numerous master classes and percussion workshops (incl. Jaworki 2004, Zakopane 2005, Jelenia Góra 2005, Żagań 2006, 2007, 2008) conducted by eminent percussion tutors and virtuosos. In 2007 he was qualified (on the basis of a recording) to participate in the exclusive master classes of Academie de Villecroze (France), taught by the eminent composer and marimba virtuoso Keiko Abe, with whom he played her composition for two marimbas Wind in the Bamboo Grove in a duo. He developed his abilities with such world famous percussionists as: Nebojsa Jovan Zivkovic, Peter Sadlo, John Beck, Jeffrey Moore, William Moersch, Jean Geoffroy, Mitch Markovich and Linda Maxey.

Tomasz Arnold’s debut album Incoming was released in February 2011. It contains pieces for solo marimba (including his own composition Variations on the Seven Pitches) as well as M. Burritt’s Rounders for marimba and percussion ensemble. In July 2011 Tomasz Arnold played a solo marimba recital in Wawel Royal Castle’s historical Batory Courtyard. This recital was recorded and released on a promotional DVD.

Updated: July 2012

 
The Composer's website: www.tomaszarnold.com

Bright Lights on a Dark Night for solo marimba (2006)

Sinfonietta per archi for string orchestra (2006)

Miniature for chamber orchestra (2007)

Fauxbourdon for chamber orchestra (2008)

Graduate Concerto (2008)

Variations on the Three Notes Theme for two marimbas (2008)

Variations on the Seven Pitches for solo marimba (2009)

Flying Trio for vibraphone and two marimbas (2009)

March! for symphony orchestra (2010)

Double Major for clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, vibraphone and piano (2010)

Dissonant Relations for saxophone and accordion (2010)

Five Impressions on Human Life for solo piano (2010)

Walking through the Highway for wind ensemble (2010)

Concerto for Percussion and Mixed Ensemble (2011)

Agnus Dei for mixed choir (2011)

Explosions with No Gravity (2011)

Etude for the Practice of Flying and Rhythmic Consistency for piano (2011)

Dialogues for String Quartet (2011)

5 Songs about Nature for soprano, marimba and vibraphone (2011)

Birds on the Church Bells for orchestra (2012)

Rhapsodies (Laconic Statements on Elaborate Expressions) for percussion, electric guitar and piano (2012)

Two Movements for Orchestra (2012)

Le rire dernier for electronic media (2012)

Concert Dialogues for Saxophone and Percussion Ensemble (2012)

Seven Pieces of Difference for saxophone and harpsichord  (2013)

Micro Symphony in Four Movements for electronic media (2013)

Broken (but self-repairable) Machine for viola and percussion (2014)

Five Voices for marimba and cello (2014)

Concerto for Piano and Ensemble (2014)

Significant Silence for electronic media (2014)

Naturally Artificial Spaces for bass drum and electronic media (2014)

Crystal Mix for clarinet, piano, violin and cello (2015)

Bell Sanctuary for percussion (2015)

Birds for multimedia and video projection (2016)

SHIFT - Fajrant! for percussion and fixed media (2016)

Scatter in the Sky for drum set, voice, live electronics and piano (2016)

Cause there is noone like us for drum set, fixed media, light projection and MIDI keyboard (2016)

Village of Control for overtone singer, chapareke, pipa, marimba, bass steel pans and gamelan (2016)

Isolation, Materialism, Appearance for flute, piano, cello, drum set and sampler (2016)

Broken Breathing for solo improvising percussionist and wind ensemble (2017)

Dance and Noise for solo cajon and sampler (2017)

Some Fat Beats for Alvin for flute, bass clarinet, violin, cello, percussion, laptop and live electronics (2017)

Out of Service - Ruthless Positions! (make them study so they can be musicians) for marimba, vibraphone, xylophone and sampler (2018)

Non-aggressive Music Deterrent for flute, cello, vibraphone and sampler (2018)