composer and oboist; b. 21st June 1981 in Gdynia. He attended the Zygmunt Noskowski Primary School of Music in Gdynia and the Feliks Nowowiejski Primary and Secondary School of Music in Gdańsk, having studied the oboe with Jolanta Kowalczyk and Józef Raatz (diploma with honours, 2001). In 2006 he graduated (again with honours) from the Academy of Music in Warsaw, where he had studied composition with Marian Borkowski. In 2008 he began his PhD studies in composition at the Music Department of the University of California in San Diego, where he has worked with such personalities as Phillipe Manoury, Miller Puckette, Roger Reynolds, Chinary Ung, Steve Schick, and many others.
In 2005 he received a scholarship from the Minister of Culture in recognition of his academic achievements, in 2006 he was granted a scholarship by the Académie Musicale di Villecroze (France), in 2007 – Association of Authors and Composer ZAiKS’s artistic scholarship, in 2008 – a year-long scholarship to support his artistic work from the Minister of Culture, as well as scholarships of the Adam Mickewicz Institute and the Culture Centre in Gdyna. He participated in composition master classes led by Noël Lee (2006, Villecroze) and Karlheinz Stockhausen (2007, Kürten).
As a performer he focuses on Medieval and Renaissance music. In 2000-05 he was the music director of the Pressus Medieval Music Ensemble, which won many awards and distinctions, including a Golden Harp at the "Schola Cantorum" Festival of Early Music in Kalisz (1998), Award of the Minister of National Education (1998), Award of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage (1998), 3rd prize at the International Bydgoszcz Music Impressions (1998), 1st prize at the "Past for Future" ("Przeszłość dla Przyszłości") Competition (1999), Grand Prix of the Festival of Talents in Tarnów (2000), and Zofia Rayzacherowa Foundation Award for the greatest artistic personality of the 10th Festival of Early Music in Warsaw (2000). He also received an award for his performing precision at the "Schola Cantorum" Festival (1997) and an honourable mention for artistic personality at the "Past for Future" Competition (1999). He has been also successful in theoretical (2nd prize at the competition on "Concerto in Polish 20th-century Music" in Szczecin in 2000) and composition competitions - in 2004 he won the 3rd prize at the "Musica Sacra" Composition Competition in Częstochowa for Psalmus 82 for mixed choir (2003-2004), in 2005 – 3rd prize at the Adam Didur Composition Competition in Sanok for Canto for baritone and string quartet (2005), in 2006 – prize at the Composition Competition of the Youth Circle of the Polish Composers' Union for Vespertinus for violin, cello and piano (2005-2006) and a prize at the 2006 Jihlava International Composition Competition for Incantatus for female choir (2005), in 2007 – 1st prize for dim for voice, cello, accordion and piano (2006-2007) at the 48th Tadeusz Baird Competition for Young Composers, honourable mentions as part of the ESOTERICS-POLYHONOS call for scores in Seattle (choral works) and a prize at the Competition of the Youth Circle of the Polish Composers' Union for Que for ensemble (2007).
Wojciech Blecharz’s music has been performed at the "Gaude Mater" International Festival of Sacred Music, Laboratory of Contemporary Music, Generations VII, concerts of the Youth Club accompanying the "Warsaw Autumn" Festival, Warsaw Music Encounters, New Gdańsk Sounds, concerts of Académie Musicale di Villecroze, Bebersee Festival, concerts of young Polish composers in Belarus, concerts of an_Arche – NewMusicEnsemble, Musica Polonica Nova, Gdańsk Music Festival, Music Seasons (Muzyczne Pory Roku), Music Network Ireland, Morrison Artist Series San Francisco, and many more.
He also writes music for theatre plays and dance theatre. He collaborated with the Silesian Dance Theatre in Bytom (Wrzaskowisko, Czar zwyczajnych dni – sen świętego, Tylko chwile, choreography by Jacek Łumiński), Kokoro Dance in Vancouver (Tutaj Tam/From here to there, choreography by Jacek Łumiński, Jaya Hirabayashi, Barbara Bourget), City Dance Ensemble in Washington (The Jaw of Shadow, choreography by Jacek Łumiński), Coming Back To The Roots in Philadelphia (Where to Put the Blanket, choreography by Jacek Łumiński), Powszechny Theatre in Warsaw (Białe Małżeństwo/White Marriage by Tadeusz Różewicz, directed by Grzegorz Wiśniewski), Theatre of Witness in Philadelphia (Gravitation of Flight and Forbidden Faces directed by Teya Sepinuck), BalletMet in Columbus, Ohio (365-neither fish nor flesh, choreography by Jacek Łumiński), Anka Majcher (lala, la) – Rotterdamse Danceakademie (Rotterdam).
He has co-run courses during the International Contemporary Dance Conference in Bytom, Workshops of Early Music in Przemków, Swarthmore College, USA, and Higher School of Performance Arts in Bytom.
In 2006 he was commissioned by the Polish Composers' Union to compose a piece for 2 pianos as part of a series commemorating 60 years of the institution (Signs of Time/Znaki czasu programme of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage). In 2007 he was asked by Bebersee Festival to compose a piece for 2 violas and 2 cellos (financed by the Culture Section of Brandenburg), whereas in 2008 he received commissions from the "Poznań Music Spring" Festival, Ensemble Integrales from Germany (part of the International Youngstars programme), and Kwartludium (Polish-German Klangnetz project). In 2007 he appeared on Agata Kwiecińska's programme Zawód-kompozytor (Profession: Composer) aired in Polish Radio (Programme 2) and gave deatils on his work during the festival Musica Moderna.
In 2012 he received an award/scholarship for "composing perfection" at the 46th Summer New Music Courses in Darmstad and was nominated for Polityka’s "Passport" in the classical music category. In 2013 he won a prize of the IMPULS competition commission in Austria and was nominated for Orlen's award "Polacy z werwą" in the culture and art category, as well as for the "Kulturysta Roku" award of Polish Radio – Programme 3.
Wojciech Blecharz is a member of Polish Composers' Union and Association of Authors and Composers ZAiKS. He has collaborated with the Mazovia Region Centre for Culture and Art in Warsaw.