composer; b. 26 November 1971 in Częstochowa. He studied composition with Marek Stachowski (graduating with honours in 1995), instrumentation with Krzysztof Penderecki, and computer music with Marek Chołoniewski at the Acadmy of Music in Krakow. He also studied with Fulbright Senior Lecturers: Richard Boulanger, Cindy McTee, and Rodney Oakes. In 1998 he obtained a PhD in composition, and in 2010 – a habilitation degree. He is an adjunct professor of the Composition Department of the Academy of Music in Krakow. He received artistic scholarship granted by the City of Kraków (1994), and the Minister of Culture and National Heritage (2006, 2009, 2014).
He continued his studies of composition by participating in the Internationale Akademie für Neue Komposition in Schwaz (Austria, 1994), 15th Summer Composition Courses in Białystok (1995), 3rd Internationale Werkstatt für Neue Musik und Computer in Stuttgart (1995), 4th International Contemporary Music Workshops (Kraków/Stuttgar, 1996), and Summer Course for Composers in Radziejowice (1996, 1997), where he worked with such composers as Paul Paterson, Sylvano Bussotti, Claude Lefebvre, Joji Yuasa, Bogusław Schaeffer, Lidia Zielińska, and Hanna Kulenty.
He received two 1st prizes at the Andrzej Krzanowski Polish National Competition for Young Composers in Bielsko-Biała for Miniature for clarinet solo (1988) and Three Preludes for clarinet and piano (1990). In 1994 his Cztery liryki miłosne (Four Love Poems) for baritone and piano (1994) won the 1st prize of the 3rd Adam Didur National Composition Competition in Sanok. His Piece for Orchestra (1994-95) received an honourable mention of the Polish Radio Programme 2 Composition Competition in Warsaw in 1996. He also won two 3rd prizes at the Musica Sacra National Composition Competition in Warsaw for Psalm 88 for mixed choir a cappella (1996) and ...similes esse bestiis for mixed choir a cappella (1997). His Ferragosto per tromba, pianoforte e batteria (1997) won the 1st prize of the Tadeusz Baird Competition for Young Composers in Warsaw (1997). Since 1995 Marcel Chyrzyński has been a member of Polish Composers' Union, in 1998 he joined the Association of Authors and Composers ZAIKS and in 2005 – Polish Society for Electroacoustic Music. In the years 2005-07, 2009-11 and 2013-15 he sat on the board of Polish Composers' Union. Since 2014 he has been the director of the International Festival of Krakow Composers. His works were performed in Poland, Austria, Germany, England, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Greece, Kosovo, Romania, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Estonia, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Mexico, USA, Canada, Republic of South Adrica, Slovakia, Belarus, Latvia, and Ukraine as part of the following events: Silesian Days of Contemporary Music (1994, 2000, 2006), Days of Krakow Composer's Music (1995-99, 2002-2003, 2010-2011), MOSAICO Music Festival in Krakow (1995), “Warsaw Autumn” (1996), “Musica Moderna” in Łódź (1997), “Musica Polonica Nova” in Wrocław (1998), Gaude Mater International Festival of Sacred Music in Częstochowa (1997, 1998), Internationale Studienwoche für zeitgenössiche Musik in Hamburg (1995), FIU Music Festival in Miami (2000), 12th Vitebsk Music Festival (2001), 8th International Contemporary Music Festival "Contrasts” in Lviv (2002), the New Music Scene of Prishtina in Kosovo (2003), 4th Festival International de musique en Catalogne in Ceret, France (2004), Cadaques International Festival of Music in Spain (2004), Festival of Polish Music in Krakow (2005, 2006, 2008), UltraSchall Festival für neue Musik in Berlin (2006), New Music New Faces in Krakow (2006), 2nd Festival of World Premieres in Katowice (2007), Sounds New Contemporary Music Festival in Canterbury (2009), ZXZW Festival in Tilburg, the Netherlands (2007, 2010), Focus Music Festival in New York (2011), Poznań Music Spring (2013), 4th International Contemporary Harpsichord Festival in Padua (2013), Festival de Clarinete in Mexico City (2013), Golfstream 6 Festival of Contemporary Music in Kiev (2014), 39th “Music in Old Krakow” Festival (2014), 25th Kiev Music Fest (2014), Sügisfestival in Tallinn (2014), and Cool Capital Biennale in Pretoria (2014).
His compositions Ferragosto per tromba, pianoforte e batteria, Quasi Kwazi I (1994) and Quasi Kwazi II for clarinet solo (1998) were included in the programme of "Dimensions of Time and Silence" - a concert of Polish and Australian music in Sydney in 1998; while Extended Perception of Echo for strings (1992) represented Polish contemporary music at the Midem Classique fair in Cannes (2000).
Marcel Chyrzyński's works are published by PWM Edition and Muzikal Spezial/Edition Ferrimontana (Frankfurt), while the records featuring his music have been released by DUX, PWM-DUX, ZPR Records, Acte Préalable, and the Institute of art. His compositions have also been broadcast in Polish Television and radio stations in Poland, the Netherlands, Finland, Germany, and Australia.
The artist plays clarinet, saxophone, synthesiser, EWI (electronic wind instrument) and noise generators in mch2 – an ensemble he established with Marek Chołoniewski (voice, computer instruments). The duo’s repertoire includes their own electroacoustic and interactive works.