Marcel Chyrzyński among the winners of the 60th ZAiKS Awards

On April 25, 2026, the Society of Authors ZAiKS presented its 60th annual Awards to outstanding creators and promoters who have significantly supported Polish culture. Among the representatives of the music community, the laureates included Prof. Marcel Chyrzyński, PhD – President of the Krakow branch of the Polish Composers' Union, Prof. Paweł Gusnar, PhD, and Maestro Adam Sztaba.

Marcel Chyrzyński received the award "for the promotion of Polish contemporary music." Since 2014, the composer has served as the General and Artistic Director of the Krakow International Festival of Composers. He has also been a member of the Society of Authors ZAiKS since 1998. Chyrzyński’s pieces have been performed at numerous festivals worldwide by distinguished musicians. Between 2014 and 2019, he worked as the Director of the Institute of Composition, Conducting, and Music Theory at the Academy of Music in Krakow. He has been a guest lecturer at universities in Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Slovakia, the United States, and Italy, as well as at international composition courses in Takefu, Japan, and the Seoul International Music Festival in South Korea.

Saxophonist Paweł Gusnar was also honored with the ZAiKS Award "for the promotion of Polish contemporary music." He leads the saxophone class at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, where he also served as Vice-Rector from 2016 to 2024. He has been a guest professor at the Academy of Music in Łódź and the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music in Hangzhou. He is the founder of the Warsaw Saxophone Orchestra. His versatile career bridges the worlds of classical, jazz, and popular music. His accolades include six "Fryderyk" Awards and the Pizzicato Supersonic Award.

Adam Sztaba—composer, pianist, conductor, arranger, and music producer—received the Award "for the popularization of Polish popular music." He serves as the musical director for major television projects (including Idol and Dancing with the Stars). He has collaborated with numerous Polish and international stars, such as Quincy Jones, Chris Botti, Michael Bolton, José Carreras, and José Cura.

The entire event was overseen by Miłosz Bembinow, President of the Society of Authors ZAiKS and a member of the Polish Composers' Union. During the award ceremony, he was joined by ZAiKS Vice-President Ferid Lakhdar and the Chairman of the Society’s Council, Janusz Fogler. Distinguished guests in attendance included Beata Bolesławska-Lewandowska, President of the Polish Composers' Union, and Jerzy Kornowicz, Director of the "Warsaw Autumn" International Festival of Contemporary Music.

More information: https://zaiks.org.pl/artykuly/2026/marzec/nagrody-zaiks-u