2nd Prize
Mikołaj Kostka is a graduate of the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice. He is a co-founder of Raczkowski/Kostka Duo and the leader of the band Follow Dices, winner of the 13th Hanza Jazz Festival and distinguished at the Blue Note Poznań Competition 2017. He made his recording debut with both ensembles in 2018.
The albums “Duo” (Raczkowski/Kostka Duo) and “Eternal Colors” (Follow Dices), released by the independent label SJ Records, received excellent reviews from Polish critics and were promoted during nationwide concert tours, including performances at festivals such as Warsaw Summer Jazz Festival, Jazz Jantar in Gdańsk, Summer Jazz Academy in Łódź, Slot Art Festival in Lubiąż, Moja Muzyka, and JazzZamek in Poznań.
The latest Follow Dices album, “Czułość” (2023), was released independently and gained recognition both in Poland and abroad. The project was promoted, among others, as part of the prestigious Jazz Po Polsku series at the Jassmine club in Warsaw.
He is also a member of the Michał Salamon Quintet, with whom he recorded the album “Lion’s Gate,” and co-creator of the Kostka/Garbowski/Gradziuk Trio, which performed at the Singer Jazz Festival in Warsaw. He is involved in the project Petersson_Kostka DIALOGUE, creating music inspired by the paintings of Zdzisław Beksiński, as well as in Magdalena Pamuła’s trio established under the auspices of Zygmunt Konieczny and performing at the legendary Piwnica pod Baranami.
Kostka is also a member of the klezmer ensemble Klezmoret, which released the album “The Mystery of Light” (2022), promoted at festivals such as Zbliżenia in Gdańsk and the International Accordion Festival in Sulęczyno.
He has performed solo concerts in France, Sweden, and Latvia with the project Concert of Independence, as well as in Portugal with the Częstochowa Philharmonic Orchestra. He also participated in the 34th International Tango Festival in Granada with the Tango Polacco ensemble, performing famous Polish interwar tangos. Additionally, he debuted at the Simcha Festival in Wrocław with the Sephardic music project Alma Sefardi.