Anna Rutkowska
Anna Rutkowska, DMA, is a talented and open-minded Polish marimbist and percussion artist with a huge desire and determination for discovering new fields of music.
She graduated with honors from the instrumental department at Academy of Music in Cracow, Poland (2009), and it was a starting point of her career. Anna has had a chance to work with great people from contemporary marimba and percussion world like: Keiko Abe, Theodor Milkov, Jean Geoffroy, William Moersch, Fumito Nunoya, Marta Klimasara, Peter Prommel, Katarzyna Mycka, John Beck, Tchiki Duo, Ramon Lormans, Vincent Houdijk, Mitch Markovitch, Ricardo Flores, Nippy Noya.
Anna Rutkowska's Adams gear
In 2017, having completed Doctoral Studies at the Academy of Music in Cracow, she received the academic Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Fine Arts for the doctoral dissertation on the influence of culture, traditions and arts of Japan on the works for marimba solo and chamber marimba music by Japanese composers: Keiko Abe, Minoru Miki, and Akira Miyoshi.
In 2009, as the Laureate of the XII International Competition of Contemporary Chamber Music in Cracow, (Poland) Anna Maria directed her main focus on solo and chamber marimba performance.
She performed at many contemporary and percussion festivals in Poland including “Warsaw Autumn” (Warsaw, Poland), “Sources and Inspirations”, “Audio Art”, “International Festival of Krakow Composers” (Cracow, Poland), and also took part in numerous concerts across Europe, like in Germany “BeethovenFest” (Bonn), Switzerland “KALIMA” (Lausanne), and the Netherlands “Uitgast” (Lelystad), and “Percussion Friends Chamber Music Academy” (Amsterdam), „AMPA” Festival in Tilburg, Netherlands & „Percufest” Costa Rica.
Anna Rutkowska was a member of the ensembles “Mallet Collective Amsterdam”, “SiXeN”, “Naga Drums” and “Anka Ujma Quartet”. Since 2017 Anna Rutkowska has been a member and co-founder of Dalbergia Duo, a marimba ensemble. This experimental duo, formed with Julianna Siedler Smuga, focuses on promoting marimba music worldwide. In their repertoire one can find both new and classical music arranged for two marimbas. The duo has collaborated with Gordon Stout, Marta Ptaszynska, Artur Zagajewski, Karol Osman, Marta Sniady, Pawel Malinowski, Bartosz Kowalski and Marcin Blazewicz.
In 2019 Dalbergia Duo released their concept album ROOTS/Korzenie, devoted to Polish music written and arranged for two marimbas, available on streaming platforms and in a collector’s edition.
In 2022, Anna Rutkowska began a collaboration with world-famous improviser, jazz saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Wlodzimierz “KINIOR” Kiniorski. Rutkowska and Kiniorski perform together as TRANCE CEREMONY, a minimal, eclectic band. In 2024, they released their first album devoted to the trance idea in music, combining jazz, electronic and ethnic influences. Thanks to this project, Anna became a composer and songwriter, expanding into jazz improvisation on marimba and other keyboard instruments. In February 2024 the album Trance Ceremony was released (streaming platforms) and has already reached a wide audience while touring Europe and Costa Rica. The album is full of percussion sounds and sweet affirmations of freedom.
Anna also performs in KINIOR SKY ORCHESTRA playing keyboards, marimba and Pearl Mallet Station, and has recently performed alongside jazz giant Michal Urbaniak, Antoni “Ziut” Gralak, Krzysztof Popek and contemporary artist and composer Krzysztof Knittel. Anna has brought marimba to the next level, introducing the instrument to alternative, electro and jazz stages.
The spectrum of Anna’s marimba repertoire varies from solo pieces and chamber music to concertos for marimba and orchestra. Her classical touch and inner fire create a unique blend of impressions and expressions experienced in her stage performances.