Julianna Kamila Siedler - Smuga
juliannasiedler.pl
Polish percussionist, marimbist, performer, improviser, music producer. Her main interests focus on contemporary, experimental music, percussion theatre and new music for marimba. Her main artistic goal is to promote and develop contemporary, socially involved, marimba music, mainly written by Polish composers. She commissioned and premiered many Polish works written for her by inter alia: Marta Sniady, Kuba Krzewinski, Nina Fukuoka, Artur Zagajewski, Piotr Peszat, Pawel Malinowski.
Julianna's Adams Gear
Julianna performed at many international contemporary music and improvised music festivals inter alia: Warsaw Autumn Festival, Ad Libitum Improvised Music Festival, Umami Berlin, Musica Privata, Nove Hudby Plus, Agora Percussio, Poznan Music Spring, Mozg Festival Bydgoszcz, Scena Robocza Lodz, Audio Art Festival, Krakow International Composers Festival, Theodor Milkov Summer Camp, Online Mallets Festival, Doctors in Performance.
She obtained her Master degree in disciplines: classical percussion (with the highest distinction - Academy of Music in Lodz), marimba podium (Royal Conservatory in Antwerp - dr Ludwig Albert, dr Chin Cheng Lin), percussion theater (with distinction - LUCA School of Arts Leuven - dr Chin Cheng Lin). In 2011 she get an Erasmus scholarship in Royal Conservatory in Brussels (Gert Francois, Bart Quartier, Bart Bouckaert). During years Julianna attended many masterclasses led by interalia: Keiko Abe, Jean Geoffroy, Nebojsa J. Živkovic, Katarzyna Mycka, Marta Klimasara, Emmanuel Sejourne, Tchiki Duo, Shoko Sakai, Antonio Caggiano, Nanae Mimura, Seung Myeong Oh). In 2017 she obtained doctoral degree in Performing Arts (Percussion), her work was about contemporary / the newest Polish music for marimba. In 2021 she graduated in Music Production Course based on Ableton Live and in 2023 she graduated Mix & Mastering course.
Out of performing activity, Julianna is creating music for theater and choreographic performances. She is a versatile artist, but her main subject of interest is contemporary music and chamber music.
In 2014 – 2017 with Amber Tzu – Chun Chen Julianna was working in marimba duo - Equilibri Duo. And from 2017 to 2023 she established only one Polish female percussion / marimba duo - Dalbergia Duo with Anna Rutkowska, which received several awards: April 2018 - 1st Prize at International Master Competition for Music Teachers in Warsaw and recommendation Polish Music Foundation for outstanding interpretation of Polish works; December 2018 2nd Prize in Chamber Music category at International North Music Competition Stockholm; in 2019 2nd Prize at IMKA Music Competition Sarajevo (chamber music category).
Julianna recorded several CD’s as a member of orchestra or chamber music groups, the most important was for her debut CD of Dalbergia Duo - “Roots” (2019) with Polish music for two marimbas, which get great reviews from music critics.
As a soloist Julianna took a part in national and international performing competitions: in 2013 she was semifinalist at International Marimba Competition in Opole, in 2013 she was delegated to YAMAHA Scholarship Competition by director of Academy of Music in Lodz and in 2014 she get through pre eliminations to International Marimba Competition in Bamberg.
For many years Julianna was working with many Polish orchestras, inter alia: Musicae Antiquae Collegium Varsoviense, Polish Sinfonia Iuventus Orchestra, Artur Rubinstein Philharmonic Orchestra in Lodz, Polish Camerata Chamber Orchestra (main timpanist), Sinfonia Varsovia, Baltic Opera Orchestra, Wroclaw Baroque Opera Orchestra, Grand Theater Orchestra in Lodz, Polish Radio Symphonic Orchestra Warsaw and Polish Royal Opera Orchestra. She worked with many illustrious conductors, performed various repertoire from classical music, jazz music and contemporary music.
From 2015 Julianna is a member of International Marimba Association - Marimba Festiva, in which she is active as an organizer and lecturer of Marimba Meetings and she is an Office and Promotion Manager at International Katarzyna Mycka Marimba Academy (IKMMA) from 2019.
From 2020 she became an Artist Endorser of Adams Percussion and Schlagkraft Mallets as Dalbergia Duo. Julianna is working also as a percussion / marimba teacher in Warsaw district. In 2024 she opened her own artistic space - “Between the bars” for private teaching and new music creation.
From academic year 2024/2025 Julianna started cooperation as a lecturer with percussion class at The Grazyna and Kiejstut Bacewicz Academy of Music in Lodz. Also she started a cooperation with contemporary music art space - Hashtag Lab in Warsaw and musicians from Hashtag Ensemble - one of the most popular contemporary music ensembles in Poland.