jazz-news
Rabih Abou-Khalil and Henryk Miśkiewicz Honored at Poland's Grand Prix Jazz Melomani
Lebanese oud player Rabih Abou-Khalil received the Grand Prix of Europe and saxophonist Henryk Miśkiewicz was named Artist of the Year at the 34th Grand Prix Jazz Melomani gala, held Oct. 30 at the Grand Theatre in Łódź, Poland.
Lebanese-born oud player and composer Rabih Abou-Khalil and Polish saxophonist and clarinetist Henryk Miśkiewicz were among the winners at the 34th Grand Prix Jazz Melomani gala, Poland's annual jazz awards now in their 34th edition. The gala, which presented the awards for 2025, took place on Friday, Oct. 30, at the Grand Theatre (Teatr Wielki) in Łódź and was organized by the Melomani Jazz Association.
Abou-Khalil received the Grand Prix of Europe, presented by the Marshal of the Łódź Region, and also performed with his group, which featured violinist Mateusz Smoczyński, cellist and guitarist Krzysztof Lenczowski and drummer Jarrod Cogwin. Abou-Khalil grew up in Beirut and moved to Munich in 1978 during Lebanon's civil war, according to the regional daily Dziennik Łódzki, and his music combines Arabic traditions with elements of classical music and jazz.
Miśkiewicz was named Artist of the Year, chosen from a shortlist that also included singer Aga Zaryan and trumpeter Piotr Schmidt, according to Radio Łódź. Bassist Michał Barański took Album of the Year, an award announced only during the gala. Saxophonist Andrzej Olejniczak received the lifetime achievement award.
Pianist and composer Mateusz Kaszuba won the Hope of the Melomani prize for emerging artists, ahead of nominees Ignacy Wendt and the Kraków band Omasta, and Maciej Karłowski was named Jazz Journalist of the Year.
Two local honors had been announced before the ceremony. The Mayor of Łódź's award for the best Łódź jazz musician went to Big Band Fabryka, an orchestra founded in 2016 and now led by Maciej Pawłowski, whose members include players from the Łódź Philharmonic and the city's opera and music theaters. Polish Radio Łódź's Jazz Pearl of Łódź, named after Dariusz Szewczyk, for the Event of the Year went to the INTL International Jazz Platform, organized by the Wytwórnia Foundation.
The evening opened with a set by pianist, composer and conductor Hania Derej and her trio, with bassist Mateusz Szewczyk, drummer Gniewomir Tomczyk and guest saxophonist Michał Kobojek. The gala was hosted by Agnieszka Holwek and Jerzy Szczerbakow and streamed on the association's website.
This year's ceremony was the first held after the death of Ireneusz Kowalewski, who founded the awards and led the Melomani association for many years, Dziennik Łódzki noted.