Jagoda Szmytka

Jagoda Szmytka (b. 1982) is a Polish composer and media artist who currently lives in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. She studied composition and music theory with Cezary Duchnowski at the Karol Lipiński University of Music in Wrocław, as well as the history of art and philosophy at the University of Wrocław (2000–05). Szmytka went to Germany for her postgraduate studies under Pierluigi Billone at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz (2007–08), Beat Furrer at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts (2008–10), and Wolfgang Rihm at Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe (2010–12). Her innovative compositions, which often absorbs visual and spatial elements, has been performed by Ensemble Garage, ensemble recherche, Kwartludium, and other prominent European new music groups. Szmytka's music was featured at various international festivals, such as Warsaw Autumn, Wien Modern, Internationale Ferienkurse für Neue Musik, Darmstadt, Musica Polonica Nova, Lucerne Festival, Ultraschall Berlin, Eclat-Festival Stuttgart, and Rheinsberger Musiktage. Szmytka served as a composer-in-residence at La Muse En Circuit and twice at ZKM (2011/2014). Akademie der Künste, Berlin awarded her the Villa Serpentara Scholarship in 2016.