Pianist, vocalist and composer. Born on 26 April 1959 in Żory.

Stanisław Soyka is a graduate of The State Music School in Gliwice in the class of the violin, of the Secondary Music School in Katowice and the Faculty of Arrangement and Composition at the Academy of Music in Katowice. He was singing as a soprano in cathedral chorus in Gliwice. In 1978 he made his debut with the recital in the National Philharmonic Hall in Warsaw in relation with the cycle "Jazz in Philharmonic Hall". His first album Don't you cry was a live recording. In 1981 there was the record Blublula including such standards as I'm just a lucky so and so by Duke Ellington or Naima by John Coltrane. In 1981 the album was appreciated as "The jazz record of the year". Soyka took part in many festivals: "All Stars Jazz Fest" - Stockholm, "Umbria Jazz" - Perugia, "Nancy Jazz Festival". In 1986 he signed contract with German branch of RCA Records for whom he recorded his first author's album Stanisław Sojka. In 1988 he started cooperating with guitarist Janusz "Yanina" Iwański - co-author of the charismatic group Tie Break. In 1995 his 15th longplay Retrospekcja was recorded. As many in the past it is the live recording again and contains his best hits composed during last 10 years. In 1995 together with the writer Maciej Słomczyński he recorded the album Soyka Sings W. Shakespeare Sonnets. In 1996-2002 he recorded such albums as Polskie Pieśni Wielkopostne or Sztuka Błądzenia. In 2003 he composed and recorded music to the lyrics of Tryptyk Rzymski written by the Pope John Paul II, which was presented on November 4, 2003 during solemn concert for the name-day of John Paul II in Vatican. He is a member of the formation Haiku Fristajl.

Projects:

• Haiku Fristajl
• Soyka-Yanina
• With the writer Maciej Słomczyński - Soyka Sings W. Shakespeare Sonnets

Selected discography:

Stanisław Soyka:

• Do Not Cry (Poljazz 1979)
• Blublula (Polskie Nagrania 1981)
• Stanislaw Soyka (RCA 1986)
• Retrospekcja. Koncert. Kraków (Pomaton EMI 1995)
• Soyka Sings Shakespeare's Sonnets (Pomaton EMI 1999)
• Polskie Pieśni Wielkopostne (Pomaton EMI 2001)
• Tryptyk Rzymski (Pomaton EMI 2003)
• Blublula (Polskie Nagrania Muza 2005)

With the band Soyka-Yanina

• In Concert (Polton 1990)
• Neopositive (ESA 001 1992)
• Live In Remont (ESA 006 2CD 1993)

Author: Marek Romański, January 2009