Jacek Sobieraj was born in Gdansk, Poland in 1958. He graduated from the Academy of Music in Gdansk with a Master of Music in Choral Conducting. Since very early in his career he has collaborated with theatre and dance companies, creating a large body of incidental music for plays and experimental projects. In Poland he wrote music for Teatr Wybrzeze and, from 1986 until his departure for Greece in 1987, was the Music Director of the famous avant-garde Polski Teatr Instrumentalny (Polish Instrumental Theatre).
In Athens, Greece - where he first emigrated - Jacek Sobieraj was associated with the Contempo-rary Dance Theatre Nafsica, regularly touring with the company across the country. In the sum-mer of 1989 he arrived in Edmonton, Canada and began working for the University of Alberta (Department of Drama) and for Alberta Ballet School (now: Dance Alberta School and Company).
At present Mr. Sobieraj continues his association with the University of Alberta Department of Drama, and collaborates in the capacity of composer and accompanist with a number of Edmon-ton theatres and ballet companies as well as several art programs on elementary educational level. Between 1993 and 2003 Jacek Sobieraj was a Composer-in-Residence on faculty of the Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts Summer School in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, the oldest summer school in North America. His works have been performed in Canada, Poland, Germany, Greece, and the United States.
Among interpreters of his music one should mention such distinguished musicians as cellist Friedrich Gauwerky (Germany), pianists Geert Callaert (Belgium) and Joachim Segger (Canada), saxophonists Charles Stolte (Canada) and Robert Matuszewski (Poland), The Orchestra of Szczecin Opera (Poland), Hermes Ensemble (Belgium), St. Crispin's Chamber Ensemble (Canada), Pro Coro Canada and several leading dance companies including Ballet North and Dance Alberta. He is an Associate Composer of the Canadian Music Centre.
2006