About

Mira Opalińska is a unique and captivating pianist, with a style that’s hard to pin down. Reconciling a classical foundation, ever-curious spirit, and natural flair for spontaneity in improvisation, her music belies categorisation.

A prodigious talent, the Polish-born Opalińska gave her first major solo performance in Rzeszów Philharmonic Hall aged eleven. Laureate of many international piano competitions, her formative years saw her take to the European concert and competition platform, with broadcasts on radio and television (TVP Polonia, TVP Rzeszów).

At the turn of the millennium, participation in the fortnight-long Jazz Workshop in Puławy reinforced Opalińska’s growing interest in improvisation. Following an extended period of independent study in Katowice with workshop leader Wojciech Niedziela, the teenage Opalińska accepted a place in Poland’s most prestigious jazz department at Bednarska College of Music, Warsaw, studying with Andrzej Jagodziński.

Opalińska moved to Scotland in 2006, continuing her musical studies at Strathclyde University, Glasgow, and graduating in 2010 with first class honours. Her arrival in the UK gave way to a highly active period of European and international touring (UK, Germany, Poland, China, Japan), as well as numerous broadcasts on national radio (BBC Scotland) and television (BBC Four). Particularly noteworthy among her activities at this time: Opalińska’s quartet opened for ECM artist Tomasz Stańko, ultimately leading to a collaboration and tour with Stańko’s Finnish drummer Olavi Louhivuori—a project generously supported by the Polish Cultural Institute and Polish Consulate.

Mira continues to draw on her grounding in both classical and jazz disciplines, making regular appearances at home and abroad. Among her ongoing projects is a probing chamber jazz duo with British bassist Douglas Whates whose 2012 debut recording, Lumière, was released to wide critical acclaim. Fused with an acute awareness of space and texture, her approach in this context bears echoes of her first great influence, Bill Evans, with critics drawing comparisons to stylistically elusive artists such as Paul Bley.

2016 brought about a return to her classical roots, in particular the rediscovery and further exploration of J.S. Bach, culminating in the 2017 recording of that most challenging of keyboard works, Goldberg Variations.

In the Autumn of 2021 Opalińska started studying and working with the Taubman Approach under the guidance of her mentor and Master Teacher, Deren Eryilmaz, in London (UK). Currently she is preparing her submission for Taubman Teacher Training led by the Golandsky Institute, New York. Participant of Golandsky Institute's Symposiums, Masterclasses and Workshops upgrading her teaching skills and knowledge to provide high class tuitions for her students in Glasgow area.

In April 2023 Mira began her new solo project recording "Cat's Songs - 17 Haikus for Piano" composed by world class Polish drummer Bartłomiej Oleś (Oles Brothers). The seventeen little pieces are kept in an Ambient/Modern Classical vain and are due to be released later this year.

Press

"A revelation: To Trzaskowski... Komeda... Makowicz... Możdżer... Wasilewski... continue the line with Mira Opalińska"
—Jazzwise founding editor, Stephen Graham

"Absolutely beautiful."
—BBC Radio Scotland

"Technically very able—she plays classical recitals as well as jazz—she solos without any grand displays of technique, preferring clear, melodic developments of the original themes and a refined choice of notes."
—The Herald (Rob Adams)