Arkadiusz Kątny (b. 1990) is a Polish composer based in Wrocław. In his work, he connects reflection on sound and perception with the shaping of musical experience, encompassing formally diverse compositions, including large-scale musical forms. His music reflects interests in nature, science, art, and philosophy.
He holds a Doctor of Arts in Music (2021) from the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław, where he studied composition with Prof. Grażyna Pstrokońska-Nawratil (degrees with distinction) and percussion with Prof. Jacek Wota. His education also includes international courses in performance and sound production undertaken in Los Angeles, Warsaw, and Paris. He has received numerous awards, distinctions, and scholarships, including those granted by the Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage, the Minister of Science and Higher Education, the Rector of the Academy of Music in Wrocław, the Mayor of Wrocław, and the Mayor of Ostrów Wielkopolski.
Kątny’s music unfolds through processes of gradual transformation, in which sonic material is continuously reshaped. Layers of sound emerge, overlap, dissolve, and reconfigure, forming organic structures that evolve over time. Spatial relationships play a crucial role: sound circulates among performers and throughout the performance space, shaping the listener’s perception of motion and depth. These ideas are developed in works such as Symphony No. III for Orchestra, Circles – The Imaginary Dream of Nicolaus Copernicus, and Labyrinth, a concerto for marimba and chamber orchestra. Symphony No. III, written as the central artistic component of Kątny’s doctoral research, explores auditory illusions and approaches to shaping sonic space.
Circles – The Imaginary Dream of Nicolaus Copernicus, a work for percussion and spatially arranged mixed choir, was commissioned by the Zürcher Sing-Akademie and Fabian Ziegler and premiered on 5 February 2022 in Zurich, conducted by Florian Helgath. Circles draws the listeners into Copernicus’s dream, confronting them with a shift in perspective. Inspired by the Copernican paradigm shift, the piece unfolds as a non-linear process of perceptual reorientation. Related concerns appear in Labyrinth, written in homage to Krzysztof Penderecki and realized as part of an MKiDN scholarship (2022), in which continuity and transformation are articulated through the relationship between soloist and ensemble.
Kątny’s works have been presented across Europe, Asia, South America, and the United States by ensembles such as the Zürcher Sing-Akademie and the Croatian Radio and Television Choir, and performed by leading international percussion soloists, including Katarzyna Myćka, Conrado Moya, Fabian Ziegler, Filip Merčep, Ivana Kuljerić Bilić, Svet Stoyanov, Shoko Sakai, and Scotty Horey.
A significant part of his output is devoted to percussion music, including Chain, a cycle of six works for two marimbas (premiered in its entirety at the Folkwang Universität der Künste Essen, 2025), and Fireworks Free Fall for three marimbas, premiered at the PASIC – Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Indianapolis (2013). Other works exploring color and sonic organicity include Mosaic for marimba and electronics (MKiDN scholarship, 2017), The Four Colors of the Year for piano (MKiDN scholarship, 2020), Wrofonia, an electroacoustic work (Mayor of Wrocław Scholarship, 2020), as well as music for theatre. His percussion works are published by Norsk Musikkforlag A/S (Norway). He has been a composer-in-residence at Humboldt State University (USA) and at the Folkwang Universität der Künste Essen (Germany) as part of the International Katarzyna Myćka Marimba Academy (IKMMA).
Kątny’s compositional thought extends into electroacoustic composition and immersive sound production, where he works with both analog and digital synthesizers. In 2025, he participated in the Mix With The Masters – Dolby Atmos Masterclass led by Alan Meyerson in Paris. His electroacoustic works have been presented at the festivals Musica Polonica Nova (2014) and Musica Electronica Nova (2015) in Wrocław. In his most recent work, BLUE. HEAT. OVERHEAT. (2025), an electroacoustic triptych inspired by global warming and the transformation of our planet, the sonic structure becomes a carrier of an ethical stance, creating a space for reflection and dialogue. The project was realized within the framework of the National Recovery Plan (NextGenerationEU).
Alongside his work in contemporary concert music, he explores the space between his classical background and electronic music. This practice focuses on sound, texture, and process, extending his compositional thinking into the electronic realm. An album recorded on analog synthesizers is scheduled for release on digital platforms later this year.
BLUE. HEAT. OVERHEAT. (2025)
World Premiere – digital – of the new work BLUE. HEAT. OVERHEAT.
National Recovery Plan | Republic of Poland | Funded by the European Union NextGenerationEU Investment A.2.5.1 | Programme supporting the activities of entities in the cultural sector and creative industries aimed at stimulating their development Scholarship 2025 – Development and enhancement of digital, compositional, and artistic competencies in the field of music production, technology, and digital tools. Production of the work Blue. Heat. Overheat., inspired by the transformation of the planet.
CHAIN I-VI PREMIERE
World Premiere The complete cycle CHAIN I–VI for two marimbas by Arkadiusz Kątny
Live at Pina Bausch Theater Folkwang Universität der Künste, Essen, Germany 09.09.2025 · 19.30
Performed by: Katarzyna Myćka · Conrado Moya · Filip Merčep · Ayane Kishida
11th International Katarzyna Myćka Marimba Academy IKMMA 2025
THE POINT OF NO RETURN
Single from the new upcoming album
Available July 19, 2024
on all major streaming platforms
CIRCLES performed by Zürcher Sing-Akademie, Fabian Ziegler – Percussion, Florian Helgath – Conductor
Listen to Arkadiusz Kątny
on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3DlOD…
on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/pl/artist/ark…
on Amazon Music: https://amazon.com/music/player/artis…
on Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/artist/25867…
on Deezer: https://deezer.page.link/hqxYAF4HZXbR…
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Contact: info (at) arkadiuszkatny.com
Arkadiusz is currently based in Wrocław, Poland