Adam Bałdych & Leszek Możdżer are two of the best-known Polish musicians and composers on the scene today. They have teamed up for the first time to create Passacaglia. A blending of jazz and classical music, the record comprises mostly original compositions by either artist. It also has three reinterpretations of works from composers that span a millennium: early 20th-century post-romantic French composer Eric Satie, 11th-century Benedictine abbess Hildegard von Bingen, and 15th-century High Renaissance French composer, Josquin des Prez. Bałdych hews to tradition by playing a Renaissance violin. It’s an unconventional mix to be sure, but very engaging. For fans of strings and piano, it’s a sublime journey through the ages.

Adam Baldych has been playing the violin since age nine, eventually studying at the Institute of Jazz and Popular Music at Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music and later at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Considered a prodigy, his reputation was already growing before his formal studies. He’s played at top music festivals including Montreux Jazz and London Jazz. A winner of many prestigious awards, Baldych has released several solo works and collaborated with musicians like Piotr Żaczek, Jarosław Śmietana, and Iiro Rantala.

Pianist Leszek Możdżer began his musical odyssey even earlier, at age five. He studied at the Academy of Music in Gdańsk and has won multiple awards and competitions, beginning with the 1992 Jazz Juniors at age 21. Well-known beyond jazz circles, he’s worked with film composers Jan AP Kaczmarek and Zbigniew Preisner. He’s appeared in several documentaries and feature films. Other collaborations include projects and performances with Phil Manzarea, Marcus Miller, Pat Metheny, David Gilmour, and many others.