Bronek Suchanek

Trained at a conservatory in his native country of Poland, Bronek performed throughout Europe, including such venues as the Montreux and North Sea (Holland) jazz festivals. He moved to Sweden in 1975 and became a citizen in 1982. In 1990 he moved to the USA and became a citizen in 2004. Since his arrival in Boston, he has become one of the most sought-after bassists in New England.

Bronek has been artist faculty in double bass at the University of Southern Maine since 1994, and at the University of New Hampshire since 2016. Other teaching includes a master class for Bednarska School of Music in Poland (2008, 2009, 2015); jazz courses at the Summer Jazz Academy in Karakow and Pulawy, Poland (2006, 2007, 2008); private instructor for the Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra bassists (2005, 2006); jazz courses for Farmington Jazz Camp in Maine (1994, 1995); jazz courses and ensembles at Power House Improvisation School in Orebro, Sweden (1975, 1976, 1977); and jazz courses and ensembles at the International Jazz Workshop in Chodzieź, Poland (1971-1975, 1984, 1987, 1989, 2006).

Equally at home with classical music as with jazz, Bronek has performing experience with the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra (1991-1993); the Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra (2001-2004); New Bedford Symphony Orchestra (2003-2023); and the Great Bay Philharmonic Orchestra (2022-2023). He has supported artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Pinchas Zukerman, Simone Porter, Alexander Schimpf, Lauri Pora, Dimitri Berlinsky, Joyce Yang, and Mark Kaplan.

His jazz performances include performing with the Artie Shaw orchestra under the direction of Dick Johnson and Buddy DeFranco; the Woody Herman big band under the direction of Frank Tiberi, the Benny Goodman Tribute Band under the direction of Everett Longstreth, Kenny Hadley Big Band and the John Almark Orchestra. Bronek has performed as a sideman with artists such as Rebecca Paris, Amanda Carr, James Williams, Alan Dawson, Herb Pomeroy, Joe Puma, and Chris Potter. He has performed at the Newport Jazz Festival 2005, Montreal Jazz Festival 2010, 2011, Jazz Festival in Krakow 2005, 2006, 2007, Wrocław 2018, Kalisz, Poland, 2019, Jazz Festival in Bochum, Germany 2019. He has toured in Taiwan, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Turkey, and the USA.

Between 1975 and 1990 in Sweden, Bronek performed and recorded with Okay Temiz “Oriental Wind,” Rune Carlsson “Birka Jazz Group,” Per Henrik Wallin Trio, Swedish Radio Jazz Group under the direction of George Russell, GAP German American Polish Group featuring Benny Bailey. He was bassist with the Royal Dramatic Theater of Sweden, performed as a sideman with artists such as Don Cherry, Thad Jones, Pepper Adams, Sir Roland Hanna, Mal Waldron, Jerome Richardson, Joe Newman, Doug Raney, Willy Cook, Bobo Stenson, Bernt Rosengren. He toured in Europe and performed at JVC North Sea, Montreux, Berlin, and Warsaw jazz festivals.

Between 1968 and 1975 in Poland, Bronek performed with the Silesian Jazz Quartet, Tomasz Stańko Quintet, Mieczysław Kosz Trio, Zbigniew Namysłowski Quintet and Quartet. He has accompanied artists such as Michael Urbaniak, Zbigniew Seifert, Adam Makowicz, Art Farmer, and Stu Martin. In March 2018, he performed with the Bronek Suchanek Trio at the Jazz nad Odra Festival in Poland, receiving a silver medal for Merit to Culture “Gloria Artis” from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.