Barbara Jazwinski studied composition and theory at the Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw, Poland. She received her M.A. degree in composition and piano from Stanford University and her Ph.D. in composition from the City University of New York. Her teachers included Mario Davidovsky, Andrzej Dobrowolski, Gyorgy Ligeti and John Chowning. Currently, she is Head of the Composition Program at the Newcomb Music Department, Tulane University in New Orleans.
Barbara Jazwinski's music has been heard throughout the United States, Europe, and the Far East. Her compositions were presented at many well-known concert series and festivals including the League of Composers - ISCM, The Koszalin Philharmonic, Polish Music Festival in Montreal, 5th Laboratory of Contemporary Music in Siedlce, Poland, New Music Festival, Edmonton Composers' Concert Society, New York University New Music Ensemble, 6th International Festival of Contemporary Music "Laboratorium", Washington Square Contemporary Music Series, the Fanfare Festival, Gegenwelten Festival (Mannheim - Heidelberg), North/South Consonance, International Festival - 10th Laboratory of Contemporary Music, Warsaw, Poland.
Ms. Jazwinski has been active as a performer, conductor and promoter of contemporary music. Since 1988, she has served as Music Director of Spectri Sonori, an award-winning concert series that specializes in performances of contemporary music. The series has presented over 50 programs thus far and featured over 300 works for a variety of chamber ensembles. The concert series also sponsors the Spectri Sonori International Composition Contest.
Among her awards are the Prince Pierre of Monaco Composition Award for her Sextet, the First Prize in the Nicola De Lorenzo Composition Contest for Music for Chamber Orchestra and a Special Prize awarded by the Polish Composers' Alliance in the First Competition for Improvised Music, Gdansk, Poland. She is the recipient of numerous commissions, grants and fellowships including commissions from the New York University New Music Ensemble, Louisiana Music Teachers Association, Esther Lamneck, Louisiana Sinfonietta, New Hudson Saxophone Quartet, Chamber Music Center at the Composers' Conference at Wellesley College, Quatuor Francis Poulenc, an Artist Fellowship from the Louisiana State Arts Council, grants from the Presser Foundation, Newcomb Foundation, Metzner Foundation, Meet the Composer, Inc., and several others.