From a purely aesthetic (and artistic) point of view I have been especially interested in two things - creating the “inexistent” and transforming “worlds”, and also in consolidating what is invisible to the human eye, or what is inaudible to the human ear. But music should never be only a mirror reflecting reality just as we see it. It has ever been a window that opens up only to the artistic imagination. Besides many other factors, this window should in my view have one essential part: the ever-changing Improvisation – a somewhat overlooked subject but absolutely essential in the process of creating rather than just regurgitating. (Alicja Smietana) Born in 1983 in Krakow, Poland, Alicja Smietana, winner of numerous competitions and awards, performs works from Bach to Contemporary music with - what was described by San Francisco Chronicle as “Extraordinary brilliance and sensibility...”