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A graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Poznań, musician (hurdy-gurdy, accordion, shepherd’s flutes, Jew’s harp, piano), singer, dancer, performer, composer, director, and educator. Co-founder of renowned Polish folk bands, creator of independent artistic and theatrical projects, participant in international ventures.
He researches forgotten traditions of itinerant singers (beggar songs), conducts educational activities, engages in experimental music, and composes for theatre and film.
His musical path is rooted in the traditions of Poland and Eastern Europe. Jacek is one of the first and most important figures in the revival of traditional culture in Poland. Learning at the source from rural masters, complemented by in-depth archival research, and on the other hand experience in contemporary art and relentless creativity, allow him to continue creating vibrant and compelling artistic work that appeals to modern audiences.
For years he has been searching for the most intriguing and most archaic forms of dance, music, and craftsmanship.
Drawing on his experience, he works with small communities to foster “archaic” forms of integration through shared singing, dance, and ritual. He restores a sense of belonging to a group that is not tied to nationality or religion.
The other pole of his artistic activity is the fusion of tradition with a contemporary artistic language. He experiments extensively in theatre, invited by some of the most interesting Polish directors to create musical imagery.
He is the founder of the Poznań House of Dance (Dom Tańca), which he has been running since 2000. Together with his wife, Alicja Choromańska-Hałas (Kapela Hałasów), they traveled for many years across Europe with a traditional yurt, presenting the results of their explorations and projects carried out in collaboration with artists from around the world (Cultural Nomads). Together with their four now-adult children, they create the Family Orchestra and the Noiseband Theatre.
Jacek Hałas’s music can be found on more than 40 releases, three of which were ranked among the best folk albums in Poland: Muzykanci (1999, 2011), Transkapela (2005), and Jacek Hałas solo (2007). As a composer, he has written theatre music for over 60 stage productions and radio plays. He is also the recipient of several industry awards (including the Two Theatres Festival and the New Tradition Festival), as well as the Marshal of the Greater Poland Voivodeship Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement in 2024.