About

Born on May 27, 1992 in Madison, Wisconsin, Julian Baus Pozniak was fascinated by music from a very early age. Frequent attendance as a young child to the Madison Symphony Orchestra, Madison Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and other performance venues, as well as an early music education at his elementary school, fueled what would eventually become a lifelong passion for music. Pozniak began piano lessons at the age of six, and followed with voice lessons only a few years after, continually pursuing both through the end of his college studies. In addition to receiving excellent instruction in practical music, he also benefited from extensive instruction in music history and music theory, eventually fueling his interest in the field of composition.

Upon graduating from high school, Pozniak attended Carleton College for four years in Northfield, Minnesota. While at the highly esteemed midwestern liberal arts college, he passionately pursued his varied and seemingly disparate interests in Political Science and Music, eventually majoring in both fields and striving constantly to bridge the two. It was at this time that his interest in a wide variety of musical influences began to grow, both from his studies and his own personal exploration. Musical influences such as the French Baroque, Indian Classical Music, Medieval and Renaissance polyphony, early Modernism, as well as many others began to color his perspective on music, and pushed him to continue to further study and understand them. In addition to his academic pursuits, he also worked as a student conductor and writing tutor, where he cultivated his interest in working as an educator.

It was at Carleton that Pozniak first began to study composition seriously under the instruction of Dr. Alex Freeman. His first compositions already showed his interest in engaging deeply with music of the past, not merely in an imitative fashion, but through meaningful musical dialogue with musical traditions and composers in the canon of music history. After graduating from Carleton, Pozniak attended the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts where he studied for two years with Dr. Kati Agócs. It was here that he wrote some of his first substantial works, and began to develop a personal style.

Today, Pozniak continues to compose and teach privately in Boston. He enjoys interacting with musicians and fellow composers, as well as talking with and teaching his students in their lessons. Beyond music, his passion for cooking and entertaining provides a balance to his musical life.