A Tribute to the Late Professor Rafał Zapała

It is with profound sadness that we announce the untimely passing of Professor

Rafał Zapała

academic teacher, composer, avant-garde artist, improviser, social activist and generous mentor. His ambition was to express the inexpressible.

His sudden death has left us heartbroken, but his personality and his music will forever resonate in our memory and beyond. Some say that nobody is irreplaceable, but Rafał Zapała was. And we still cannot believe in the past tense.

Our deepest condolences go to his family, friends, colleagues, and all whose lives he touched.

The community of the I.J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań

The memorial service is set for Friday, July 25, 2025, 1 p.m., at the Junikowo Municipal Cemetery, ul. Grunwaldzka 305, Poznań, Poland.
The service will be followed by a tribute to the late Professor Zapała, performed by his friends and colleagues from the Academy (app. 2.30 p.m., the I.J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań).