POLISH COMPOSER RAFAŁ KULCZYCKI BRINGS INTIMATE PIANO TO THE CATALOGUE

Our latest Scoring House release is from celebrated Polish Pianist, Arranger, and Composer Rafał Kulczycki. His work combines deep compositional and production expertise with extensive experience connecting music to visual narratives.

‘Silent Horizons‘ is an album of tender, heartfelt solo piano compositions. We spoke with Rafał about this exciting release on The Scoring House label, home to our highly inspired compositions, which brings together a group of virtuosos in the music industry to create timeless works.

Rafał shared what inspired him and how he worked alongside the team at West One to deliver this tender masterpiece of an album. Scroll down to find out more.

• Where did the concept for ‘Silent Horizon’ come from? Did anything in particular inspire you? 

Piano music has been close to me from an early age. The piano has always been my way of expressing feelings and thoughts without words — it is a language of communication in itself.

Silent Horizon grew from the idea of a state of mind where you first disconnect from the constant flow of information, stimuli and dynamics of the modern world. You step away from all the noise and start from silence, allowing yourself to hear your own feelings, thoughts and memories.

Musically, I wanted to create an emotional piano landscape — music that could support and enhance the story being told in a film or documentary without taking it over.

No particular film or image inspired the album. The closest image I have in mind is a horizon over the sea — or perhaps an abstract painting suggesting one. Something completely open and uncluttered, with maybe a single sailboat in the distance, its sail gently moving in the breeze.

While thinking about the story behind Silent Horizon, I noticed a very natural narrative thread that could be reflected in the communication of the album:

Silence → Inner world → Piano as a language → Emotional landscape → Visual storytelling

For me, this is the essence of the album: stepping away from the noise of the modern world, reconnecting with emotions and memories, and creating a piano landscape that supports and enhances visual stories.

• Can you describe your creative process and how you made the album? 

The melody was always the starting point. I spent several months developing the main themes, writing them down and recording ideas on my phone while playing the piano at home.

I would immediately sketch each idea in a music notebook that I received as a birthday present from friends. The pieces gradually took their final shape there. These are not complete scores, but sketches containing all the essential elements of each piece—the main theme, the type of accompaniment, the harmonic progression, and the overall form. The rest is deliberately left open, allowing space for improvisation and spontaneous interpretation.

Once the compositions were ready, I chose an excellent studio with a Steinway piano — Studio S2 at Polish Radio — and worked with the wonderful recording engineer Tadeusz Mieczkowski. We recorded the entire album in a single day.

I mixed the album in my studio in Warsaw and had it mastered in London.

I am extremely happy with the final result. For me, the album’s sound is a real gem — the piano has exactly the depth, intimacy, and richness I was looking for.

• How has your experience been working with West One Music to bring this concept to life?

For me, West One Music is not only a brand — it is, above all, the people behind it. In this case, this collaboration began through Daria and Guido.

Guido connected deeply with the music from my previous album, Non Calm Story, and that emotional response inspired me to create another musical journey — this time written especially for West One Music.

I really appreciate the trust and artistic openness that I experienced throughout the process. It was important for me to feel that the music could remain authentic and personal while also becoming a voice within visual storytelling, supporting emotions and narratives beyond words.

• If you can pick, what is your favourite movie or TV show soundtrack?

If I had to choose one, it would be The Mission by Ennio Morricone.

For me, this soundtrack represents the true power of film music — the ability to express emotions, spirituality and human experience beyond words. Morricone created music that is deeply connected to the story, but also exists as a universal emotional language.

Silent Horizons is now available to download and licence for use in your content worldwide.