Maciej Barabasz was born in Bielsko-Biala, Poland, and attended Karol Szymanowski State School of Music in Torun, Second Level. During that period, he won the second prize at Jazz Juniors in Krakow in 1987, and then first prize at the Pop and Jazz Festival in Elblag in 1988, both while collaborating with Piotr Olszewski, guitarist. After graduation, he moved to Katowice and completed a master’s degree in fine arts in the Department of Jazz and Pop Music. He then moved to Warsaw, where he performed with Bobdan Holownia, Piotr Olszewski, Kazimierz Jonkisz, Joahim Mencel, Adam Snopek, Piotr Cieslikowski.

During his time in Warsaw, he also collaborated with Lubomski na reszcie, for whom he wrote and arranged some music.

In 1991, Maciej emigrated to the United States to further expand his musical vocabulary. He settled in Chicago and briefly studied with Dave Baney and Bobby Broom. Among others, he had the opportunity to work with Robert Shy and Lin Halliday. Currently he works with Jess Birch, Geoff Bradfield, Clark Sommers, Tony Do Rosario, Jeff Morrison, Brian Ritter, Charles Heat, and Phares Whitted. His debut record as a leader, “Hello, Duje, Duje,” consists of six originals written by Maciej and two standards. When performing that program at the Chopin Theater for Zaduszki Jazzowe in Chicago, his group received a very favorable review from Chicago Tribune jazz critic Howard Reich:

“On the other end of the expressive spectrum, the Maciej Barabasz Quartet aspired to a bracing, hard-charging brand of improvisation that emphasized aggressive rhythm, astringent harmonies and nearly free-form melodic lines”

Maciej also occasionally works with Marek Balata, Krzysztof Scieranski, Marcin Zupanski, Robert Szewczuga, Adam Buczek and Arek Skolik. He performed as a guest with legendary Polish jazz group Laboratorium (Janusz Grzywacz, Marek Stryszowski, Krzysztof Scieranski) when they toured in Chicago November 2007 and 2008.