Born on 5 September 1970 in Wolsztyn. He graduated from Mieczysław Karłowicz High School of Music in Poznań in the trumpet class (1989), then from the Singing School in Poznań (1992), and finally from the I.J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań, where he attended the singing class at the Faculty of Jazz and Popular Music (2017). Since 2000, he has been involved with the Roma Music Theatre in Warsaw and has participated in the following shows: Miss Saigon, Grease, Cats, Dance of the Vampires, Singin’ in the Rain, Ale Musicale, Mamma Mia and Piloci.  He has given many solo recitals and concerts, accompanied by his own multi-instrumental combo and many Polish philharmonic orchestras. He is a session singer who records and works with artists such as Irena Santor, Ewa Bem, Maryla Rodowicz, Ryszard Rynkowski, Andrzej Zaucha, Zbigniew Wodecki, etc. He has sung in many television shows: Taniec z gwiazdami (Dancing with the Stars), Jak oni śpiewają, Tylko nas dwoje, Idol and, Zacisze gwiazd. He has often participated in the largest popular music festivals in Poland (Opole, Sopot, Top Trendy, etc.). In 2008, he performed solo parts of John Lord’s symphonic project. John Lord is an outstanding Hammond organ player and co-founder of the legendary British rock group Deep Purple.
In 2010, Jacek Kotlarski played one of the leading roles in the Swing musical staged at the Capitol Music Theatre in Wrocław. On 8 May 2011, he performed in one of the most prestigious concert halls in the world, Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto, Canada, and sang arias from Oratorium Miłosierdzie Boże by Zbigniew Małkowicz. In the spring of 2012, he released his first original solo album co-produced by Krzysztof Herdzin, a pianist, arranger and composer. The album was called Nigdy nie jest za późno and was published by Polish Radio. He was also featured on 11 albums by artists such as Krzysztof Herdzin, Filp Sojka, Michał Grott and Dawid Lubowicz. Since 2016, he has been a vocal instructor of soloists from the Roma Musical Theatre and prepared them for roles in shows such as Mamma Mia, Last Five Years, Piloci, Once and Robinson Crusoe. One year later he started to teach Musical Style at the Faculty of Singing and Acting of the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw.