Born in 1982 in Legnica, she studied art history and philosophy at the University of Wrocław (1999–2005), music theory and composition with Krystian Kiełb, and electroacoustic composition with Cezary Duchnowski at the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław (2004–7). In 2007–12 she completed postgraduate studies in composition with Pierluigi Billone, Beat Furrer, Gerhard Müller-Hornbach, and Wolfgang Rihm, respectively at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz, University of Music and Performing Arts in Frankfurt am Main, and the University of Music in Karlsruhe. She is currently working on her PhD at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. 

Over the last ten years, Jagoda Szmytka has given guest lectures on composing with sounds, images and objects, the referentiality and spatiality of music and its social impact, at academic centres such as the Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, and Krzysztof Penderecki Academy of Music in Cracow. She has also been invited to participate in numerous symposia and conferences organised, among others, by the Mozarteum in Salzburg and the INMM in Darmstadt. Szmytka has translated texts on composition technique, among others by Kaija Saariaho, Gérard Grisey, and Tristan Murail. 

Jagoda Szmytka has been active as a composer since 2007. Since then, her music has been commissioned and programmed by festivals and institutions such as the Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera, Warsaw Autumn, Musica Polonica Nova, Musica Electronica Nova, Sacrum Profanum, Audio Art, Kody, Wien Modern, Musiktheatertage Wien, Lucerne Festival, Akademie der Künste Berlin, Tonhalle Düsseldorf, Villa Musica Mainz, Ultraschall, ECLAT (Stuttgart), GLOBALE (Karlsruhe), Acht Brücken, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Fondation Royaumont, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Gaida, Gaudeamus, SPOR (Aarhus), Transart (Bolzano), Tzlil Meudcan (Tel Aviv), Time of Music (Viitasaari), CYCLE Music and Arts Festival (Reykjavík), and Ottawa Chamberfest. 

In addition to the festivals mentioned above, Szmytka’s works have been commissioned by such institutions as the National Institute of Music and Dance, the German Music Council, Ernst von Siemens Musikstiftung, SWR, and the Swiss Re Foundation. Her work has been supported by such institutions as the Adam Mickiewicz Institute and the Goethe-Institut. 

Jagoda Szmytka collaborates with many outstanding soloists and ensembles, including Anna Kwiatkowska, Eva Zöllner, Gośka Isphording, Maciej Frąckiewicz, Małgorzata Walentynowicz, Paul Hübner, Sebastian Berweck, Steffen Ahrens, Duo leise dröhnung, Ensemble Garage, Ensemble Interface, Ensemble l’arsenale, Kwartludium, and Riot Ensemble. Her music has been performed by ensembles such as the Arditti Quartet, Bang on a Can, Continuum, Decoder, Defunensemble, Elision, E-Mex, KNM Berlin, Ensemble Modern, ensemble mosaik, ensemble recherche, Hashtag, Kronos Quartet, Notabu, Phace, Platypus, Scenatet, Spółdzielnia Muzyczna, and proMODERN vocal sextet. 

In 2015, her portrait album bloody cherries, featuring compositions for amplified chamber ensembles, was released by the Wergo label as part of the Edition Zeitgenössische Musik programme curated by the German Music Council. 

Jagoda Szmytka was composer-in-residence at ZKM Karlsruhe in 2011, followed in 2014–2015 at La Muse en Circuit in Paris and at Herrenhaus Edenkoben in 2013, at Villa Serpentara in Olevano Romano in 2017. In addition, she has received numerous artistic scholarships: in 2011 – the Wolfgang Rihm Stipendium and the Kunststiftung Baden-Württemberg scholarship, in 2016 – the Hannsmann-Poethen-Stipendium. In 2016 Jagoda Szmytka was awarded the German Music Authors’ Prize (GEMA) and in 2011 – the Staubach Honorary Award (at the Darmstädter Ferienkurse). 

Selected works: glass for stereophonic audio projection (2004), traffic for quadrophonic audio projection (2005), io for flute and audio projection (2006), nja for tenor saxophone, sound processing and audio projection (2007), jonction for instrumental ensemble (2007), jasinn for unaccompanied choir (2007), per ._o for flute mouthpieces, piano and stones for three performers (2008), ¿I? study of who, where, when for keyboard instrument, metronome, audio recorders as well as audio, video and light projection (2008), verb(a)renne life! for instrumental ensemble (2009), körperwelten for amplified string instrument, audio and video projection (2009), just before after for chamber ensemble and light-and-shadow play, version for six instruments (2010), open the box! for amplified accordion and shadow play or for accordion (2011), open the box! for organ (2011), electrified memories of bloody cherries for amplified chamber ensemble (2011), watch out! of the box for cello (or violin) and piano, amplification, prepared speakers, objects, audio and video projection (2011), skyme, type-me for four voices and megaphones (2011), in the light of the green sun for clarinet, violin, piano, percussion and audio projection (2011), just before after for chamber ensemble and light-and-shadow play, version for eight instruments (2011), f* for music for electric guitar, amplified cello and analogue guitar effects (2012), üben-sein-hören for accordion, flute and clarinet (2012), hand saw welt-all-stars. generously for amplified chamber ensemble (2012), for travelers like angels or vampires for amplified chamber ensemble (2012), oh no, i’ve lost my lofty bow for amplified instrumental ensemble and objects (2012), happy deaf people, instrumental theatre (2012), Handplay in Wunderkammer for suspended string instruments and electronics (2012), pores open wide shut for chamber ensemble (2013), inane prattle for amplified chamber ensemble and audio projection (2013), greetings from a doppelgänger for amplified chamber ensemble, contact loudspeakers and audio projection (2013), dla głosów i rąk, chamber opera (2013), gameboy. Hommage à Joseph Beuys, Freddie Mercury, Liberace & Sebastian Berweck for sampler and video projection (2014), empty music for amplified chamber ensemble and audio-video projection (2014), quizzle translate for six amplified voices, effects and audio-video projection (2014), limbo lander, music theatre (2014), enter lost level, performance (2015), lost ID for stereophonic audio projection (2015), LOST PLAY, music theatre (2015), PLAY PARK LOST ID + LOST PLAY PARALELL, music theatre combining installation with a performative conference (2015), real life song for amplified voice, chamber ensemble and effects (2015), leveling. Hommage à Guitar Hero for electric guitar (2015), go transit. Hommage à Morton Feldman for viola and audio projection (2016), secret life for clarinet, cello and piano (2016), diy or die, vaudeville in five parts with five real-life satellites (2016/2017), ENTER LOST LEVEL, music theatre as performative installation (2016), REVE RAVE, music theatre combining jazz improvisation with multimedia show (2016), kronos for stereophonic audio projection (2016), Voilà, that’s my life!, performance (2016), box of presence, performance (2017), means of transport. Hommage à Morton Feldman for string quartet and audio projection (2018), justice, performance (2018), box of happiness, performance (2018), play, interdisciplinary curatorial project (2015–20).