Polish Composers You Should Know (Who Aren’t Chopin)

“There is no Polish culture without music. Polish culture is music”

Andrzej Panufnik (1914-1991 Panufnik was a friend of Lutosławski. the two spent time together during the World War II during the second occupation and formed a duo that played in cafes in Warsaw. Panufnik stayed in Poland for a while after the War, became the director of the Kraków Philharmonic, and restored the Warsaw Philharmonic. In 1956, he escaped Poland, and eventually settled in England, spending most of his life in London. “In England he didn’t have an easy life, but he continued to compose,” Try listening to his Piano Concerto (1961).

Panufnik’ music

Wojciech Kilar (1932 – 2013) Wojciech Kilar was “well-known as a composer of great sacred music. But he’s also known for his film music, because he composed music for the famous directors like Roman Polanski,” she said. Some of his most well-known film scores include music for Rosemary’s Baby (Polanski) and Bram Stoker’s Dracula (Francis Ford Coppola). He received a César Award for Best Film Music written for his piece Moving to the Ghetto Oct. 31, 1940 which he composed for the movie The Pianist.

Kilar’s music

Krzysztof Penderecki (1933 – ) Penderecki is belived to be “the most diverse composer from the whole Polish group. There’s such a great variety it’s hard to believe.” He tends to change his style every couple of years, and recently has been collaborating more and more with pop and jazz musicians. In turn, “jazz musicians have also been adapting his music to their own style, and he supports that very much,” she said. There’s so much great music by Penderecki. There’s his large-scale St. Luke Passion won him the Prix Italia. Then, of course there’s his Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima. Not to mention, his music has been used famously in films.  His Polymorphia was made famous by the film adaptation of The Shining

Penderecki’s music