Krzysztof Penderecki

(1933 Dębica, Poland – 2020 Kraków, Poland)

Krzysztof Penderecki was a Polish avant-garde composer, conductor, and educator. He was born in 1933 in Dębica, a small town in southern Poland. His musical education began with piano lessons, but soon the violin, which he felt offered more interesting sonic possibilities, became his primary instrument. In 1951, he moved to Kraków to study composition with Franciszek Skołyszewski, settling in the city for the rest of his life. From 1955, he furthered his studies at the State Higher School of Music in Kraków (renamed the Krzysztof Penderecki Academy of Music in 2021), where he was taught by Artur Malawski and Stanisław Wiechowicz.

His first major success as a composer was the monopolization of the top three prizes at the 2nd Polish Composers' Union Competition for Young Composers. Among the works submitted anonymously to the competition, Strophes (for soprano, reciter, and 10 instruments), which won first prize, Emanations (for two string orchestras), which won second prize, and Psalms of David (for mixed choir, strings, and percussion), which won third prize, were all composed by the then-unknown Krzysztof Penderecki. This achievement led to invitations to the 'Warsaw Autumn' International Festival and enabled him to present his works in Western European countries. Furthermore, 8'37" (Eight Minutes and Thirty-Seven Seconds), composed in 1960, received an award from the International Composers' Congress in Paris. This work was later retitled Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima and, along with other works such as Anaklasis and Fonogrammi, became instrumental in establishing Penderecki's reputation as a leading composer in the avant-garde music scene.

Penderecki composed not only works described as avant-garde but also pieces adhering to more 'traditional' forms. Examples include religious works such as St. Luke Passion and Polish Requiem. Among his symphonies, some distanced themselves from avant-garde and sonoristic sounds, leaning towards 'Neo-Romanticism' (Symphonies No. 2, 3, and 4). Penderecki's lifetime output encompasses a wide range of genres, including solo pieces, chamber music, orchestral works, symphonies (six in total), choral works, and operas (five works).

Regarding film music, Penderecki contributed music to only one feature film, Wojciech Jerzy Has's The Saragossa Manuscript. However, his works can be heard partially in famous films such as Stanley Kubrick's The Shining and William Friedkin's The Exorcist.

Although primarily known as a composer, Krzysztof Penderecki was also an accomplished conductor. He conducted countless leading orchestras worldwide, performing both his own compositions and works by other composers without distinction. Furthermore, he held teaching positions at various universities across Poland, including serving as Rector of the Kraków Academy of Music, as well as in Germany (Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen) and the United States (Yale University in New Haven).

Penderecki continued his creative work almost until his death. His last work, Fanfare for Independent Poland, was commissioned by PWM (Polish Music Publishers) and written to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Poland's regaining independence.

Krzysztof Penderecki passed away in Kraków in 2020. Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, his funeral was finally held in 2022, and his urn containing his ashes was interred in the National Pantheon in Kraków.