Barbara Maria Zakrzewska-Nikiporczyk facts for kids

Barbara Maria Zakrzewska-Nikiporczyk was born in Poznań, Poland, on January 1, 1946. She is a talented composer and a musicologist. A musicologist is someone who studies music history and theory. Barbara studied how to compose music at the Poznań Academy of Music. She graduated in 1969. Later, she learned about library and information science. In 1976, she earned a special degree called a doctorate from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. She also spent time in the Netherlands and England learning about electronic music.

Life and Career

Barbara Zakrzewska-Nikiporczyk started working at the Poznań University Library in 1972. She helped organize their music collection. Since 1982, she has been the main music expert for Poland. She writes summaries of Polish music books and articles. These summaries are used for a big international music database called RILM.

In 1996, she started working on another music database project called RIPM. This project looks back at old music magazines. In 1998, Barbara became the librarian at the Polish Music Center. This center is part of the University of Southern California. There, she helped organize their valuable music collections. She was a Kościuszko Foundation Fellow during this time.

As a musicologist and librarian, Barbara has written many things. She has published 5 books and 68 articles. Her doctoral paper was about music in Poland from 1870 to 1918. She has also given talks in Poland, Germany, Italy, and Sweden. In 1970, she won an award at the Young Polish Composers Competition. She won for her vocal piece called A Ave.

Musical Works

Barbara Maria Zakrzewska-Nikiporczyk has composed many different types of music. Here are some of her compositions:

Chamber Music

Chamber music is written for a small group of instruments.

• Cosmic Walks (for school band; 1983)
• Dream (string quartet; 1979)
• Enigma (for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, alto saxophone, violin, cello; 1979)
• Flies (for five double-basses; 1977)
• Folk Fantasy (for flute and string quartet; 1979)
• Folk Mosaic: 1. Africa. 2. China. 3. Yugoslavia. 4. India. 5. Hungary. 6. Turkey. 7. Africa (for school band; 1978)
• Locomotive (for percussion ensemble; 1976)
• Medium (for saxophone, piano, vibraphone, cymbals and double-bass; 1974)
• On the Milky Way (string quartet; 1980)
• Percussion Triptych (for five percussionists; 1975)
• Plato’s Music I (for violin, piano, organ, harp, celesta and bells; 1974)
• Plato's Music II (for string orchestra and percussion; 1974)
• Reflect (for flute; 1968)
• Reminiscences (for unspecified chamber ensemble; 1985)
• Rhythm of Lights and Shadows (for organ and tympani; 1967)
• Silence and Darkness (string quartet; 1984)
• Solitude (for double-bass, flute and percussion; 1980)
• S.O.S. (for flute, saxophone, four temple blocks and violin; 1978)
• Space Walks (for unspecified instrumental ensemble; 1983)
• Time (for flute, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, harp and tympani; 1976)
• To the Light (for horn, violin and harp; 1975)
• Up and down (for saxophone; 1993)

Electronic Music

This music uses electronic instruments like synthesizers and computers.

• Arteries (synthesizer music on tape; 1991)
• Manhattan (for synthesizer, computer, tape, saxophone and percussion; 1990)
• Spectrum (for computer; 1986)
• Waving (computer music on tape; 1996)

Keyboard Music

These pieces are for instruments like piano, organ, or harpsichord.

• Children’s World (piano; 1980)
• Deus Meus (organ; 1980)
• Magnificat (organ; 1989)
• Prelude (organ; 1987)
• Repetition (harpsichord; 1979)
• Sonatina (piano; 1965)
• Three Piano Pieces (1983)
• Variations (piano; 1964)

Orchestra Music

These are pieces for a large group of musicians, an orchestra.

• Arrampicata (1977)
• Les Carillons (for piano and orchestra; 1980)
• Miazga (1983)
• Orazione (1981)
• Pulp (1983)
• Star Dust (violin concerto; 1978)
• Tetragonos tri fatos (1968/1969)

Theatre Music

Music written for plays, ballets, or cartoons.

• Joan and Dragon Thomas (for cartoons; 1978)
• Object’s Animation (for cello; 1985)
• Snow White (ballet; for women's choir and orchestra; 1976)

Vocal Music

Music written for singers, sometimes with instruments.

• A ave (for narrator, soprano, men's choir and chamber ensemble; 1970)
• Buffo (text by Wisława Szymborska; for voice and piano; 1985)
• Christmas Tree in the Forest (text by Ewa Szelburg; 1978)
• Clown (for voice and piano; 1985)
• Contrary Music (for men’s choir and orchestra; 1978)
• Eternity (for soprano and percussion; 1966)
• Fortepian (for soprano, marimba and bells; 1968)
• Four Songs for Children (text by Józef Ratajczak; 1980)
• Generation (for soprano, trumpet, double-bass and cymbals; 1969)
• Give Us Peace, Lord (for voice and piano; 1983)
• Hail to the Light (a cappella men's choir; 1978)
• Hallucinations (for soprano, mixed choir and chamber ensemble; 1967)
• High Trees (for mixed choir; 1975)
• Hymn (text by Ryszard Danecki; for mixed choir; 1978)
• Magnificat (for mixed choir; 1985)
• Mother (for soprano and string orchestra; 1974)
• Silence and Darkness (text by Wanda Bacewicz; for mixed choir; 1984)
• Skrzypce (for soprano, harpsichord and tamburino; 1968)
• The Saw Has Danced with the Axe (text by Stanisław Karaszewski; for voice and piano; 1985)
• Two Religious Songs (text by Antoni Kucharczyk and Maria Bartusówna; 1981)
• Warmio moja (cantata for soprano, mixed choir, flute and string orchestra; 1985)
• Welcome Brilliance (text by Ryszard Danecki; for men's choir; 1978)