Stanisław Skrowaczewski facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stanislaw Skrowaczewski
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Stanislaw Skrowaczewski in Tokyo (October 2011)
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| Pronunciation | staˌɲiswaf skrɔvaˈt͡ʂɛfskʲi |
| Born |
Stanislaw Pawel Stefan Jan Sebastian Skrowaczewski
October 3, 1923 |
| Died | February 21, 2017 (aged 93) |
| Nationality | Polish-American |
| Alma mater | Academy of Music in Kraków |
Stanislaw Pawel Stefan Jan Sebastian Skrowaczewski (born October 3, 1923 – died February 21, 2017) was a famous Polish-American conductor and composer. He was known for leading orchestras and writing beautiful music.
Contents
Biography of a Musical Genius
Early Life and Musical Start
Stanislaw Skrowaczewski was born in Lwów, which was part of Poland at the time. His mother was a pianist and started teaching him music when he was just four years old.
He wrote his first symphony, a long piece of music for an orchestra, by the age of eight. The local orchestra in Lwów even performed one of his symphonies that same year!
When he was eleven, he gave his first piano concert. At thirteen, he conducted an orchestra and played the piano solo in a famous piece by Beethoven.
A Change in Plans
Stanislaw had planned to be a piano soloist. However, during World War II, a German bombing raid in 1941 injured his hands. This injury caused nerve damage, so he could no longer play the piano as a soloist.
Even with his injuries, he continued to study music. He also studied physics, chemistry, and philosophy at the University of Lwów. He then went to the Academy of Music in Kraków to study composing and conducting.
Leading Orchestras in Poland
After his studies, Stanislaw became a lead conductor for several important orchestras in Poland. He led the Wrocław Philharmonic from 1946 to 1947. Then he led the Katowice Philharmonic (1949-1954) and the Kraków Philharmonic (1954-1956).
Finally, he became the main conductor of the Warsaw National Orchestra from 1956 to 1959. He also studied music in Paris with famous teachers.
Coming to America
In 1957, a famous American orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, visited Warsaw. Their music director, George Szell, invited Stanislaw to conduct in the United States.
Stanislaw first conducted in Cleveland in 1959. He then conducted in other big American cities like Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and New York.
In 1960, Stanislaw and his wife moved from Poland to the United States. He was offered a job as the music director of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. This orchestra later changed its name to the Minnesota Orchestra in 1968.
He held this important position until 1979. After that, he became their "conductor laureate," which means he was still honored and worked with them often.
Contributions in Minnesota
While in Minnesota, Stanislaw worked hard to get a new concert hall built. This hall is called Orchestra Hall. He also introduced American audiences to music by many Polish composers.
In 1981, a group called the American Composers Forum asked him to write a special piece. He wrote a Clarinet Concerto for the Minnesota Orchestra's main clarinet player.
International Career
Stanislaw Skrowaczewski also led orchestras around the world. From 1983 to 1992, he was the main conductor of the Hallé Orchestra in England.
He also worked with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra. He conducted many other orchestras all over the world. In 2007, he became the main conductor of the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo, Japan.
Famous Recordings
Stanislaw made many recordings of classical music. His recordings of all the symphonies by Anton Bruckner are very famous. He also recorded all the symphonies by Beethoven.
Another well-known recording is his performance of Brahms's Piano Concerto No. 2. He worked with a soloist named Gina Bachauer for this recording.
Awards and Recognition
Stanislaw Skrowaczewski was recognized for his amazing musical talent. His piece called Passacaglia Immaginaria was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in 1997. The Pulitzer Prize is a very important award for music and other arts.
He received another Pulitzer nomination in 1999 for his Concerto for Orchestra.
He also received the Commander Order of the White Eagle. This is the highest award given by the Polish government. He won other awards too, like the Gold Medal of the Mahler-Bruckner Society.
Family and Later Life
Stanislaw Skrowaczewski had two sons, Paul Sebastien and Nicholas Skrowaczewski. Paul Sebastien is known for starting electronica music groups.
Stanislaw lived in Wayzata, Minnesota, and passed away in St. Louis Park, Minnesota on February 21, 2017. His official biography was written by Frederick Harris, Jr.
Recordings
- Passacaglia Immaginaria/ Chamber Concerto/ Concerto for Clarinet in A & Orchestra - Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra; Albany TROY481 (2001); conducted by the composer
- Robert Schumann cello concerto in A minor/ Édouard Lalo cello concerto in D minor, Janos Starker, cello, London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by S. Skrowaczewski (1963 Philips A 04910 L)
Images for kids
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A robot for kids
See also
In Spanish: Stanisław Skrowaczewski para niños
