Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki dies at 86
World-renowned composer and conductor Krzysztof Penderecki died on Sunday at aged 86 after a long illness. Penderecki held numerous Polish and foreign distinctions for his work, including five Grammy awards.
PAP was notified about Penderecki's death by the Ludwig van Beethoven Association, which is presided over by his wife Elzbieta Penderecka.
Born on November 23, 1933, in Debica, to an Armenian-descended family, Penderecki graduated from the composition class at the State Higher School of Music in Krakow, southern Poland, in 1958 and made his first public appearance at the Warsaw Autumn Festival in the following year. In the 1960s, he was a prominent representative of the so-called Polish composition school and became known as an avant-garde composer and a seeker of new expressive forms in music.
Penderecki received international acclaim for his innovative work in the 1960s, most notably for Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima and the choral work St. Luke's Passion, the latter written to mark the 700th anniversary of the Muenster Cathedral. One of his most notable works was the Polish Requiem, inspired by his native country's culture and history.
He embarked on a conducting career in the 1970s, going on to conduct leading symphony orchestras in Europe, the US and Asia.
Penderecki also initiated the European Centre for Music in Luslawice to support and promote young artists. A passionate tree lover, he designed the centre's park, which features more than two thousand species of trees.
Penderecki held honorary doctorates from numerous universities worldwide, as well as honorary memberships in the world's leading musical academies.
For his work, he was awarded Poland's highest state distinction, the Order of the White Eagle, and many other Polish and foreign distinctions. His music also won him five Grammy awards.
Commenting on Penderecki's death on Twitter, PM Mateusz Morawiecki wrote that the composer's entire life had been devoted to music. "Krzysztof Penderecki devoted his entire life to what he loved most - music. His compositions were appreciated by the most prominent representatives of contemporary culture," Morawiecki wrote.
In his tweet commemorating the deceased composer, President Andrzej Duda wrote that Penderecki's work had a defining impact on Polish and world culture. "Maestro Krzysztof Penderecki has departed from us. With his work he defined an entire era of Polish and global culture," the president wrote. (PAP)
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