Profession: Composer
Biography: Krzysztof Penderecki was a Polish composer, best known for a number of major works including Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima (1961), Symphony No. 3 (1988-1995), Polish Requiem (1984), and Anaklasis (1960). His compositions spanned operas, symphonies, various orchestral pieces, instrumental concertos, and choral settings.
Penderecki won a large number of awards, including four Grammy Awards (1987, 1998, 1998, 2017) and the Wihuri Sibelius Prize (1983). He is regarded as the greatest Polish composer of his generation, with particular acclaim given to his Threnody and the choral work St. Luke Passion (1966).
Born: November 23, 1933
Birthplace: Dębica, Poland
Generation: Silent Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Rooster
Star Sign: Sagittarius
Historical Events
- 1961-09-22 Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki's "Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima" premieres at Warsaw Autumn Festival,Andrzej Markowski conducting Kraków Philharmonic
- 1984-09-28 Krzysztof Penderecki's initial version of "A Polish Requiem" premieres with Mstislav Rostropovich leading the Stuttgart Radio Symphony
- 1993-11-11 Krzysztof Penderecki conducts premiere of his revised version of "A Polish Requiem" in Stockholm, Sweden
- 1995-12-08 Krzysztof Penderecki conducts the Munich Philharmonic in premiere of his Symphony No. 3
- 1997-01-09 Krzysztof Penderecki's choral symphony "Seven Gates of Jerusalem" premieres in Jerusalem, Israel
Darius Milhaud
George Frideric Handel
Harry Burleigh
Johann Sebastian Bach
Leoš Janáček
Modest Mussorgsky