Role

:

Composer

Country

:

Poland

Birth

:

1930 in Czechowice, Poland

Death

:

2014

 

Jozef Swider was a Polish composer and conductor who was born on March 22, 1930, in Lwow, Poland (now Lviv, Ukraine). He was the son of a music teacher and grew up in a musical family. His father, Jozef Swider Sr., was a composer and conductor, and his mother, Maria Swider, was a pianist. From a young age, Swider showed a talent for music and began studying piano and composition with his father. During World War II, Swider and his family were forced to flee their home in Lwow and move to Krakow. Despite the difficult circumstances, Swider continued to study music and eventually enrolled at the State Higher School of Music in Krakow, where he studied composition with Stanislaw Wiechowicz and conducting with Henryk Czyz. After graduating from the State Higher School of Music in 1954, Swider began working as a conductor and composer. He served as the conductor of the Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra from 1954 to 1956 and the Silesian Philharmonic Orchestra in Katowice from 1956 to 1959. During this time, he also composed a number of works, including his Symphony No. 1, which was premiered in 1957. In 1959, Swider was appointed the conductor of the Polish Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra in Krakow, a position he held until 1963. During this time, he continued to compose, and his works began to gain recognition both in Poland and abroad. In 1960, his Symphony No. 2 won first prize at the International Rostrum of Composers in Paris, and in 1962, his Concerto for Orchestra was awarded the State Prize of the First Degree. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Swider continued to compose and conduct, and his works were performed by orchestras and ensembles around the world. He also served as the director of the State Higher School of Music in Krakow from 1972 to 1975 and as the artistic director of the Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra from 1975 to 1980. Swider's music is characterized by its lyricism, expressive melodies, and use of folk elements. He drew inspiration from Polish folk music and incorporated elements of it into many of his works. Some of his most notable compositions include his Symphony No. 3, which was premiered in 1965 and is based on Polish folk themes, and his Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, which was premiered in 1972 and is considered one of his most popular works. In addition to his work as a composer and conductor, Swider was also a respected music educator. He taught composition and conducting at the State Higher School of Music in Krakow and mentored many young musicians who went on to have successful careers in music. Swider continued to compose and conduct until his death on March 22, 2014, at the age of 84. He left behind a legacy of music that continues to be performed and appreciated by audiences around the world. His contributions to Polish music and culture have earned him a place among the most important composers of the 20th century.

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