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Nikolet Burzynska was a Polish classical music composer born on May 12, 1923, in Warsaw, Poland. She was the daughter of a prominent Polish composer, conductor, and musicologist, Kazimierz Sikorski, who was a professor at the Warsaw Conservatory. Her mother, Maria Sikorska, was a pianist and music teacher. Nikolet grew up in a musical family and was exposed to music from an early age. Nikolet began her musical education at the Warsaw Conservatory, where she studied composition with her father. She also studied piano and music theory. In 1940, when Nikolet was 17 years old, her family was forced to flee Warsaw due to the German occupation. They moved to Lviv, where Nikolet continued her studies at the Lviv Conservatory. She studied composition with Adam Sołtys and piano with Maria Wiłkomirska. After the war, Nikolet returned to Warsaw and continued her studies at the State Higher School of Music (now the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music). She studied composition with Kazimierz Sikorski, Tadeusz Szeligowski, and Bolesław Woytowicz. She also studied piano with Zbigniew Drzewiecki and music theory with Tadeusz Baird. Nikolet's early works were influenced by the neoclassical style of her father and other Polish composers of the time. Her first compositions were piano pieces, including a set of preludes and a sonata. She also wrote chamber music, including a string quartet and a piano trio. In the 1950s, Nikolet's style began to evolve. She became interested in serialism and began to incorporate serial techniques into her compositions. Her works from this period include a piano sonata, a string quartet, and a concerto for piano and orchestra. In the 1960s, Nikolet's style continued to evolve. She began to experiment with aleatoric techniques, which allowed for chance elements in the composition. Her works from this period include a piece for orchestra and a piece for piano and tape. In the 1970s, Nikolet's style became more experimental. She began to incorporate electronic music into her compositions. Her works from this period include a piece for tape and a piece for piano and electronics. Nikolet's most famous work is her opera, "The Captive Mind," which she composed in 1981. The opera is based on the book of the same name by Polish writer Czesław Miłosz. The opera tells the story of a group of intellectuals living under a totalitarian regime and their struggle to maintain their intellectual freedom. The opera was well-received and has been performed in Poland and abroad. Nikolet continued to compose until her death in 1987. Her later works include a piece for orchestra and a piece for piano and electronics. Nikolet Burzynska was an important figure in Polish music in the 20th century. Her compositions were innovative and experimental, and she was one of the first Polish composers to incorporate electronic music into her works. Her opera, "The Captive Mind," is considered one of the most important Polish operas of the 20th century. Nikolet's legacy continues to influence Polish music today.

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