Role

:

Composer Conductor

Country

:

Poland

Birth

:

October, 1879

Death

:

June, 1953

Period

:

Romantic

 

 

Modern

Genre

:

Keyboard

 

 

Opera

 

Grzegorz Fitelberg was a Polish conductor and composer who was born on October 18, 1879, in Daugavpils, Latvia. He was born into a family of musicians, and his father, Mieczysław Fitelberg, was a well-known violinist and conductor. Grzegorz Fitelberg began his musical education at a young age, studying violin and composition with his father. In 1895, Fitelberg moved to Warsaw to continue his studies at the Warsaw Conservatory. He studied composition with Zygmunt Noskowski and violin with Stanisław Barcewicz. During his time at the conservatory, Fitelberg became interested in conducting and began to study with Emil Młynarski, a prominent Polish conductor. After completing his studies, Fitelberg began his career as a conductor, making his debut in 1901 with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra. He quickly gained a reputation as a talented conductor and was appointed the principal conductor of the orchestra in 1903. Fitelberg remained with the Warsaw Philharmonic for over a decade, during which time he conducted many premieres of works by Polish composers, including Karol Szymanowski and Ignacy Jan Paderewski. In 1912, Fitelberg left the Warsaw Philharmonic to become the principal conductor of the newly formed New Symphony Orchestra in St. Petersburg, Russia. He remained with the orchestra until 1917, when he returned to Poland due to the outbreak of World War I. During his time in Russia, Fitelberg conducted many premieres of works by Russian composers, including Sergei Prokofiev and Igor Stravinsky. After returning to Poland, Fitelberg continued to conduct and compose. He founded the Warsaw Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra in 1918 and served as its conductor until 1922. He also founded the Polish Chamber Orchestra in 1919 and served as its conductor until 1934. Fitelberg was a champion of contemporary Polish music and conducted many premieres of works by Polish composers during his career. In addition to his work as a conductor, Fitelberg was also a prolific composer. He wrote music in a variety of genres, including orchestral works, chamber music, and vocal music. His compositions were influenced by the music of his contemporaries, including Stravinsky and Prokofiev, as well as by Polish folk music. Fitelberg's career was marked by many highlights, including his performances of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring with the Warsaw Philharmonic in 1921 and with the London Symphony Orchestra in 1926. He also conducted the premiere of Szymanowski's Symphony No. 3 with the Warsaw Philharmonic in 1930. Fitelberg received many awards and honors during his career, including the Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta in 1922 and the Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta in 1938. He was also awarded the Gold Medal of the Polish Academy of Literature in 1937. Fitelberg's career was cut short by the outbreak of World War II. He fled Poland in 1939 and settled in the United States, where he continued to conduct and compose. He died in New York City on June 10, 1953, at the age of 73. Grzegorz Fitelberg was a pioneering figure in the world of classical music, both as a conductor and a composer. He was a champion of contemporary Polish music and conducted many premieres of works by Polish composers during his career. His legacy continues to be felt in the world of classical music today.

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