Born in Warsaw, Jan 25, 1913
Died in Warsaw, Feb 9, 1994
- Witold Lutosławski (pronunciation) began formal music training at six years old. In 1932, he enrolled in the Warsaw Conservatory, studying piano and composition. Fun fact: at this time, Lutosławski was simultaneously enrolled in Warsaw University for mathematics.
- Lutosławski’s burgeoning compositional career was quickly interrupted by the outbreak of WWII. During the Nazi occupation, he made a living playing piano in cafes.
- The composer rose to prominence in his native Poland following the premiere of his Concerto for Orchestra in 1954. As the years passed, he became more active in conducting his own works as well.1
- As a composer, Lutosławski “never belonged to any composing ‘school,’ did not yield to any trends or fashions, did not uphold a tradition, nor did he take part in avant-garde revolutions. He was, however, both an avant-garde artist and a follower of tradition.”
- He is best known today for his orchestral works, though he also wrote choral works, songs, chamber music, and pieces for solo piano.2
- Quote from Lutosławski’s obituary in the NY Times:
- “Mr. Lutoslawski prized beauty in music and made a point of saying so even when beauty in new music was out of fashion. His works are distinguished by long-lined melodies, an ingenious use of orchestral structure and harmonies that vary from comfortable lushness to pungent acidity. Yet it would be wrong to think of them as neo-Romantic. In creating what he called his ‘sound language,’ Mr. Lutoslawski drew freely on avant-garde techniques, spicing his works with a light atonality and limited improvisation.”
Learn More
Biography via USC’s Polish Music Center
Sources
- Charles Bodman Rae, “Lutosławski, Witold,” Grove Music Online (2001) accessed 16 Feb. 2024, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000017226.
- “Witold Lutosławski,” Polish Music Information Centre, accessed February 16, 2024, https://www.polmic.pl/index.php?option=com_mwosoby&id=4&litera=13&view=czlowiek&Itemid=5&lang=en.