The Cracow Rectors - Portrait Sketches
Wladyslaw Zelenski
(1837-1921) - Years of Rectorate l888-1921. Composer, pianist, conductor and music journalist. As a main representative of the neoromanticism in Polish music, ½eleäski s output is characteristically marked by strong national emphasis, achieving a broad stylization of folklore. His output continued the operatic and vocal music traditions of Moniuszko.
Wiktor Barabasz
(1855-1928) - Years of Rectorate 1921-1926. Pianist and conductor. A wonderful organizer of the music life in Cracow, whose resourceful "Historical Concerts" series programmed the most notable symphonic works and oratories - old and new.
Boleslaw Wallek-Walewski
(I885-1944) - Years of Rectorate 1926-1939. Composer, conductor and singer. As an adherent to the works of young Polish composers he combated the works and conservative writings and attitudes of the artistic circle. Dominant in Wallek-Walewski's output stand the choral compositions, innovatory of the time amidst, presenting innovation for the time of technical expression means.
Zbigniew Drzewiecki
(1890-1971) - Years of Rectorate 1945-I952. Pianist, educationist and editor. Organizer and chairman of Jury for the Chopin Competitions, juror for many international piano competitions. Exponent and first performer of the piano works of Karol Szymanomski. As one of the largest influences on Polish pianists, Drzewiecki fostered a generation of famous pianist virtuosi, contributing to create a Polish Piano School. A famous artist who performed regularly in Poland and abroad.
Stefania Lobaczewskai
(I888-1963) - Years of Rectorate I952-1955. Musicologist and educationist. Author of many treatises and publications on musicology, among them: "Style muzyczne" ("The Styles of Music"), "Zarys es tetyki muzycznej" ("The Outline Aesthetic of Music"), "Zarys historii form muzycznych" ("An Outline History of Musical Form), "Karol Szymanowski - zycie i tworczosc" ("Karol Szymanowski - his Life and Works"), "Beethoven".
Bronislaw Rutkowski
(1898-1964) - Years of Rectorate 1955-1964. Organist, conductor and educationist. An eminent virtuoso, one of the first Polish artists who brought the organ school of performing to an international level. Tutor to a whole generation of organists before and after World War II. An activist and spokesman for the generalizing of Polish music.
Eugenia Uminska
(I910-1980) - Years of Rectorate 1964-1965. Violinist and educator. Outstanding soloist and chamber music exponent. Wonderful interpreter of the works of Karol Szymanowski. Juror of many international violin competitions. Educator of a generation of violin virtuosi. Author of an impressive editorial output, embracing several treatises on the works of H. Wieniawski and
K. Szymanowski.
Jan Hoffman
(1906-1995) - Years of Rectorate 1965-1969. Pianist, educationist and editor. Prominent concert artist in Poland and abroad. Educator of a generation of pianists. Author of a number of pianoforte treatises. Juror on many international competitions, among them the
Chopin Competition. He frequently gave master classes abroad
Jozef Chwedczuk
(1902-1979) - Years of Rectorate 1969-1972. Organist and educationist. Authoritative interpreter of organ music from the Renaissance and early Baroque, through the great works of Bach, Haendel to Brahms, Reger, Franck and Messiaen.
Krzysztof Penderecki
(I933) - Years of Rectorate 1972-1987. On of the most eminent composers of the 20th century. Conductor, honorary doctor of many universities in the world, guest professor of seminars abroad, composer laureate of many competitions. Creator of a radical avant-garde, of experiments with natural sonorities and new techniques of organizing sound applied in such pieces as: "Psalms of David", "Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima", "Polymorphia", "Fluorescence". Author of monumental oratorial works: "St. Luke Passion", "Utrenia", "Magnificat", "Polish Requiem" and operas: "The Devils of Loudun", "Paradise Lost", "Black Mask", "King Ubu" - undertaking large universal themes, adding his name to a line of traditions and legacy of cultural values.
Krystyna Moszumanska-Nazar
(1924) - Period of Rectorate 1987-1993. Eminent composer and educationist. Laureate of
a number of national and international competitions. Author of chamber and symphonic works characterized by a dynamic dramaturgy and contrasting a process of exact formal logic with
a certain aleatoricism. Initiator of the Foundation of the Academy of Music in Cracow.
Marek Stachowski
(1936) - Rector since 1993. Distinguished composer and educator. After studying with Krzysztof Penderecki, professor of composition at the Academy of Music in Cracow. Recipient of many Polish and international music awards. Lectured as guest professor at Yale University (USA) and led master courses and seminars in Great Britain, Holland, Germany, Israel, Korea and elsewhere. Composer presenting a panoply of modern techniques, including aleatorism as a well as new tonality. Important is his absolute commitment to clarity of form and the strong emotionality of his music.
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