Back in Warsaw

Our life back in Warsaw was still very active. Antonina and Artur continued their education at a music college and Paweł went to a state primary music school. He was the only one among our children who did not want to be a musician, and after he finished the 22nd High School he went to study at the Warsaw Technical University and became an engineer. Our elder children finished the Higher State School of Music in Warsaw, Antonina as a pianist and Artur as an alto viola player.

In Warsaw, my life became more regular and more creative. In short, it was here that I composed the Gdańsk Romance opera that was staged by the Grand Theatre in Łódź and two operas commissioned by the Polish Radio in Warsaw (Ushiko and Ligea). These operas were performed and recorded on the Polish Radio, and Ushiko was also performed on the BBC in London, translated into English by Gołos. On the occasion of the 500th anniversary of Nicolaus Copernicus birth, I composed the De Revolutionibus oratorio, staged successfully as part of the anniversary celebrations in Olsztyn.

It was in Warsaw that I composed further fourteen concertos with for solo instruments with orchestra: the I organ concerto, the trombone concerto, the alto viola concerto, the harp concerto, the oboe concerto, the trumpet concerto, the II organ concerto, the double concerto for violin and alto viola, organ and orchestra. It was here that I created two more symphonies (III and IV), numerous chamber works, including the II String Quartet, the Piano Quintet, overtures for wind bands and works for a cappella choirs.

At the Fryderyk Chopin Music Academy (the former Higher State School of Music), I successively progressed through all scientific degrees: from docent to associate professor and to full professor. For many terms, I was the dean of the First Department of Composition, Conducting And Theory. From 1969 to 1971, I was the rector of my mother school. Many students finished the composition class under my direction, among them Marta Ptaszyńska, Zbigniew Bagiński, Stanisław Moryto and the youngest of them, Andrzej Matuszewski.

At the moment, I am retired. I had taught for over 45 years and I did not want to prolong my pedagogical career.

/Written by the composer in Warsaw, Poland, on November 20, 1995/