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Born in 1932 in Lvov. In 1944, following
the recapture of the city by the Soviet Army he was forced
to leave it. After brief periods in Krosno, Rzeszów and
Cracow, he settled in Katowice. He made his debut as a
pianist in Rzeszów at the age of 15. In 1950-55 he studied
at the State Higher School of Music in Katowice, piano with
Władysława Markiewicz and composition with Bolesław
Woytowicz. In 1957 he took part in the International Summer
Courses for New Music in Darmstadt. He also studied with
Nadia Boulanger in Paris, thanks to a grant from the French
government (1959-60).
In 1979-81 he served as Deputy President of the Main Board
of the Polish Composers' Union. In 1977 he was among
founding-members of the Karol Szymanowski Society in
Zakopane, of which he was deputy chairman for two terms of
office. He is a member of the Highlanders Union.
Wojciech Kilar has received numerous artistic awards. Of
those received over the last decade, mention should be made
of the Award of the City of Katowice (1992), the Award of
the American Society of Composers, Authors and Producers
(ascap) for the soundtrack to the film Bram Stoker's Dracula
(1993), the Wojciech Korfanty Memorial Award (1995), the
'Lux ex Silesia' Award of the Archbishop, Metropolitan of
Katowice (1995), the Krzysztof Kieślowski Memorial Award
(1996), the Sonderpreis des Kulturpreis Schlesien des Landes
Niedersachsen (1996), the Grand Award of the Foundation of
Culture (2000), and the Golden Spectre of the Foundation of
Polish Culture (2000).
He has won many awards for his film music at prestigious
festivals in Poland and abroad.
He holds an honorary doctor's degree from the University of
Opole. He is also a member of the Polish Academy of
Learning.
Selected works (since 1980): Exodus for
mixed choir and orchestra, (1981, Latin text), Victoria for
mixed choir and orchestra, (1983, Latin text), Angelus for
soprano, for mixed choir and orchestra, (1984, Latin text),
Orawa for chamber orchestra (1986), Choralvorspiel for
chamber orchestra (1988), Reign over us, Christ for voice
and piano (1995), How on earth can I be at peace for voice
and piano, with words by Stanisław Wyspiański (1995),
Requiem for Father Kolbe for strings, piano, celeste, harp
and timpani (1996), Piano Concerto (1997), Agnus Dei for a
cappella mixed choir (1997), Missa pro pace for a quartet of
soloists, mixed choir and symphony orchestra (2000).
Music to over 100 feature films, including those by Jane
Campion (The Portrait of a Lady), Francis Ford Coppola (Bram
Stoker's Dracula), Pierre Grimault, Krzysztof Kieślowski,
Kazimierz Kutz, Marek Piwowski, Andrzej Wajda (The Promised
Land, Korczak, Pan Tadeusz), Krzysztof Zanussi (The
Structure of Crystal, Family Life, Illumination, Quarterly
BalanceTaking, Camouflage, The Spiral, Constans, Da un paese
lontano, Paradigme du le pouvoir du mal, Life as a Sexually
Transmitted Fatal Disease), Roman Polański (Death and the
Maiden, The Ninth Gate, The Pianist).
Riff 62 for solo piano, wind ensemble (two
clarinets, three saxophones, four trumpets, four trombones),
two percussion groups (vibraphone-xilorimba and leather
instruments) and strings (36 violins and 12 double-basses)
was written in 1962. The work is dedicated to Nadia
Boulanger and is my modest tribute on her 75th birthday.
Wojciech Kilar
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