Composer, Conductor. One of Poland's leading 20th Century musical figures. Although he spent much of his life in exile, he kept close ties with his homeland through his essentially traditionalist music. Panufnik was born in Warsaw, and studied music at the Conservatory there and in Vienna and Paris. At the outbreak of World War II he returned to Poland to care for his parents. Under the Nazi occupation he wrote resistance songs and barely made a living playing piano duets in cafes with fellow composer Witold Lutoslawski. The manuscripts for all his early compositions, including two symphonies, were destroyed during the 1944 Warsaw Uprising. After the war Panufnik quickly gained prominence in his country's musical scene. He became principal conductor of the Krakow Philharmonic and then the Warsaw Philharmonic, and was awarded several honors from the new Soviet-imposed regime. But he felt creatively stifled under communism and in 1954 he fled the country. As a consequence he was officially "unpersoned" in Poland and his music was banned there for over 20 years. Settling in England (he became a British citizen in 1961), Panufnik conducted the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra from 1957 to 1959 before devoting himself exclusively to composition. Critics often carped over his conservative style, but his music found favor with Western audiences and he received commissions from some of the world's greatest orchestras and soloists. His opuses include 10 symphonies (composed between 1948 and 1990), the ballets "Cain and Abel" (1968) and "Miss Julie" (1970), a Violin Concerto (written for Yehudi Menuhin, 1971), a Cello Concerto (commissioned by Mstislav Rostropovich, 1991), three string quartets, and many instrumental and vocal works. In 1990, after the fall of communism in Eastern Europe, Panufnik triumphantly returned to Poland to conduct his music at the Warsaw Autumn Festival. The following year he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. Panufnik's autobiography, "Composing Myself", was published in 1987. His daughter is noted British composer Roxanna Panufnik.
Composer, Conductor. One of Poland's leading 20th Century musical figures. Although he spent much of his life in exile, he kept close ties with his homeland through his essentially traditionalist music. Panufnik was born in Warsaw, and studied music at the Conservatory there and in Vienna and Paris. At the outbreak of World War II he returned to Poland to care for his parents. Under the Nazi occupation he wrote resistance songs and barely made a living playing piano duets in cafes with fellow composer Witold Lutoslawski. The manuscripts for all his early compositions, including two symphonies, were destroyed during the 1944 Warsaw Uprising. After the war Panufnik quickly gained prominence in his country's musical scene. He became principal conductor of the Krakow Philharmonic and then the Warsaw Philharmonic, and was awarded several honors from the new Soviet-imposed regime. But he felt creatively stifled under communism and in 1954 he fled the country. As a consequence he was officially "unpersoned" in Poland and his music was banned there for over 20 years. Settling in England (he became a British citizen in 1961), Panufnik conducted the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra from 1957 to 1959 before devoting himself exclusively to composition. Critics often carped over his conservative style, but his music found favor with Western audiences and he received commissions from some of the world's greatest orchestras and soloists. His opuses include 10 symphonies (composed between 1948 and 1990), the ballets "Cain and Abel" (1968) and "Miss Julie" (1970), a Violin Concerto (written for Yehudi Menuhin, 1971), a Cello Concerto (commissioned by Mstislav Rostropovich, 1991), three string quartets, and many instrumental and vocal works. In 1990, after the fall of communism in Eastern Europe, Panufnik triumphantly returned to Poland to conduct his music at the Warsaw Autumn Festival. The following year he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. Panufnik's autobiography, "Composing Myself", was published in 1987. His daughter is noted British composer Roxanna Panufnik.
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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