Professor Marian Borkowski

Composer, musicologist, pianist, teacher, and organizer of musical life, was born in 1934 in Pabianice (Poland).

He studied composition with Kazimierz Sikorski and piano with Jan Ekier and Natalia Hornowska at the Academy of Music in Warsaw (1959–1965; Master of Arts in 1965). At the same time he studied musicology at Warsaw University under Józef M. Chominski (Master of Musicology in 1966). In the years 1966–1968, thanks to a French Government grant, he continued postgraduate studies in composition with Nadia Boulanger and Olivier Messiaen at the Paris Conservatory and American Conservatory in Fontainebleau and with Iannis Xenakis at the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, and in musicology under Jacques Chailley and Barry S. Brook at the Paris University (Sorbonne). Simultaneously, he studied philosophy with Jean Hyppolite and Jules Vuillemin at the Sorbonne and the Collège de France. He participated in the International Courses of New Music in Darmstadt (1972, 1974) and in the courses given by György Ligeti, Iannis Xenakis, Karlheinz Stockhausen and Franco Donatoni at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena (1973, 1975 — Diploma di Merito).

He has been on the faculty of the Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw since 1968, as lecturer (1968–1971), assistant professor (1971–1976), associate professor (1976–1989), full professor (since 1989); deputy dean of the Faculty of Composition, Conducting and Music Theory (1975–1978), Vice-Rector of the Academy (1978–1981, 1987–1990), head of the Chair of Music Theory (1993–1999), dean of the Faculty of Composition, Conducting and Music Theory (1996–1999), organizer and director of the Postgraduate Studies in Music Theory (1998–2008), head of the Chair of Composition (1999–2004), organizer and director of the Postgraduate Studies in Composition (2000–2008). Since 2010 he is the professor of composition class at the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz. He has given lectures and masterclasses in Amsterdam, Belgrade, Breaza, Bucharest, Cleveland, Cluj, Esztergom, Klagenfurt, Kwangju, Lyon, Mexico-City, Montreal, Moscow, Olsztyn, Paris, Québec-City, Seoul, Siena, Taegu, Tashkent, Valparaíso and Vienna.

Since 1989 he has also held visiting professorships in composition or has served as guest composer at Concordia University, Conservatoire de Musique du Québec (Québec-City), the University of Montreal, the National Conservatory of Music in Boulogne-Billancourt (Paris), the Accademia Musicale Chigiana (Siena), the University of Kansas (Lawrence), the University of Southern California (Los Angeles), San Francisco State University, Eastman School of Music (Rochester), Georgia State University (Atlanta), Tulane University of Louisiana (New Orleans), the University of North Texas (Denton), Bowling Green State University, Shenandoah University (Winchester), the University of Charleston, Rice University (Houston), the University of Miami, William Paterson University of New Jersey (Wayne), Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory (Berea, Ohio), Southwest Missouri State University (Springfield, U.S.A.), Hanyang University (Seoul), Seoul Superior Conservatory of Music, Keimyung University (Taegu), Catholic University of Taegu-Hyosung, Korean National University of Arts (Seoul), The University of Suwon, Seoul National University, and Chonnam National University (Kwangju) in Korea.

He has educated several dozen Polish composers including Joanna Badelek, Renata Baszun, Wojciech Blecharz, Marcin Blazewicz, Maria Borecka, Katarzyna Bortkun-Szpotanska, Artur Cieslak, Dorota Dywanska, Aleksandra Garbal, Szymon Godziemba-Trytek, Alicja Gronau-Osinska, Igor Jankowski, Szymon Kawalla, Jerzy Kornowicz, Aleksander Kosciów, Bartosz Kowalski, Renata Kunkel, Dariusz Lapinski, Pawel Lukaszewski, Marcin Tadeusz Lukaszewski, Emilian Madey, Aldona Nawrocka, Ryszard Osada, Grazyna Paciorek-Draus, Maria Pokrzywinska, Pawel Przezwanski, Roman Rewakowicz, Jedrzej Roch-Rochecki, Piotr Spoz, Pawel Sprync, Pawel Strzelecki, Lucja Szablewska, Dariusz Szankin, Wojciech Szmidt, Seweryn Scibior, Hadrian Filip Tabecki, Marek Towianski, Tadeusz Trojanowski, Marcin Wierzbicki, Slawomir Wojciechowski, Slawomir Zamuszko, Maciej Zielinski, Maciej Zóltowski, and has also offered instruction to many foreign undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students, e.g. Boris Alvarado-Gutierrez (Chile), Robin Chemtov (Canada), Choi Chun-hee (Korea), Alessandra Ciccaglioni (Italy), Joe Cutler (Great Britain), Gwon Sung-hyun (Korea), Hong Jin-pyo (Korea), Kim Jin-keum (Korea), Lee Chong-man (Korea), Lee Mi-jin (Korea), Daniel Luzko (Paraguay/USA), Ginger Mayerson (USA), Paul Scriver (Canada), Tony Srouji (Canada), Brian Thompson (Canada), Fanny Tran (Belgium), Gabriel Mãlãncioiu (Romunia). His students and graduates have won over 300 awards and honourable mentions at national and international composers’ competitions.

His compositions have been performed in concerts in 25 European countries as well as in Australia, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Cuba, Iran, Jamaica, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, South Korea and USA, as well as at over 100 festivals, including those in Aix-en-Provence, Berlin, Bilbao, Darmstadt, Esztergom, Geneva, Kwangju, Lisbon, Los Angeles, Lviv, Madrid, Meadville, Metz, México-City, Munich, Paris, Pusan, Salzburg, Santa Cruz, Seoul, St. Petersburg, Taegu, Utrecht, Valparaíso, Viitasaari, Warsaw and Witten. Many of his compositions were recorded for radio and television in more than 25 countries. His discography includes over 50 LPs and CDs on such labels as Acte Préalable, DUX, Global Sound Media (Seoul), GM Records, MTJ, Musica Sacra Edition, Muza, Olympia (London), Polonia Records, ProViva Intersound (Munich), Sound-Pol, Gamma CD and Veriton.

Marian Borkowski has given piano recitals in Poland, France, Italy, Canada, Great Britain, South Korea, USA, Austria and Russia. He has also recorded many of his own and other composers’ pieces for radio, television as well as on several labels.

His research output includes over 20 theoretical studies on contemporary music, notably modern compositional techniques, analysis of 20th and 21st century music, modern orchestration techniques, the time factor in new music, problems of music sonology, Webern’s compositional techniques, serial music, Polish contemporary music and the teaching of composition. He has participated in numerous conferences, symposia and festivals in Poland and abroad (over 70).

He is a member of many music organizations in Poland, Belgium, Japan and the United States. He served as a deputy chairman of the Warsaw Branch of the Polish Composers Union (1971–77). He is the founder and Artistic Director of the ‘Laboratory of Contemporary Music’ Festival (since 1985) and President of the ‘Laboratory of Contemporary Music’ Association (since 1995). He has sat on the juries of many competitions for composers and performers (Belgrade, Florence, Paris, Esztergom, New Orleans, Seoul, Suwon, Taegu, Valparaíso, Guadalajara).

Marian Borkowski is a prize winner of the Young Composers’ Competition in Warsaw (1966), the G. B. Viotti International Composers’ Competition in Vercelli (1969), the Karol Szymanowski Competition for Composers in Warsaw (1974), the International New Music Composers Competition in New York (1990), and many awards and nominations to Polish Academy of Phonography Award “Fryderyk” (1998–2012). His honours also include the Award of the Minister of Culture and Art (1976, 1980, 1982, 2004, 2008), the Silver Cross of Merit of the Republic of Poland (1977), the Silver Medal Premio Vittorio Gui (Italy, 1979), the Medal of the Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw (1981), the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (1984), the Badge of Merit in Culture (1985), the Medal of the 40th Anniversary of People’s Poland (1985), the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (2002), the Plaque of Honour of the Chopin Academy of Music (2004), the Medal of Honour of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso (2004) and the Silver Olympic Laurel (2004). He received an honorary membership of the Musica Sacra Association (2004) and the Karol Nicze Music Society (2006). In 2005 he received an honorary citizenship of the town of Pabianice. In 2008 he received an honorary award of the Polish Composers’ Union, and the Gloria Artis Silver Medal for compositional achievements. In 2009 he received The Saint Albert Award, in 2010 — the Medal of Merit for Fryderyk Chopin University of Music and Award of Author’s Association ZAiKS. He also received the “Fryderyk” Award of the Polish Academy of Phonography in the “Composer of the Year” category (2011), the Medal of the Commission of the National Education (2012), and the “Grand Prix” from the Rector of the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw (2012).

Compositions

·    Two Mazurkas for piano (1958)

·    Variations for piano (1959)

·    Toccata for piano (1960)

·    Sfere for chamber orchestra (1961)

·    Sonata for piano (1961)

·    Lyrical Preludes for soprano and piano, with words by Konstanty I. Galczynski (1962)

·    Visions I for solo cello (1962)

·    Fragmenti for piano (1962)

·    Aria for soprano and seven instruments (1963)

·    Acclamations for four choirs, six instrumental groups and organ, a setting of Byzantine texts (1964)

·    Dram for orchestra (1966)

·    Epitaphium for female choir and instrumental ensemble (1968)

·    Lullaby for a cappella mixed choir (1970)

·    Limits for orchestra (1971)

·    Children’s Christmas carol for alto, baritone, mixed choir and organ, with works by Józef Szczawinski (1971)

·    Selection for 5 for chamber ensemble (1972)

·    Images I for any solo voice (1973)

·    Comes for chamber ensemble (1974)

·    Psalmus for organ (1975)

·    Norwidiana 75 for female voice and chamber ensemble (1975)

·    Images II for any solo string instrument (1975)

·    Romantic Interludes for piano (1976)

·    Variant for instrumental ensemble (1976)

·    Speranza for flute and piano (1976)

·    Vox for any solo wind instrument (1977)

·    Dialoghi for two pianos (1977)

·    Mont for orchestra (1978)

·    Spectra for solo percussion (1980)

·    Dynamics I for six percussionists (1981)

·    Mater mea for a cappella mixed choir, with words by Krzysztof K. Baczynski (1982)

·    Apasionante for two instruments (string and brass) (1983)

·    Concerto for any solo string instrument and orchestra (1985/86)

·    Pax in terra I for female voice, four guitar groups and tubular bells (1987)

·    Pax in terra ll for female voice, percussion and organ (1988)

·    Prolog for trumpet and organ (1990)

·    Adoramus for a cappella mixed choir (1991)

·    Ritornel for orchestra (1992)

·    Hosanna I for mixed choir and four instruments (1993)

·    Christmas carol I for a cappella mixed choir, with works by Anna Bernat and Jan Wecowski (1995)

·    Regina caeli for a cappella mixed choir (1995)

·    Kassándra for female voice, mixed choir and orchestra (1996/97)

·    De profundis for mixed choir and orchestra (1998)

·    Metallica for brass quintet (1999)

·    Ave. Alleluia. Amen I for a cappella mixed choir (2000)

·    Con-Son for string orchestra (2001)

·    Dix for brass quintet (2002)

·    Visions II for string orchestra (2003)

·    Visions III for string quartet (2003)

·    Symphony No. 1 – Dies irae for mixed choir and symphony orchestra (2004)

·    Hymnus for mixed choir and symphony orchestra (2005)

·    Libera me for a cappella mixed choir (2005)

·    Sonus for instrumental ensemble (2006)

·    Pax in terra III for female choir, strings and percussion (2007)

·    Sanctus for a cappella mixed choir (2009)

·    Hosanna II for mixed choir and symphony orchestra (2009)

·    Symphony No. 2 – Hymnus for mixed choir and symphony orchestra (2005-2009)

·    Christmas carol II for bass and mixed choir, with works by Anna Bernat and Jan Wecowski (2010)

·    Dynamics II for six percussionists (2010)

·    Lux for a cappella mixed choir (2010)

·    Pater noster for a cappella mixed choir (2011)

·    Lux aeterna for mixed choir and symphony orchestra (2008–2011)

·    Ave. Alleluia. Amen II for six male voices (2011)

·    Symphony No. 3 – Requiem for mixed choir and symphony orchestra (1998–2011)

·    Cantus for six saxophones (2012)

·    Lullaby II for a cappella mixed choir (2012)

·    Gloria I for a cappella female choir (2012)

Discography

LP

• Children’s Christmas carol – Veriton SXV 772 (1975)
• 3 Andersen’s Fables – Veriton SXV 805 (1978)
• Romantic Interludes – Veriton SXV 806 (1979)
• Vox – ProViva ISPV 102 (1980)
• Dialoghi – Veriton SXV 817 (1981)
• Vox – Polskie Nagrania • Muza SX 1806 (1982)
• Christmas carol I / Christmas carol II – Veriton SXV 896 (1984)
• Mater mea – Veriton SXV 897–898 (1985)
• Images II – Polskie Nagrania • Muza SX 2459 B (1986)
• Speranza / Fragmenti / Spectra / Images II – ProViva ISPV 137 (1987)
• Psalmus – Veriton SXV 882 (1987)
• Speranza – Veriton SXV 870 (1987)
• Fragmenti – Polskie Nagrania • Muza SXL 0827 (1987)

CD

• Fragmenti – Olympia Compact Discs Ltd. OCD 316 (1989)
• Romantic Interludes / Dialoghi – Olympia Compact Discs Ltd. OCD 394 (1993)
• Pax in terra II – Polonia Records CD 020 (1994)
• Spectra – Polonia Records CD 027 (1994)
• Images II – Polonia Records CD 028 (1994)
• Regina caeli – DUX 0251 (1996)
• Christmas carol I – DUX 0275 (1996)
• Christmas carol I / Christmas carol II – Gamma GCD 017 (1997)
• 3 Andersen’s Fables – MTJ 022 (1997)
• Christmas carol I / Christmas carol II – GM Records GMM 253–2 (1998)
• Adoramus – DUX 0108 (1998) (Nomination to Polish Academy of Phonography Award “Fryderyk – 1998”)
• Psalmus – Acte Préalable AP 0005 (1998)
• Norwidiana 75 – Acte Préalable AP 0008 (1998)
• Fragmenti – Keimyung University CD (1999)
• Toccata /Fragmenti – Acte Préalable AP 0016 (1999)
• Pax in terra II / Limits / Adoramus / Regina caeli / Variant / Hosanna I / Dram / De profundis – Acte Préalable AP 0038 (1999)
• Toccata – MT 2006/6 (2000)
• Dram / Hosanna I / De profundis – PBR CD-R 001 (2000)
• De profundis / Selection for 5 – Acte Préalable AP 0011/12 (2001)
• Hosanna I – Acte Préalable AP 0098 (2001)
• Ave • Alleluia • Amen – Acte Préalable AP 0100 (2001) (Nomination to Polish Academy of Phonography Award “Fryderyk – 2001”)
• Variant – Global Sound Media CD 001 (2002)
• Variant – DUX 0393 (2002) (Nomination to Polish Academy of Phonography Award “Fryderyk – 2002”)
• Images III – Acte Préalable AP 0107 (2004) (2 Nominations to Polish Academy of Phonography Award “Fryderyk – 2004”)
• Ave • Alleluia • Amen – Acte Préalable AP 0100 (2004) (2 Nominations to Polish Academy of Phonography Award “Fryderyk – 2004”)
• Vox / Dram – Acte Préalable AP 0109 (2004) (Nomination to Polish Academy of Phonography Award “Fryderyk – 2004”)
• Pax in terra II – Acte Préalable AP 0133 (2005) (2 Nominations to Polish Academy of Phonography Award “Fryderyk – 2005”)
• Psalmus – DUX 0522–23 (2005) (Nomination to Polish Academy of Phonography Award “Fryderyk – 2005”)
• Dies irae – Acte Préalable AP 0197 (2005)
• Speranza / Selection for 5 / Norwidiana 75 – The Mystery of the writing CD (2006)
• Prolog / Toccata / Images II / Psalmus / Dialoghi / Vox / Visions I / Fragmenti / Speranza / Spectra – Musica Sacra Edition MSE 010 (2006)
• Dies irae – Musica Sacra Edition MSE 011 (2006) (2 Nominations to Polish Academy of Phonography Award “Fryderyk – 2006”)
• Libera me – Musica Sacra Edition MSE 018 (2008) (Nomination to Polish Academy of Phonography Award “Fryderyk – 2009”)
• Hymnus / Pax in terra II / Adoramus / Regina caeli / De profundis / Ave • Alleluia • Amen / Libera me / Hosanna I / Dies irae – Musica Sacra Edition MSE 020 (2008) (2 Nominations to Polish Academy of Phonography Award “Fryderyk – 2009”)
• Sanctus – MFMS „Gaude Mater” / Polskie Radio Program II, CD (2009)
• Christmas carol II – Musica Sacra Edition MSE 027 (2010) (“Fryderyk” Award of the Polish Academy of Phonography – 2011”)
• Limits / Selection for 5 / Variant / Visions II / Dynamics II / Norwidiana 75 / Dram – Musica Sacra Edition MSE 030 (2010) (2 Nominations to Polish Academy of Phonography Award “Fryderyk – 2011”)
• Ave • Alleluia • Amen – Musica Sacra Edition MSE 028 (2011)
• Mazurka – DUX 0795 (2011)