composer and teacher; b. 23rd July 1949 in Jelenia Góra. He studied composition with Piotr Perkowski and Romuald Twardowski at the State Higher School of Music in Warsaw (master’s degree in 1974) and in 1980-81 with Olivier Messiaen in Paris (thanks to a French government scholarship).

He has received numerous awards and honourable mentions in composition competitions, including the 1st prize in a competition for educational work in Wrocław for Piano Concerto for Young People No.1 Op. 6 (1973), the 2nd prize in the Composition Competition of the 9th Festival of Polish Piano Art in Słupsk for Concertino per pianoforte e orchestra Op. 9 (1975), the 1st prize in the Young Composers’ Competition of the Polish Composers’ Union for Gradito per orchestra Op. 12 (1976), an honourable mention in the 19th Concorso Internazionale di Composizione “Premio Cittá di Trieste” for Concerto pesante per tuba e orchestra Op. 14 (1980), Darmstadt City Award in the Chopin-Gesellschaft Competition for Symphonia concertante per pianoforte e orchestra op. 16 (1980), twice the 1st price in the Competition of the Warsaw Section of the Polish Composers’ Union – for Intrada, Elegy and Postlude Op. 19 for organ(1982) and for Orpheus Songs Op. 24 for counter-tenor, flute, oboe and harp (1985),  the Bucchi Award in Rome for Five Pieces for Piano for Children – Forest Roaming Op. 25 (1986), the 3rd prize in the Karol Szymanowski Competition for Composers for Music from Zawrat Op. 31 for double-bass and piano (1992), the Gdańsk City Award in the 1000th Anniversary Competition of the City of Gdańsk for Hymnus Gedanensis Op. 36 – symphonic poem for mixed choir and great symphony orchestra (1997).

His works are in the repertoire of such renowned performers as violinists Krzysztof and Jakub Jakowicz, cellist Tomasz Strahl, the Amadeus Orchestra, the Concerto Avenna Orchestra, the National Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra in Warsaw and the Schola Cantorum Gedanensis Polish Chamber Choir. A number of the composer's works have been published by PWM Edition and TONOS Publishing House from Darmstadt.

Apart from composing, he is also a teacher. Since 1974 he has taught at the Józef Elsner State Secondary Music School in Warsaw. In the years 1989-1992 he was its deputy director. He started an "Introduction to Composition" class and he has raised a number of young composers, winners of prestigious composition competitions. Czarnecki was also one of the initiators of the Students' Music Forum – a festival organized since 1996, presenting works by students and graduates of the Józef Elsner Music School. In 2001 he became a certified teacher. In 2006 he received a habilitation degree in composition and music theory from the Grażyna and Kiejstut Bacewicz Academy of Music in Łódź. Since 2006 he has been working at the Department of Music Education of the Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, currently as a professor.

Sławomir Czarnecki is a member of the ZAiKS Authors' Association, the Polish Composers' Union and the Karol Szymanowski Music Society, where he served as vice-president and currently is a member of the Management Board. Since 2011 he has been the president of the Warsaw Branch of the Polish Composers' Union. Thanks to his efforts, the Polish Composers' Union established a foundation called the Warsaw Music Encounters (2014).

He was honored with many decorations, including the Silver Cross of Merit (1996), the Medal of the Commission of National Education (2004), the Decoration of Honor "Meritorious for Polish Culture" (2006), the Silver Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis (2009), and the Golden Cross of Merit (2019).

updated: 2020 (Agnieszka Cieślak)

CONTACT

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Sławomir Czarnecki might well say about his music what the eminent French composer Francis Poulenc once said about his: "I know perfectly well that I am not one of those composers who introduce harmonic innovations, like Stravinsky, Ravel or Debussy, but I believe there is also room for the kind of music that unashamedly makes use of borrowed chords. Was it not the case with Mozart or Schubert?". Sławomir Czarnecki has never been an avant-garde artist, and the less so recently, when he has come close to what he describes as "after-modern aesthetics". In this aesthetics, he writes works which are transparent in texture and clear in form, easy to understand and providing the audience with many joyful moments. These works are satisfying to musicians as well, which is borne out by the performances of such pieces as Hombark-Concerto for violin and string orchestra or the "Lily-Coloured" Concerto for two violins and string orchestra. The excellent violinist Krzysztof Jakowicz clearly derived much pleasure and fun from playing those compositions. The highlander rhythms of both concertos provoked him to move on the stage in nearly dance-like steps. The "Lily-Coloured" Concerto, first performed by Krzysztof Jakowicz with his son Jakub in the Witold Lutosławski Polish Radio Concert Studio was encored – a rare success for a contemporary work.

DOWNLOAD: Sławomir Czarnecki's List of Compostitions.

Canzona da chiesa op. 1 [1st version] per violino e organo (1968)

Canzona da chiesa op. 1a [2nd version] per violino e pianoforte a 4 (1968-75)

Prelude and Nocturne op. 2 for flute and piano (1969)

Cantata Igor Stravinsky in memoriam op. 3 for mixed choir and orchestra (1971)

Two Toccatas op. 4 for piano (1971-73)

Sinfonietta op. 5 per orchestra (1973)

Piano Concerto for Young People No. 1 op. 6 (1973)

Piano Concerto for Young People No. 2 op. 7 (1974)

Piosenki dla dzieci na głos z fortepianem (1974-86)

Prelude op. 8 per orchestra (1975)

Concerto per pianoforte e orchestra op. 9 (1975)

A Gushing Spring op. 10, songs for soprano and chamber ensemble (1976)

Gradito op. 11 per orchestra (1976)

Piano-Trio op. 12 (1977)

Concerto pesante op. 13 per tuba e orchestra (1978)

Sonata per clavicembalo op. 14 (1979)

Symphonie concertante "Bałtycka" op. 15 for piano and orchestra (1979-2015)

String Quartet No. 1 op. 16 (1980)

Sonata pastorale op. 17 per flauto e pianoforte (1980)

Magnificat op. 34 No. 1 per soprano, coro e orchestra (1980-96)

Intrada, Elegia e Postludium op. 18 per organo (1982)

Funeral Sonata op. 19 for violin and piano (1982)

Lamentationes op. 20 for voices and chamber orchestra (Jerzy Popiełuszko in memoriam) (1984)

Cantata Laudate Dominum op. 21 for 2 sopranos, baritone, choir and orchestra (1985)

Orpheus Songs op. 22 for counter-tenor, flute, oboe and harp (1985)

Forest Roaming op. 23, 5 children’s pieces for piano (1985)

String Trio op. 24 (1986)

Saxophone Quintet (1987)

Capriccio op. 25 per due violoncelli (1988)

Trio basso op. 26 per viola, violoncello e contrabasso (1988)

Three Visions op. 27 per organo (1988-90)

A Gushing Spring op. 10a [2nd version], songs for soprano and piano to poems by Halina Poświatowska (1989)

Concerto per contrabasso e archi op. 28 (1991)

Music from Zawrat op. 29 for double-bass and piano (1991)

Eucharist Songs for voice and organ (1992)

Seven Little Studies for Piano op. 30 (1992)

Via Crucis op. 31 per organo (1993)

Hombark – Concerto per violino e archi op. 32 (1995)

Hymnus Gedanensis op. 34 No. 2, symphonic poem for mixed choir and large symphony orchestra (1997)

String Quartet No.2 “From Spisz” op. 33 (1997)

Wałaski op. 35, characteristic choreographic poem for string orchestra (1997)

Sabała’s Interludes op. 36 for oboe (1998)

Anthems op. 47 (Bądź pozdrowiona Królowo Niebieska, Ave Maria, O Crux Benedicta, Bądź pozdrowione Serce Jezusa) for choir a cappella (1999-2019)

Toccatina op. 38 for piano for four hands (2000)

Jasna Góra Mass op. 37 for soprano, bass-baritone, mixed choir and orchestra (2000)

Tatra Sonatina op. 39 for piano (2001)

Anniversary Cantata “Let the Song Fly” op. 40 for choir and orchestra to texts by Or-Ot (2001)

Lily-Coloured Concerto op. 41 for two violins and string orchestra (2002)

Koncert Jurajski op. 42 for 4 violins and string orchestra (2004)

Two Folk Songs op. 43 for female choir (or children choir) (2004)

Concerto Lendinum op. 44 per violino e violoncello ed archi (2005)

Corona Mariae – Hymni in honorem Beatae Mariae Virginis Regina Poloniae op. 45 (Hymnus Unica Victrix, Hynmus in honorem B.M.V. de Vilno, Hymnus in honorem B.M.V.de Monte Calvariae Zebrzydoviensis, Hymnus in honorem B.M.V. de Piekary, Hymnus Domina Claromontana, Hymnus in honorem B.M.V. Bonae Mortis Patronae, Hymnus in honorem B.M.V. de Monte Carmelo, Hymnus in honorem B.M.V. de Kodeń, Hymnus in honorem B.M.V. Immaculata, Hymnus in honorem B.M.V. Assumptione, Hymnus in honorem B.M.V. Libertatis Poloniae, Hymnus in honorem Dei Matris Gratiarum, Patronae nobis Varsoviae, Hymnus Domina Cracoviae, Hymnus Mater Dei Ursynoviensis) for choir a cappella (2005-2018)

Spring Quintet op. 46 for alto saxophone/clarinet and string quartet (2006)

Papal Prayers op. 48 (O, Łaskawa Panno Maryjo, Matko Miłosierdzia, Proszę Cię, Matko Jasnogórska, Niepokalana Dziewico, Dziękujemy Ci, Maryjo, Święta Maryjo) for choir a cappella (2008-2010)

Hymnus in honorem Sanctis op. 49 (Hymnus in honorem Sancti Francisci, Hymnus Sanctus Michael, Hymnus in honorem Sancti Josafat Kuncewicz, Hymnus in honorem Sancti Joannis Pauli II) na choir a cappella (2009-2014)

Ursyn - Concerto op. 51 per flauto, oboe, clarinetto e viola ed archi (2013)

Capriccio Zawrat op. 52 per due violini  (2014)

Concerto Overture "Cervus Elaphus" op. 53  (2014)

Silesia Trio op. 54 per clarinetto, corno e pianoforte  (2014)

Vesperae in exaltatione Sanctae Crucis op. 50 for tenor, bass, choir and 10 wind instruments (2015)

Trio Perseidy op. 55 [1st version] for flute, cello and piano (2015)

Trio Perseidy op. 55 [2nd version] for flute, cello and accordion (2015)

Sonata from Kujawy op. 56 for viola and piano (2016)

Divertimento op. 57 for chamber orchestra (2017)

Two Mazurkas op. 58 for piano (2017)

Te Deum Polskie op. 59 for soprano, tenor, bass, choir and orchestra (2018)

Cantata "Adoracja Bożego Grobu" op. 60 for choir and orchestra (2018)

Capriccio Brda op. 61 for violin and viola (2019)

Narew Concerto op. 62 for string orchestra (2019)

Lindstedt Iwona, Czarnecki Sławomir,, In: PWM Music Encyclopaedia (biographical part ed. by Elżbieta Dziębowska), vol. “cd – Supplement”, PWM, Kraków 2001

Sokołowska Katarzyna, Mistrz i jego uczniowie,, "Twoja Muza" 2004 nr 2, s. 58-59.

Spadkobierca tradycji: z kompozytorem Sławomirem Czarneckim rozmawia Arkadiusz Jędrasik,, "ZAiKS: Wiadomości" 2018 nr 20, s.82-84.