Professor Bogdan Dowlasz, an outstanding accordionist, composer, pedagogue, and rector of the Łódź Academy of Music from 1993 to 1999, passed away on February 1, 2025 in Łódź, at the age of 76.
Professor Dowlasz made a significant contribution to the development of Polish accordion art in the fields of performance, pedagogy, and composition. He was the creator of a rich repertoire for the accordion, head of the Department of Accordion and Contemporary Music Interpretation (2007–2014), and head of Doctoral Studies (2008–2013). He served as vice-president of the Main Board of the Polish Accordionists Association, was a member of the board of the Förderverein für Internationale Akkordeonwettbewerbe Klingenthal (Germany), and was a member of the Łódź Branch of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN). He was also an expert for the Ministry of National Education (MEN).
As a soloist, he participated in numerous concerts (around 1000) and festivals. He premiered works by contemporary Polish and foreign composers (including Jerzy Bauer, Sławomir Kaczorowski, Stanisław Moryto, Piotr Moss, Bronisław Kazimierz Przybylski). He was the creator and leader of various ensembles, including the Łódź Accordion Quintet (1974–1983), the Łódź Accordion Orchestra (1984–1986), and the Łódź Trio (1987–2002). Some of his own compositions became part of the mandatory repertoire for national and international accordion competitions.
May he rest in peace…
