On the 13th of January, Romuald Twardowski (1930-2024), the doyen of Polish composers, a member of the Polish Composers' Union since 1960 died in Warsaw at the age of 93.
Romuald Twardowski left a huge and diverse compositional legacy. He was the creator of symphonic, chamber and choral works, operas and ballets, and the winner of many prestigious composition competitions in Poland and abroad. Among his many competition triumphs, the most important include the 1st prize at the Young Composers' Competition of the Polish Composers' Union in 1961 for the work Antifone per tre gruppi d'orchestra, the 2nd place at the UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers in Paris in 1963 for Ode to Youth, the two first prizes at the Prince Rainier III International Composition Competition in Monaco in 1965 - for the ballet-pantomime The Sorcerer's Statues - and in 1973, for the musical drama Lord Jim. A unique place among these distinctions is taken by the 1st prize at the competition organized to celebrate the 550th anniversary of the Battle of Grunwald for the piece Warmińska Suite.
The Polish Composers' Union honored the Composer with its prestigious Annual Award in 1995. Ignacy Jan Paderewski American Foundation awarded him for outstanding artistic achievements in 2007. In 2010, the Minister of Culture and National Heritage awarded the Artist the Gold Medal "Gloria Artis". He was also honored with the Knight's Cross, Officer's Cross and Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.
We will miss his friendly visits to the ZKP office, and we say goodbye to him with great regret.
May he rest in peace.
Mieczysław Kominek
