performers (K)

harpist; b. March 27th, 1924, Repty in Segiet (today a district of Tarnowskie Gory), d. April 25th, 2008, Ruda Slaska - Nowy Bytom. She comes from a family with musical traditions: her father – Wiktor Kostorz was a graduate (1911-14) of the Professional Music School in Skwierzyna (Landkreismusikschule Schwerin a/Warthe) in the althorn and bassoon class, and was a musician (1919-22) in Gorzow Wielkopolski Symphony Orchestra (Sinfonieorchester Landsberg a/Warthe); her sister Florentyna Kupka was a private tutor of pianism, and her brother Zygmunt was a clarinetist in the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice and Silesian Opera in Bytom. Elżbieta Bibiana Kupkówna, her nephew’s daughter, continues family instrumental traditions; she is a student at the Academy of Music in Katowice in the harp class of Professor Helga Storck. Between 1940-1944 she studied to play the harp at the District Silesian School of Music (Höhere Landesmusikschule) in Katowice with Professor Helmuth Schneider. In 1954 and 1955 she continued study at the State Higher School of Music in Katowice. In 1947 she started work as a first harpist – soloist in National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice conducted by Grzegorz Fietelberg. She worked there constantly till 1981. Together with orchestra she effectuated many recordings, e.g. Little Concertante Symphony for harp, harpsichord, piano and two string’s orchestras by Frank Martin conducted by Pierre Colombo, many chamber pieces in duo with flutist Eryk Bronkowski as well as with bassist Gerard Przybyła and violinist Zygmunt Lasoń and with Little Light Music Orchestra of Polish Radio Silesian Broadcasting Station conducted by Jerzy Harald.

As a appreciation of her musical activity, she was awarded with Provincial Governor Medals, Silver Cross of Merit and Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.

(December 2008)