
Fryderyk Chopin Music Academy
Overview
Warszawa-Sródmiescie
Śródmieście is the central borough of the city of Warsaw. The best known neighborhoods in the borough are the Old Town and New Town ....
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. It is the oldest and largest music school in Poland, and one of the largest in Europe.
Named for the great Polish composer Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music and has been called "the poet of the piano"....
(whose birth name was Fryderyk Chopin and who studied there from 1826 to 1829), the University dates its history from the Music School for singers and theater actors that had been founded in 1810 by Wojciech Bogusławski.
Unanswered Questions
Encyclopedia
The Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw (Uniwersytet Muzyczny Fryderyka Chopina w Warszawie) is located at ulica Okólnik 2 in central Warsaw
, Poland
. It is the oldest and largest music school in Poland, and one of the largest in Europe.
(whose birth name was Fryderyk Chopin and who studied there from 1826 to 1829), the University dates its history from the Music School for singers and theater actors that had been founded in 1810 by Wojciech Bogusławski. In 1820 it was transformed by Chopin's subsequent teacher, Józef Elsner
, into a more general school of music, the Institute of Music and Declamation; it was then affiliated with the University of Warsaw
and, together with the University, was dissolved by Russian imperial
authorities during the repressions that followed the November 1830 Uprising
. In 1861 it was revived as Warsaw's Institute of Music.
After Poland regained independence in 1918, the Institute was taken over by the Polish state and became known as the Warsaw Conservatory. The institutions's old main building was destroyed during World War II
, in the Warsaw Uprising
. After the war, in 1946, the school was recreated as the Higher State School of Music. In 1979 the school assumed its name, the Fryderyk Chopin Music Academy. 29.05.2008 the school once again changed its name into The Frideric Chopin University of Music.
The main building, at ulica Okólnik 2 in Central Warsaw
, was constructed between 1960 and 1966. It contains 62 sound-proof classrooms; a concert hall (486 seats), the Szymanowski Lecture Theater (adapted for film projection; 155 seats), the Melcer Chamber Music Hall (196 seats and an organ), the Moniuszko Opera Hall (53 seats), a rhythmics room, three music-recording and sound-track studios, a tuner's studio, a library and reading room, rector's offices, deans' offices, management offices, guest rooms, the GAMA student club, a cafeteria, and doctor's and dentist's clinics. There is also a music book shop and antiquarian book shop.
The University also has its own dormitory
, Dziekanka, at 58/60 Krakowskie Przedmieście
. The latter has its own 150-seat concert hall.
Warszawa-Sródmiescie
Śródmieście is the central borough of the city of Warsaw. The best known neighborhoods in the borough are the Old Town and New Town ....
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. It is the oldest and largest music school in Poland, and one of the largest in Europe.
History
Named for the great Polish composer Frédéric ChopinFrédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music and has been called "the poet of the piano"....
(whose birth name was Fryderyk Chopin and who studied there from 1826 to 1829), the University dates its history from the Music School for singers and theater actors that had been founded in 1810 by Wojciech Bogusławski. In 1820 it was transformed by Chopin's subsequent teacher, Józef Elsner
Józef Elsner
Józef Antoni Franciszek was a composer, music teacher and music theoretician, active mainly in Warsaw...
, into a more general school of music, the Institute of Music and Declamation; it was then affiliated with the University of Warsaw
University of Warsaw
The University of Warsaw is the largest university in Poland and one of the most prestigious, ranked as best Polish university in 2010 and 2011...
and, together with the University, was dissolved by Russian imperial
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
authorities during the repressions that followed the November 1830 Uprising
November Uprising
The November Uprising , Polish–Russian War 1830–31 also known as the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in Warsaw when the young Polish officers from the local Army of the Congress...
. In 1861 it was revived as Warsaw's Institute of Music.
After Poland regained independence in 1918, the Institute was taken over by the Polish state and became known as the Warsaw Conservatory. The institutions's old main building was destroyed during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, in the Warsaw Uprising
Warsaw Uprising
The Warsaw Uprising was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance Home Army , to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Germany. The rebellion was timed to coincide with the Soviet Union's Red Army approaching the eastern suburbs of the city and the retreat of German forces...
. After the war, in 1946, the school was recreated as the Higher State School of Music. In 1979 the school assumed its name, the Fryderyk Chopin Music Academy. 29.05.2008 the school once again changed its name into The Frideric Chopin University of Music.
Buildings

Warszawa-Sródmiescie
Śródmieście is the central borough of the city of Warsaw. The best known neighborhoods in the borough are the Old Town and New Town ....
, was constructed between 1960 and 1966. It contains 62 sound-proof classrooms; a concert hall (486 seats), the Szymanowski Lecture Theater (adapted for film projection; 155 seats), the Melcer Chamber Music Hall (196 seats and an organ), the Moniuszko Opera Hall (53 seats), a rhythmics room, three music-recording and sound-track studios, a tuner's studio, a library and reading room, rector's offices, deans' offices, management offices, guest rooms, the GAMA student club, a cafeteria, and doctor's and dentist's clinics. There is also a music book shop and antiquarian book shop.
The University also has its own dormitory
Dormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
, Dziekanka, at 58/60 Krakowskie Przedmieście
Krakowskie Przedmiescie
Krakowskie Przedmieście is one of the most impressive and prestigious streets of Poland's capital.Several other Polish cities also have streets named Krakowskie Przedmieście. In Lublin, it is the main and most elegant street...
. The latter has its own 150-seat concert hall.
Structure
The University is divided into 6 departments:- Department I: Composition, Conducting and Theory of Music
- Department II: Piano, Harpsichord and Organs
- Department III: Instrumental Studies
- Department IV: Vocal Studies
- Department V: Choir Conducting, Musical Education, Church Music, Rhythmics and Dance
- Department VI: Sound Directing / Engineering
- Department VII: Instrumental and Educational Studies in Białystok
Directors and rectors
- Wojciech Bogusławski (1810-1814)
- Józef ElsnerJózef ElsnerJózef Antoni Franciszek was a composer, music teacher and music theoretician, active mainly in Warsaw...
(1816-1830) - Henryk Melcer-SzczawińskiHenryk Melcer-SzczawinskiHenryk Melcer-Szczawiński was a Polish composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.-Works:His works include two piano concertos, one in E minor and one in C minor ; a violin sonata , and a piano trio in G minor ; a tragedy "Protesilas i Laodamia" Henryk Melcer-Szczawiński (September 21, 1869...
(1922-1927) - Karol SzymanowskiKarol SzymanowskiKarol Maciej Szymanowski was a Polish composer and pianist.-Life:Szymanowski was born into a wealthy land-owning Polish gentry family in Tymoszówka, then in the Russian Empire, now in Cherkasy Oblast, Ukraine. He studied music privately with his father before going to Gustav Neuhaus'...
(1927-1929, 1930-1931) - Kazimierz SikorskiKazimierz SikorskiKazimierz Sikorski was a Polish composer.-Biography:Sikorski studied in Warsaw, first music at the Warsaw Conservatory and then philosophy at the University of Warsaw. He then studied in Lwów, which was Polish at the time, and Paris. In 1926, he became a teacher of composition at the Conservatory...
(1940-44 Director of Staatliche Musikschule in Warsaw) - Stanisław Kazuro (1945-1951)
- Teodor Zalewski (1966-1969)
- Tadeusz Paciorkiewicz (1969-71)
- Regina SmendziankaRegina SmendziankaRegina Smendzianka was a Polish pianist.Regina Smendzianka was born in Toruń, and began her public performances as a child of eight surprising the audience with her mature interpretation of the classical works...
(1972-73) - Tadeusz Wroński (1973-1975)
- Tadeusz Maklakiewicz (1975-1978)
- Bogusław Madey (1978-1981)
- Andrzej Rakowski (1981-1987)
- Kazimierz GierżodKazimierz GierzodKazimierz Gierzod is a Polish pianist.Soon after graduating at Siena's Accademia Chigliana he won Gdansk 1964 Festival of Young Musicians' 1st prize. An intercontinental career ensued. He has served as rector at the Fryderyk Chopin Music Academy , where he holds a professorship.- References :* *...
(1987-94) - Andrzej Chorosiński (1993-99)
- Ryszard Zimak (1999-2005)
- Stanisław Moryto (2005-present)
Doctors honoris causa
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Andrzej Panufnik Sir Andrzej Panufnik was a Polish composer, pianist, conductor and pedagogue. He became established as one of the leading Polish composers, and as a conductor he was instrumental in the re-establishment of the Warsaw Philharmonic orchestra after World War II... Krzysztof Penderecki Krzysztof Penderecki , born November 23, 1933 in Dębica) is a Polish composer and conductor. His 1960 avant-garde Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima for string orchestra brought him to international attention, and this success was followed by acclaim for his choral St. Luke Passion. Both these... Jean-Pierre Rampal Jean-Pierre Louis Rampal was a French flautist. He has been personally "credited with returning to the flute the popularity as a solo classical instrument it had not held since the 18th century."-Early years:... Mstislav Rostropovich Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich, KBE , known to close friends as Slava, was a Soviet and Russian cellist and conductor. He was married to the soprano Galina Vishnevskaya. He is widely considered to have been the greatest cellist of the second half of the 20th century, and one of the greatest of... Arthur Rubinstein Arthur Rubinstein KBE was a Polish-American pianist. He received international acclaim for his performances of the music of a variety of composers... Witold Rudzinski Witold Rudziński was a Polish composer, conductor, and author.-External links:**... Jerzy Semkow Jerzy Semkow is a Polish conductor. He has served as music director of the Saint Louis Symphony, principal conductor of the Royal Danish Opera and the Royal Danish Orchestra in Copenhagen, Music Advisor and Principal Conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic, Music Director of the Orchestra of... |
Kazimierz Sikorski Kazimierz Sikorski was a Polish composer.-Biography:Sikorski studied in Warsaw, first music at the Warsaw Conservatory and then philosophy at the University of Warsaw. He then studied in Lwów, which was Polish at the time, and Paris. In 1926, he became a teacher of composition at the Conservatory... Regina Smendzianka Regina Smendzianka was a Polish pianist.Regina Smendzianka was born in Toruń, and began her public performances as a child of eight surprising the audience with her mature interpretation of the classical works... |
Notable professors
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Stanisław Moniuszko Stanisław Moniuszko was a Polish composer, conductor and teacher. His output includes many songs and operas, and his musical style is filled with patriotic folk themes of the peoples of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth... Witold Rudzinski Witold Rudziński was a Polish composer, conductor, and author.-External links:**... Ada Sari Ada Sari was a Polish opera singer, actress, and educator. One of the leading coloratura sopranos of her generation, she possessed a large, resonant voice with a clear timbre. Her career took her to the stages of the best opera houses and concert halls in Europe during the first half of the 20th... Tadeusz Szeligowski Tadeusz Szeligowski was a Polish composer, educator, lawyer and music organizer. His works include the operas The Rise of the Scholars, Krakatuk and Theodor Gentlemen, the ballets The Peacock and the Girl and Mazepa ballets, two violin concertos, chamber and choral works.As a music teacher he was... |
Karol Szymanowski Karol Maciej Szymanowski was a Polish composer and pianist.-Life:Szymanowski was born into a wealthy land-owning Polish gentry family in Tymoszówka, then in the Russian Empire, now in Cherkasy Oblast, Ukraine. He studied music privately with his father before going to Gustav Neuhaus'... Witold Maliszewski Witold Maliszewski , was a Polish composer, first Rector and founder of Odessa Conservatory and professor at Warsaw Conservatory, pupil of N. Rimsky-Korsakov.- Biography :... Józef Turczynski Jozéf Turczyński was a Polish pianist, pedagogue and musicologist who exercised a powerful influence over the development of piano teaching and performance, especially in the works of Frédéric Chopin, during the first half of the 20th century... Stanisław Wisłocki Stanisław Wisłocki was a Polish conductor of classical music who performed and recorded with many internationally renowned orchestras, ensembles and virtuoso musicians and is highly regarded for his interpretations of Beethoven, Mozart, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Schumann and Tchaikovsky.-Early... |
Notable students
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Wanda Landowska Wanda Landowska was a Polish harpsichordist whose performances, teaching, recordings and writings played a large role in reviving the popularity of the harpsichord in the early 20th century... Jerzy Lefeld Jerzy Lefeld was a Polish composer, pianist and a music teacher.Lefeld was born and died in Warsaw. From 1917 until World War II he taught piano at the Warsaw Conservatory. He became its professor in 1933... Jan Maklakiewicz Jan Adam Maklakiewicz was a Polish composer, conductor, critic, and music educator.-References:**... Maciej Małecki Maciej Małecki is a Polish composer and pianist.He studied at the Frederic Chopin Academy of Music and the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York. From 1993 to 1996 he was president of the Polish Composers' Association.-Selected Works:* Cicha noc - Silent night, symphony of Polish carols. -... Zygmunt Noskowski Zygmunt Noskowski , Polish composer, conductor and teacher.-Biography:Zygmunt Noskowski was born in Warsaw and was originally trained at the Warsaw Conservatory studying violin and composition. A scholarship enabled him to travel to Berlin where between 1864 and 1867, he studied with Friedrich... Ignacy Jan Paderewski Ignacy Jan Paderewski GBE was a Polish pianist, composer, diplomat, politician, and the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland.-Biography:... Andrzej Panufnik Sir Andrzej Panufnik was a Polish composer, pianist, conductor and pedagogue. He became established as one of the leading Polish composers, and as a conductor he was instrumental in the re-establishment of the Warsaw Philharmonic orchestra after World War II... Piotr Perkowski Piotr Perkowski was a Polish composer.... Ludomir Rozycki Ludomir Różycki was a Polish composer and conductor. He was, with Mieczysław Karłowicz, Karol Szymanowski and Grzegorz Fitelberg, a member of the group of composers known as Young Poland, the intention of which was to invigorate the musical culture of their generation in their mother country.He... Antoni Szalowski Antoni Szałowski was a Polish composer. In his youth he studied violin but soon became more interested in piano, conducting, and composition. Szałowski studied with Paweł Lewicki at the Warsaw Conservatoire, but in 1930 he received a government grant which enabled him to study in Paris... |
Alexandre Tansman Alexandre Tansman was a Polish-born composer and virtuoso pianist. He spent his early years in his native Poland, but lived in France for most of his life... Piotr Tomaszewski Piotr Tomaszewski is a classical guitarist from Poland. He has studied classical guitar since 1990 and has won awards in several competitions, as well as being a guest performer at festivals and events around Europe. Tomaszewski's repertoire includes guitar concertos and works for solo guitar,... Zbigniew Turski Zbigniew Turski was a Polish composer.He was born in Konstancin and died in Warsaw.In 1948 he won a gold medal in the art competitions of the Olympic Games for his Symfonia Olimpijska .... Eugenia Uminska Eugenia Umińska was a Polish violinist.Student of the Warsaw Conservatory. In the years 1932-1934 she was the concertmaster of the Orchestra of the Polish Radio in Warsaw. She took part in close to a hundred concerts before the start of World War II... Moshe Vilenski Moshe Vilenski was an Israeli composer, lyricist, and pianist. He is considered a "pioneer of Israeli song", and one of Israel's leading composers, and was a winner of the Israel Prize, the state's highest honor.-Early life:... Daniel Wnukowski Daniel Wnukowski is a Polish Canadian pianist from Windsor, Ontario, Canada.- Early years and training:At age 3 and a half, he showed strong fascination for a grand piano made completely out of glass in a music store and begged his parents to begin taking piano lessons.He studied piano at the... Bohdan Wodiczko Bohdan Wodiczko was a Polish conductor and music teacher.He was the father of the Polish-American artist Krzysztof Wodiczko.-Footnotes:# - References :*... |
Competitions
The University organizes the following music competitions:- the Tadeusz Wronski International Solo Violin Competition (Międzynarodowy Konkurs T. Wrońskiego na Skrzypce Solo)
- an International Organ Competition (Międzynarodowy Konkurs Organowy)
- the Wanda Landowska Harpsichord Competition (Międzynarodowy Konkurs Klawesynowy im. W. Landowskiej)
- the Witold Lutoslawski International Cello Competition (Międzynarodowy Konkurs Wiolonczelowy im. W. Lutosławskiego)