In February, Polish composer Piotr Moss(b. 1949) was promoted to title of Officer in the “Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication. A resident of Paris since 1981 and a holder of the title of “Chevalier” in the same order since 2000, Moss has long been recognized by the French government for his contributions to French culture.
Piotr Moss was born on May 13, 1949 in Bydgoszcz. He studied composition with Piotr Perkowski at the State Higher School of Music in Warsaw, graduating with honors in 1972. In 1976-77 he continued his studies with Nadia Boulanger in Paris, where he received the Friends of Lili Boulanger Society Award for his entire oeuvre.
He has also been awarded in national and international competitions for composers: in 1972 – 1st prize in the Competition for Composers in Cracow for Tre istanti per arpa sola(1972); in 1973 – 2nd prize in the Young Composers’ Competition of the Polish Composers’ Union for his Symphony “Charon” (1973); in 1978 – 1st prize in the International K. M. Weber Competition for Composers in Dresden for Quartetto per quattro violoncelli (1978) and the main award in the competition of the Associazione Musicale Valentino Bucchi in Rome for Trois pensées… for clarinet and chamber ensemble (1978); in 1979 – 1st prize in the Artur Malawski Competition for Garść liści wierzbowych [A Handful of Willow Leaves] for baritone, 3 cellos and 3 double-basses to poems by Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz (1978); in 1982 – 3rd prize in the International Competition for Composers in Stroud for Chants d’antan for flute and piano (1982) and 1st prize in the International Competition for Composers in Barcelona for Salve Regina for boys’ choir and organ (1981); in 1983 – 2nd prize in the International “Berliner Liedertofel” Competition in West Berlin for Gloria for men’s choir, 3 trumpets and 3 trombones (1982); in 1984 – 1st prize in the Competition for Composers in Fresnes for Musique concertante for piano and four instruments (1983), 2nd prize in the Composers’ Competition in Bernach for Der du bist drei in Einigkeit for mixed choir and string quintet (1984) and 3rd prize in the Competition for Composers in Brazil for the trio Stances for clarinet, cello and piano (1984-85); in 1988 – 2nd prize in the Karol Szymanowski Competition in Warsaw for Veillée for oboe and string orchestra (1988).
Moss’s works have been performed in many countries in Europe, as well as the United States, Singapore, Columbia and South Africa. Since 1993, he has collaborated with the writer Jean-Luis Bauer, with whom he has jointly produced the following works: the melodrama Ugui for reciting voice and orchestra (1993), the oratorio Gédéon (1996), two chamber operas: Karla (1996) and Les Ailes de Jean-Pierre (1997) and a song cycle for tenor and orchestra De l’amour… (1994).
[Sources: press release, culturecommunication.gouv.fr, polmic.pl]