Kevin Starr Kevin Starr—world-famous historian, chronicler of California and distinguished USC Professor—died in San Francisco on January 14, 2017 at 76 years old. The Polish Music Center had the great pleasure to host Professor Starr in 2010 in connection with our Ignacy Jan Paderewski sesquicentennial celebrations at USC, which included a panel discussion on Paderewski—the pianist, composer,…Continue Reading Obituaries January 2017
Polish composer and sound engineer Eugeniusz Rudnik died on October 24, 2016 at the age of 83. He was a member of the Polish Composers’ Union since 2008. Next to Andrzej Rakowski, Janusz Piechurski and Krzysztof Szlifirski, Rudnik was one of the first producers of electroacoustic music in Poland, and the co-creator of the so-called…Continue Reading Eugeniusz Rudnik
Halina Łukomska (1929-2016) Polish soprano Halina Łukomska died on August 30, 2016 at the age of 87. The artist studied voice with Stanisława Zawadzka and Maria Halfterowa at the Higher State Music School in Warsaw, where she received her diploma in 1954. She continued her studies with Giorgio Favaretto in Siena (1958) and Toti Dal…Continue Reading Obituaries – September 2016
April 4, 2016 marked the passing of Dr. Elżbieta Dziębowska, a noted musicologist and specialist in music of the nineteenth and twentieth century. For many years Dr. Dziębowska was associated with the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, serving as a Head of Music History and Theory Department from 1974-1978. She was also one of the founders…Continue Reading Elżbieta Dziębowska
By Marek Żebrowski Jann Castor, an outstanding Polish rock musician, guitarist, composer, arranger, poet, sound designer and film editor, died in Hollywood on 21 April 2016 after a long illness. He was 61 years old. Born Wiesław Ruciński in Włocławek, Poland, on 27 June 1954, he began using stage name Jann Castor after emigrating from Poland…Continue Reading Hope in Hollywood
Boguslaw Kaczynski passed away in Warsaw on January 21. He was 73. Not only was he a journalist, music theorist, popularizer of opera and operetta, TV presenter, and author of many TV broadcasts, but Kaczynski was also the founder of the Jan Kiepura European Festival in Krynica and world-famous Music Festivals in Łańcut. Between 1994…Continue Reading Boguslaw Kaczynski Obituary
Paweł Buczyński, a composer and lecturer at the Chopin Music University, and member of the Polish Composers’ Union, died January 5 at the age of 62. Professor Andrzej Koszewski died in Poznań on February 17 at 92. A renowned composer of choral music and a musicologist, he was also a professor of composition at the Poznań Music…Continue Reading 2015 in Review – Obituaries
By Marek Żebrowski Anne Strakacz-Appleton died in Sacramento, California on Friday, 31 July 2015. She was 93 years old. Widow of Louis B. Appleton, Jr., she leaves daughters Amy and Louise, residing in California, daughter Marguerite, a resident of Kansas, and four grandchildren. Born in Warsaw on 17 March 1922, Anne Strakacz was the only…Continue Reading In Memoriam: Anne Strakacz-Appleton
On August 3, Adam Walaciński—composer, music critic, retired professor and vice-president of the Music Academy in Kraków—passed away at 87 years old. He was a student of a violin class at the Eugenia Umińska Music School in Kraków, but then he changed his major and attended the composition class of Artur Malawski. After some time…Continue Reading In Memoriam: Adam Walaciński
Professor Andrzej Koszewski died in Poznań on February 17. He was 92. A renowned composer of choral music and a musicologist, he was also a professor of composition at the Poznań Music Academy, whose students included Krzesimir Dębski and Lidia Zielińska. Prof. Koszewski received an honorary doctorate from the Poznań Music Academy in 2013 in…Continue Reading Andrzej Koszewski