Andrzej Cwojdziński
Quick Facts
Born: 25 January 1928, Jaworzno near Chrzanów, Poland
Died: 23 March 2022, Koszalin, Poland
Life and Musical Career
Andrzej Cwojdziński was a Polish composer, conductor and music teacher whose long career combined composition, orchestral conducting, education and the organisation of musical festivals. His work contributed significantly to musical life in post-war Poland, particularly in Lublin, Koszalin and Słupsk.
From 1947 to 1953, Cwojdziński studied at the State Higher School of Music in Kraków under Artur Malawski, specialising in composition and conducting. He began his professional career as conductor of the Kraków Philharmonic Choir. Between 1955 and 1957, he worked as assistant conductor of the Łódź Philharmonic before becoming director, conductor and artistic director of the Lublin Philharmonic, a position he held until 1963.
In 1964, Cwojdziński became director and artistic director of the Koszalin Philharmonic, remaining there until 1979. He also appeared as a guest conductor in numerous European countries. His contribution to Polish musical culture extended beyond the concert hall: in 1967 he initiated the Polish Piano Festival in Słupsk, serving for many years as its artistic director, and he also established the Cello Evenings in Kołobrzeg.
Cwojdziński was equally active as an educator. He became an associate professor in 1976 and later taught as a professor at the Academy of Music in Gdańsk and the Pedagogical University in Słupsk. His compositional output includes symphonic, chamber, instrumental, vocal and choral music.
Three of his most important compositions are:
Concerto for Double Bass (1959) – a substantial concert work that explores the expressive and virtuoso possibilities of an instrument rarely featured as a soloist.
Polish Flowers (Kwiaty polskie, 1955) – a large-scale cantata for soprano, baritone, mixed choir, boys’ choir and orchestra.
Symphony No. 1 (1994) – a mature orchestral work of approximately 26 minutes, demonstrating Cwojdziński’s lifelong engagement with large-scale symphonic writing.
Sources:
Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne — Andrzej Cwojdziński: Biography and Works.
Euterpe Publishing House — Andrzej Cwojdziński: Biography and Publications.
Polish Music Center, University of Southern California — biographical and anniversary information on Andrzej Cwojdziński.
