WALACIŃSKI, Adam (1928-2015)

Composer, violinist and music critic. Walaciński studied violin in the class of Prof. Eugenia Umińska (1947-1952) and composition (privately) under Stefan Kisielewski and Bogusław Schaeffer. In 1974 – after more than a dozen years of creative work – he received his diploma in composition from the State Higher School of Music in Kraków. He was a violinist of the Polish Radio Orchestra in Kraków until 1956, whilst from 1957 he dedicated himself to composition and journalism.

He composed orchestra and chamber works including Composizione ‘Alfa’ (1958), Horyzonty [Horizons] (1962), Refrains et réflexions (1969), Torso (1977), A travers le miroir for two flutes and orchestra (1980), Drama e burla (1988), Voyage au pays d l’oubli (1995), Symfonia ogrodów [Symphony of Gardens] (2003), Dichromia for flute and piano (1967) and Moments musicaux avec Postlude en hommage à I. S. for two pianos I (1987) and II (1993) and for oboe, clarinet and bassoon (1971, ver. II 1997).

Walaciński is a distinguished author of film music. In the period 1957-1987, he composed music for more than a hundred films (feature, short, animated, television films and serials), including Matka Joanna od aniołów [Mother Joan of the Angels], Faraon [Pharaoh], Jerzy Kawalerowicz’s Śmierć prezydenta [Death of a President], Jan Batory’s O dwóch takich, co ukradli księżyc [The Two Who Stole the Moon] and Konrad Nałęcki’s Czterej pancerni i pies [Four tank-men and a dog]. Of his music for Pharaoh, Alicja Helman wrote: The scenes in which we hear the priests’ choirs are among the most beautiful, most majestic. […] Walaciński’s music is proof of exquisite taste – rare, especially in the scores of the historic giants.

Walaciński has received numerous awards for his creative and social work, including the State Prize, 1^st degree, for his music for the film Pharaoh (1966) and a Ministry of Culture and Art Award (1981). His compositions have been presented at many festivals at home - Warszawska Jesień [Warsaw Autumn] - and abroad - Semaines Internationales de Paris (1966), the Belgrade Music Festival (1969), Music Today in Canada (1971), Holland Festival (1973), Festival International de Baalbeck (1974), the 10th Festival of Arts in Shiraz (1976), the ISCM World Music Days in Athens (1979) and IX Festival Internationale ’Incontri d’Estate’ in Citt di Noto (1984).