Polish composer Artur Malawski (1904–1957) was a composer/conductor/teacher whose works received numerous prizes during the inter-war and post-war eras and were frequently performed in his homeland. His students included many who established Poland as a force in contemporary music after Stalin's death, including composers Bogusław Schaeffer, Wojciech Kilar and Krzysztof Penderecki, whose Epitafium Artur Malawski in memoriam for strings and timpani is one of his earliest acknowledged works. The Artur Malawski Composition Competition took place biannually in Kraków from 1962 to 1982.
Artur MALAWSKI (1904–1957)
Orchestral Works
Symphonic Études *
Mountaineers’ Triptych
Popular Suite
Beata Bilińska, Piano *Artur Malawski Podkarpacka Philharmonic
Mariusz Smolij
Having sustained an injury to his left hand, Artur Malawski had to abandon his career as a virtuoso violinist and went on to become a successful teacher and composer in his native Poland. The Symphonic Études of 1947 brought him international recognition with its unorthodox design and powerful expression. The Overture shares something of his younger contemporary Lutosławski’s resourcefulness, while the Toccata shows a similar adventurousness of spirit. The manuscript of Mountaineers’ Triptych has not survived complete – it is heard here in a realisation by Kazimierz Wiłkomirski.
No. 6: Finale: Fugato
Mariusz Smolij has directed over 140 orchestras on four continents, appearing at some of the world’s most prestigious concert halls. A founding member of the Penderecki Quartet, he has served as associate conductor of the Houston Symphony and music director of the NFM Lutosławski Philharmonic, International Festival Wratislavia Cantans and Torun Symphony Orchestra. He is currently music director of the Acadiana Symphony in Louisiana and Riverside Symphonia in New Jersey. In 2019, he was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit for the promotion of Polish culture.
Over the past three decades, eminent Polish pianist Beata Bilińska has performed internationally in symphonic concerts and solo and chamber recitals. She also conducts masterclasses and sits on the jury of international piano competitions. A laureate herself of numerous international competitions and the recipient of several phonographic awards, she is currently a professor at her alma mater, the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice.
The Artur Malawski Podkarpacka Philharmonic celebrated its 70th anniversary during the 2024/25 season. The orchestra has given concerts worldwide, and presented ten acclaimed performances at the Golden Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna. Its repertoire includes classical masterpieces, with a special emphasis on Polish music. The ensemble has performed and recorded many world premieres, including an album featuring Seyfried’s Missa solemnis, which was awarded a Golden Orpheus (Paris, 2016).
Piano Quintet
Accordion Concerto • Suite for Brass Instruments
Hungarian Fantasy
Budapest Symphony Orchestra MÁV
Smolij
– MusicWeb International
Songs and Mélodies
Suite in G major • Nocturne
Adamski • Schmidt
Capella Bydgostiensis
Smolij
– Fanfare
Symphony for String Orchestra
Concerto for String Orchestra
Piano Quintet No. 1
Kupiec
Capella Bydgostiensis
Smolij
– ClassicsToday.com
Suite for Viola and Orchestra
Baal Shem • Suite hébraïque
Xiao
Budapest Symphony Orchestra MÁV
Smolij
– ClassicsToday.com