JÓZEF WIŁKOMIRSKI (1926–2020)
Patron of the Sudeten Philharmonic
“First of all, let me introduce myself, I am not a professor. Although I taught for a number of years, I do not have the title of professor. If you must address me, you can address me, for example, as “Director”, because I am honorary director, and I was ordinary director for forty-two years – probably a Polish record – and in only two institutions. […] My name and surname are Józef Wiłkomirski. It is better not to say how old I am, because I was born in 1926.”
Józef Wiłkomirski interviewed by Krystyna Cedro-Ceremużyńska (fragment)
Józef Wiłkomirski – conductor, composer, cellist, populariser of culture and author. He was born on 15 May 1926 in Kalisz into a family with rich musical traditions. His father Alfred lectured at the conservatories in Warsaw, Łódź and Lublin, his half-siblings, Maria and Kazimierz, were famous musicians and active participants in musical life in Poland, and his sister Wanda gained international fame as a violinist. As a child, Józef Wiłkomirski learned to play the cello.
During the war, he was a soldier of the Home Army. He fought in the Warsaw Uprising. In the following years, he remained an active participant in cultural and social life, a witness and a keen observer of the most important events in post-war Poland.
After the end of World War II, another important stage of his life began. He studied conducting and cello at the State Superior School of Music in Łódź (Z. Górzyński, W. Ormicki), then in Warsaw. As a cellist, he was a member of the State Philharmonic Orchestra in Łódź and an opera orchestra in Warsaw. He was a conductor of the Kraków Philharmonic (1950-1951) and Poznań Philharmonic (1954-1957), artistic director and conductor of the Philharmonic in Szczecin (1957-1971). In 1978, he founded the Philharmonic in Wałbrzych, of which he was managing and artistic director until September 2005.
He led a busy artistic activity, performing over 1,600 concerts in 26 countries in Europe, Asia and America. He was also a composer: his numerous works were performed all over the world. Part of this output are compositions written with music students in mind – intended for children and young people. This aspect was particularly close to him. He wrote lyrics for many of his compositions and musical fairy tales. His writing skills also allowed him to write over three hundred articles and columns on not only musical topics. Józef Wiłkomirski was involved in the popularisation of music in the mass media (he prepared about 400 broadcasts). He died on 1 August 2020, on the 76th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising, in which he – as mentioned above – took part. He was buried at the Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw. By resolution no. XXIII/558/20 of the Lower Silesian Assembly of 29 October 2020, the Sudeten Philharmonic in Wałbrzych was named after Józef Wiłkomirski.
IMPORTANT COMPOSITIONS:
• Three Sketches for solo harp (1962)
• Three Miniatures for flute and piano (1965)
• Q 65 for string quartet (1965)
• Improvisation No. 1 for violin and piano (1967)
• Sonata for solo cello (1967)
• Wind Quintet (1968)
• Three Pieces for chamber orchestra (1968)
• Song of a Warrior’s Wife for female reciting voice and symphony orchestra (1968)
• Locomotive for boys’ choir (1969)
• Concerto for harp and chamber orchestra (1969)
• “Black-haired Girl” Prelude for harp (1969)
• Kacperek’s Adventure, symphonic fairy tale for male reciting voice and symphony orchestra (1969)
• Five Preludes for solo piano (1969)
• Sinfonietta No. 1 for orchestra (1969)
• Dance for chamber orchestra (1969)
• Toccata for two pianos (1969)
• Three Pieces for string orchestra (1970)
• Concert Overture for orchestra (1970)
• Polish Dance for violin and piano (1970)
• Stele 70 for symphony orchestra (1970)
• Sinfonietta No. 2 for orchestra (1970)
• Nonet (1970)
• Concerto breve for strings (1970)
• Little Suite for solo cello (1970)
• Triumphal March for orchestra (1970)
• Miniature Theme with Variations for oboe and piano (1970)
• Mr Tralaliński for children’s choir (1970)
• Song of April in Szczecin for mixed choir and orchestra (1970)
• Song of Bolesław the Wrymouth’s Knights for mixed choir and orchestra (1971)
• Song of the Fighting Ireland for orchestra (1971)
• Aria for violin and piano (1971)
• Two Songs for children’s choir (1971)
• Prelude No. 2 “Forrest Dawn” for harp (1971)
• Birds’ Radio for children’s choir (1971)
• Royal Castle in Warsaw, suite for string orchestra (1971)
• Sonata for violin and piano (1971)
• Sonatina for flute and piano (1971)
• Sonata for cello and piano (1971)
• Piano Trio (1971)
• Tale of a Bright Prince, ballet-pantomime (1972)
• E=mc for mixed choir (1972)
• Concerto for four harps (1972)
• Dance Suite for percussion quartet (1972)
• Sonata for double bass and piano (1972)
• Suite for piano and small orchestra (1973)
• Two Persian Miniatures for harp, flute and percussion (1973)
• Children’s World, 15 easy pieces for children (1973)
• A Bumblebee and a Grasshopper for piano (1973)
• Concertino for piano and orchestra (1973)
• Four Easy Pieces for cello and piano (1973)
• Grotesque for xylophone and piano (1973)
• Concerto for Orchestra (1973)
• In the Meadow for piano (1973)
• Poeme Lugubre for symphony orchestra (1973)
• Seven Roses of Shiraz for harp (1973)
• Five Songs for soprano and piano (1974)
• Easy Suite for two violas (1974)
• Concertino for cello and orchestra (1974)
• Four Songs for soprano and piano (1974)
• Song of the Flag for a reciting man, mixed choir and orchestra (1974)
• Sonatina for percussion and piano (1974)
• Three Songs of Zarathustra for harp, flute and percussion (1974)
• Three Miniatures for four harps (1974)
• Theme with Variations for clarinet and piano (1975)
• Sonata for solo violin (1975)
• Cuban Suite for violin and harp (1975)
• Sonata for viola and piano (1975)
• Dos Rios for orchestra (1975)
• Quintet for Brass Instruments (1975)
• String Quartet (1975)
• Love Songs (version 1) for soprano and piano (1975)
• Love Songs (version 2) for soprano and orchestra (1976)
• September Alarm for soprano, baritone, reciting man, choir and orchestra (1976)
• Elements for symphony orchestra (1977)
• Isia and Cosmodwarves, symphonic tale for reciting voice and symphony orchestra (1993)
• Obsession for symphony orchestra (1997)
• Oberek for symphony orchestra (2001)
• Concert Suite for marimba and chamber orchestra (2005)
References:
Wiłkomirski Józef, Minęło 10 lat…2007-2016. W 90. rocznicę urodzin, Wałbrzych 2016.
Wiłkomirski Józef, Lata 1926–2006. Wspomnienia nie tylko muzyczne, vol. 2, Wałbrzych 2009.
Chodkowski A. (ed.), Encyklopedia muzyki, Warsaw 1995.
https://culture.pl/pl/tworca/jozef-wilkomirski (viewed 28.08.2024)
https://www.1944.pl/archiwum-historii-mowionej/jozef-wilkomirski,3220.html (viewed 28.08.2024)
