Authors
Zygmunt Konieczny
A composer of theatre and film music as well as poetry settings, pianist, native of Krakow by birth and choice. His collaboration with the ‘Cellar under the Rams’ cabaret started in 1959 while he was still a composition student at Krakow’s State Higher School (now Krzysztof Penderecki Academy) of Music. His work with Ewa Demarczyk, launched in 1962, led to writing several dozen pieces (for her, and later for other artists of that stage) that made Polish song history. 1959 also saw his theatrical debut with music for Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge (dir. Jerzy Goliński, Juliusz Słowacki Theatre). From 1963 onwards he also wrote for Krakow’s Stary Theatre productions by Konrad Swinarski (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Demons, November Night) and Jerzy Jarocki (incl. The Cherry Orchard). Altogether, he collaborated on several dozen theatre productions, including some for Polish Television’s theatrical series.
Konieczny has composed music for more than a hundred movies by such directors as Henryk Kluba (The Sun Rises Once a Day), Antoni Krauze (The Finger of God), Wojciech Marczewski (Nightmares, Escape from the ‘Liberty’ Cinema), Tadeusz Konwicki (How Far Away, How Near, The Issa Valley, Lava), and (most frequently) Jan Jakub Kolski (Burial of a Potato, Johnnie Waterman, Playing from the Plate, History of Cinema in Popielawy, Pornography, Jasminum).
He also writes large-scale autonomous works for voices and instruments, such as I Play My Heart Out (setting texts by his beloved author Stanisław Wyspiański) and Polish Litany (to poems by Father Jan Twardowski), as well as instrumental music.
Konieczny’s numerous accolades include prizes at the Opole and Sopot Song Festivals, awards for theatre and film music (incl. a Golden Lion for the soundtrack of Tadeusz Konwicki’s Lava), the City of Krakow Award, Commander’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, and the ‘Gloria Artis’ Gold Medal for Merit to Culture.
Konieczny has composed music for more than a hundred movies by such directors as Henryk Kluba (The Sun Rises Once a Day), Antoni Krauze (The Finger of God), Wojciech Marczewski (Nightmares, Escape from the ‘Liberty’ Cinema), Tadeusz Konwicki (How Far Away, How Near, The Issa Valley, Lava), and (most frequently) Jan Jakub Kolski (Burial of a Potato, Johnnie Waterman, Playing from the Plate, History of Cinema in Popielawy, Pornography, Jasminum).
He also writes large-scale autonomous works for voices and instruments, such as I Play My Heart Out (setting texts by his beloved author Stanisław Wyspiański) and Polish Litany (to poems by Father Jan Twardowski), as well as instrumental music.
Konieczny’s numerous accolades include prizes at the Opole and Sopot Song Festivals, awards for theatre and film music (incl. a Golden Lion for the soundtrack of Tadeusz Konwicki’s Lava), the City of Krakow Award, Commander’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, and the ‘Gloria Artis’ Gold Medal for Merit to Culture.
