Performers
Jan Krenz
Pupil of Zbigniew Drzewiecki (piano) and Kazimierz Sikorski (composition), he made his debut as a composer in 1943, and as a conductor – in 1946. He graduated in conducting (class of Kazimierz Wiłkomirski) and composition (class of Kazimierz Sikorski) from the State Higher School of Music (now the G. and K. Bacewicz University) in Łódź.
Krenz worked as a conductor at Poznań Philharmonic (1947–1949), then (from 1949) – as assistant conductor to Grzegorz Fitelberg with the Great Symphony Orchestra of Polish Radio in Katowice, of which he was the director and conductor in 1953–1968. In 1968–1973 he held the post of artistic director at Warsaw’s Teatr Wielki (where he premiered Verdi’s Otello and R. Strauss’s Elektra, among others). He simultaneously conducted the Danmarks Radio orchestra in Copenhagen and Yomiuri Nippon Symphony in Tokyo. He was the general music director of Bonn City (1979–1982), where he led the Beethovenhalle orchestra. He also collaborated with Radio Netherlands Hilversum (1983–1985). He was Krakow Philharmonic’s artistic director and conductor in 2005–2008.
Krenz’s output as a composer comprises symphonic, chamber, and vocal music, as well as film soundtracks (including Andrzej Wajda’s Kanał / The Sewer). Krenz was a co-founder (with Tadeusz Baird and Kazimierz Serocki) of Group ’49. His prestigious accolades include the Diamond Baton (1995), the ‘Gloria Artis’ Gold Medal for Merit to Culture (2005), and Coryphaeus of Polish Music (2011).
Phot. Edward Hartwig
Krenz worked as a conductor at Poznań Philharmonic (1947–1949), then (from 1949) – as assistant conductor to Grzegorz Fitelberg with the Great Symphony Orchestra of Polish Radio in Katowice, of which he was the director and conductor in 1953–1968. In 1968–1973 he held the post of artistic director at Warsaw’s Teatr Wielki (where he premiered Verdi’s Otello and R. Strauss’s Elektra, among others). He simultaneously conducted the Danmarks Radio orchestra in Copenhagen and Yomiuri Nippon Symphony in Tokyo. He was the general music director of Bonn City (1979–1982), where he led the Beethovenhalle orchestra. He also collaborated with Radio Netherlands Hilversum (1983–1985). He was Krakow Philharmonic’s artistic director and conductor in 2005–2008.
Krenz’s output as a composer comprises symphonic, chamber, and vocal music, as well as film soundtracks (including Andrzej Wajda’s Kanał / The Sewer). Krenz was a co-founder (with Tadeusz Baird and Kazimierz Serocki) of Group ’49. His prestigious accolades include the Diamond Baton (1995), the ‘Gloria Artis’ Gold Medal for Merit to Culture (2005), and Coryphaeus of Polish Music (2011).
Phot. Edward Hartwig
