- Period: Contemporary (1950- )
- Country: Poland/USA
- Born: October 03, 1923 in Lviv, Ukraine
Biography
Born in Lwów, Poland, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski (b. 1923) made his pianistic debut at the age eleven on Polish radio, and in 1936 played and conducted Beethoven's Third Concerto at the Lwów Musical Association. He studied conducting, composition, musicology, and philosophy in Lwów, and concluded his graduate studies in Kraków in 1946. Skrowaczewski won the Szymanowski Composition Prize in 1947, which enabled him to travel to Paris for study with Boulanger and Kletzki from 1947-49. His directorship of the Wroclaw, Katowice and Kraków orchestras from 1946-56 led to the directorship of the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra from 1956-59. In 1958, Skrowaczewski made his American debut in Cleveland, and his New York debut in 1960, the latter of which had a great success. That same year, he left Poland and eventually became director of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra until 1979. After this, he concentrated more on composing, producing a substantial quantity of symphonies, instrumental, and film music, but still found time to be the principal conductor of the Hallé Orchestra from 1984-91 and the Music Director of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra from 1987-88.Skrowaczewski's conducting style has been likened to that of Szell's, with an emphasis on careful preparation and precise playing. His compositions have found little in the way of success, especially as Skrowaczewski refuses to use his position as a conductor to promote and program them. ~ Steven Coburn, All Music Guide
