Marek Pijarowski (2021)
Polish conductor, teacher and multi-instrumentalist born on 25 April 1951 in Wrocław. Marek Pijarowski showed outstanding talent from an early age. He mastered several instruments, including the piano, violin, oboe and organ. He completed his conducting studies at the then State Higher School of Music in Wrocław under the supervision of Prof. Tadeusz Strugała, graduating with honours. Between 1971 and 1973, he studied at the International Music Courses in Weimar, working under the guidance of the outstanding Latvian conductor Arvids Jansons. In 1977, he received a scholarship from the Austrian government and spent nine months in Vienna, perfecting his skills under Prof. Carl Oesterreicher at the famous Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst. During this time, he had the opportunity to gain first-hand experience of the art of conducting and to meet such masters of the baton as Herbert von Karajan, Leonard Bernstein, Zubin Mehta, Georg Solti and Claudio Abbado. In 1974, he took part in the 2nd National Conducting Competition in Katowice, where, as the youngest participant, he won first prize and a special prize from the Silesian Philharmonic Orchestra. This success resulted in numerous invitations to many philharmonic halls, including the National Philharmonic and WOSPR.
From 1974 to 2002, he was associated with the Wrocław Philharmonic, initially as an assistant conductor, then, from 1975, as second conductor, and from 1980 to 2002 he served as general and artistic director of the institution, also being responsible in the early years for organising the Wratislavia Cantans International Oratorio and Cantata Festival. In addition, he collaborated with the Krakow Philharmonic as its principal conductor and with the Pomeranian Philharmonic in Bydgoszcz as a regular guest conductor. From 1980 to 2000, he was the artistic director of the Polish Contemporary Music Festival in Wrocław, and from 1986 to 1987, he was also the artistic director of the International Chopin Festival in Duszniki-Zdrój. From 2002 to 2005, he was artistic director and principal conductor of the Artur Rubinstein Philharmonic in Łódź, and from 2007 to 2021, he was chief conductor of the Tadeusz Szeligowski Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra in Poznań.
In 1997, he obtained the title of professor of musical arts. For many years, he has been associated with the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław, where he teaches conducting and serves as Head of the Conducting Department. Previously, he was Vice-Rector of the Academy. In 2006-2019, he taught conducting at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. He was the creator and artistic director of a number of important initiatives, including the Adam Kopyciński National Conducting Competition for Students organised by the Wroclaw Academy of Music. He is the chairman of the jury of this competition and has also chaired the jury of the Witold Lutosławski International Review of Young Conductors in Białystok on numerous occasions. He is a juror of the Grzegorz Fitelberg International Conducting Competition in Katowice. Many of his graduates hold managerial positions in music institutions in Poland and abroad. He has been a supervisor or reviewer of many doctoral dissertations, habilitation proceedings, proceedings for the award of the title of professor of musical arts, and a laudator or reviewer in proceedings for the award of honorary doctorates by Polish music academies to outstanding masters of the baton, including Jerzy Semkow, Tadeusz Strugala, Gabriel Chmura, Helmut Riling, Neville Marriner, Joshua Rifkin, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Kurt Masur and Stanisław Skrowaczewski.
For 50 years, he has been continuously active as a conductor, performing with all philharmonic and radio orchestras in Poland. He has also conducted numerous concerts with Polish ensembles abroad, including the National Philharmonic (Germany), NOSPR (Spain, France), Krakow Philharmonic (France), Sinfonia Varsovia (Spain), the Łódź Philharmonic (Italy, Spain), and has toured extensively with the Wrocław Philharmonic, including in Spain, France, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands. He has made many archival recordings, including for Polish Radio. He has worked closely with the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro and the Texas Music Festival in Houston (USA), as well as with the Presidential Orchestra in Ankara. Music lovers in most European countries, as well as in Egypt, Israel, Canada, China, the USA, Mexico, South Korea and Cuba, have had the opportunity to experience Marek Pijarowski's art of conducting.
He has been honoured with numerous awards and distinctions, including the Gloria Artis Gold Medal for Merit to Culture, the Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music Medal in Wrocław, and the Minister of Culture and National Heritage Award for lifetime achievement.
In recognition of Prof. Marek Pijarowski's great talent and enormous contribution to the development of Polish culture, and in particular to the culture of Wrocław, the Senate of the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław decided to award its distinguished graduate the title of Doctor Honoris Causa. The ceremony of awarding this honorary title took place in the year in which Prof. Pijarowski celebrated the 50th anniversary of his artistic work.