Ekier, Jan (Stanislaw)

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Ekier, Jan (Stanislaw)

Ekier, Jan (Stanislaw), Polish pianist, pedagogue, editor, and composer; b. Krakow, Aug. 29, 1913. He studied musicology with Zdzislaw Jachimecki at the Jagiellonian Univ. in Krakow (1932–34), and then was a student at the Warsaw Cons. (1934–39) of Zbigniew Drzewiecki (piano) and Kazimierz Sikorski (composition). In 1940–41 he pursued training in organ with Bronislaw Rutkowski. After winning eighth prize in the Chopin Competition in Warsaw in 1937, he toured as a pianist in Europe, South America, and Japan. In 1946–47 he taught at the State Secondary Music School in Lublin, and then was rector of the State Higher School of Music in Sopot in 1947–48. He became a prof, at the State Higher School of music (later the Academy of Music) in Warsaw, where he held the piano chair from 1964 to 1972 and again from 1974. He also gave masterclasses around the world. In 1959 he became ed.-in-chief of the “National Edition” of Chopin’s complete works. From 1985 he also served as president of the jury of the Chopin Competition in Warsaw. In 1964 and 1974 he received the Minister of Culture and Arts Award, First Class.

Works

DRAMATIC Straszak, children’s ballet (1933); £mierc Fauna (A Faun’s Death), stage piece (1933); Tempo dnia (The Pace of Day), ballet (1934). ORCH.: Suita goralska (High-lander’s Suite) for Chamber Orch. (1935; also for Orch., 1937); Piano Concerto (1949). CHAMBER : Variations and Fugue for String Quartet (1937). Piano : 2 Préludes (1932); Humoreska (1933); 2 Mazurkas (1933); Kotysanka (Lullaby; 1933); Toccata (1935); Mazurka (1935); Krakowiak (1936); Taniec goralski (A Highlander Dance; 1938); Kolorowe melodie (Colorful Melodies; 1949). VOCAL: Kolorowe melodie (Colorful Melodies) for Chorus and Orch. (1951).