Maliszewski, Witold

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Maliszewski, Witold

Maliszewski, Witold, Polish composer and teacher; b. Mohylev-Podolsk, July 20, 1873; d. Zalesie, July 18,1939. He studied piano in Warsaw and violin in Tiflis, then enrolled in the St. Petersburg Cons, in the class of Rimsky-Korsakov. He became director of the Odessa Cons, in 1908. He then went to Warsaw in 1921, where he later was director of the Chopin Music School (1925–27), head of the music dept. of the Ministry of Culture (1927–34), and prof. at the Cons. (1931–39); was also a founder of Warsaw’s Chopin Inst. (1933). His most distinguished student was W. Lutoslawski. After following the Russian Romantic tradition in his works, he made use of Polish folk music in his compositions from 1921. He wrote 5 syms., ballets, sacred works, chamber music, piano pieces, and songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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