Marta Ptaszynska
Marta Ptaszyńska (born 29 July 1943) is a Polish composer, percussionist and professor of music at the University of Chicago.[1] She has been described by the Polish Music Center of the University of Southern California as "one of the best known Polish woman composers" as well as "a virtuoso percussionist specializing in performances of contemporary music".[2]
Career[]
Ptaszyńska was born in Warsaw, Poland. In 1998, she was appointed a Professor of Music and the Humanities at the University of Chicago. Since 2005 she holds an endowed chair of Helen B. & Frank L. Sulzberger Professor in Composition.
She has been honored with many prizes and awards including Simon J. Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, the Danks Award of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Fromm Music Foundation Award, the Award at the International Rostrum of Composers at the UNESCO in Paris, several ASCAP Awards, and many more. In 1995, she received the Officer Cross of Merit of the Republic of Poland.
Works[]
Orchestral music[]
| hideTitle | Date Composed | Date Premiered | Premiering Orchestra | Conductor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Improvisations | (1968) | March 26, 1971 | The Cracow Philharmonic Orchestra | ||
| Spectri Sonori | (1973) | January 22, 1974 | The Cleveland Orchestra | Matthias Bamert | |
| Crystallites | (1973–74) | January 24, 1975 | The , Bydgoszcz, Poland | Antoni Wit | Commissioned by the Kościuszko Foundation in New York |
| Concerto for Percussion Quartet and Orchestra | (1974) | October 10, 1974 | , Bennington, Vermont | Louis Calabro | Commissioned by the |
| Conductus – A Ceremonial for Winds | (1982) | March 18, 1983 | The , Chicago | for symphonic band | |
| La Novella D'Inverno (Winter's Tale) | (1984) | May 5, 1985 | The , Lisbon, Portugal | Jerzy Maksymiuk | for strings. Commissioned by and dedicated to Jerzy Maksymiuk and the , Second Prize at the International Rostrum of Composers in Paris, France, 1986 |
| Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra | (1985) | May 8, 1986 | The , Cracow | Dedicated to Keiko Abe. Recordings: CD, , Poland, 1991 | |
| Charlie's Dream | (1988) | Concerto for Saxophone and Orchestra | |||
| Ode to Praise All Famous Women | (1992) | March 22, 1992 | Orlando, | Commissioned by the | |
| Fanfare For Peace | (1993) | November 18, 1994 | Cincinnati, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra | Jesús López-Cobos | Commissioned by Jesús López-Cobos and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra |
| Concerto Grosso | (1996) | January 26, 1997 | Warsaw, Sinfonia Varsovia | Lord Yehudi Menuhin | for two violins and chamber orchestra |
| Fanfare in Memoriam Frédéric Chopin | (1999) | June 12, 1999 | Chicago, | ||
| Drum of Orfeo – Concerto for Percussion | (1999–2001) | Written for and dedicated to Evelyn Glennie |
Vocal and instrumental works[]
| hideTitle | Date Composed | Instrumentation | Premiere | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Tale of Nightingales | (1968) | for baritone and chamber ensemble | To the poetry of | |
| Vocalise | (1971) | for female voice and vibraphone | July 18, 1971, Breukelen, the Netherlands | ,soprano; Marta Ptaszyńska, vibes |
| Oscar of Alva opera in 6 scenes | (1971–72, revised in 1986) | for 5 soloists (soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone, bass), mixed choir and orchestra | A TV production: 1988, Cracow, Poland, Polish Radio and Television (in Polish with English subtitles). , director, , , conductor | Libretto based on Lord Byron's poem by |
| Epigrams | (1976–77) | for women's choir, flute, harp, piano and percussion | May 8, 1977, Santa Barbara, California, Dorians Choir, Michael Ingham, conductor | To ancient Greek poetry; in English. Commissioned by the of the University of California at Santa Barbara |
| Un Grand Sommeil Noir (A Great Dark Sleep) | (1977) | for soprano, flute and harp | June 22, 1979, , Italy, XV | To Paul Verlaine's poem (French/English) |
| Die Sonette an Orpheus (Sonnets to Orpheus) | (1980–81) | for middle voice and chamber orchestra | October, 1989, Warsaw, Poland, Sinfonia Varsovia, Jerzy Maksymiuk, conductor, Ewa Podleś, mezzo-soprano | To Rainer Maria Rilke's poems; in German. |
| Ave Maria | (1982 version) | for four men's voices, brass, percussion and organ | October 10, 1982, , | Commissioned by the |
| Ave Maria | (1987 version) | for men's choir and orchestra | April 18, 1988, Cracow, Poland,
The | |
| Polish Letters (Listy Polskie) | (1988) | for percussion, piano, string quartet, soprano, mezzo-soprano, baritone soli | July 15, 1989, Royal Castle in Warsaw, Poland, , , , conductor, VHS recording: Polish TV Poltel, Warsaw, 1984 | Cantata to commemorate Poland's Independence. To the poetry of Polish and other European poets; in Polish |
| Songs of Despair and Loneliness (Pieśni rozpaczy i samotności) | (1988–89) | for mezzo-soprano and piano | October 3, 1989, Warsaw Philharmonic, Poland, E. Podleś and J. Marchwiński. Recordings: CD, Muza Records, Poland, 1991 | Poems by Rilke, Verlaine, Shakespeare, Staff, and Lorca in original languages. Commissioned by for Ewa Podleś, contralto |
| Holocaust Memorial Cantata | (1992) | for three solo voices, mixed choir and orchestra (percussion, harp, strings) | April 5, 1992, Glencoe, Illinois; Lira Singers; conductor. Score and piano reduction. Recordings: CD, POLYGRAM CD ACCORD, Poland, 1996 | To the poetry of "Chant for All the People on Earth" (English/Hebrew/Yiddish/Polish). Commissioned by the of Chicago |
| Liquid Light for Mezzosoprano | (1994–1995) | Piano and Percussion | Warsaw Autumn Festival 1997 and in the unabridged version at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, November 25, 1997. Patricia Adkins Chiti, mezzo-soprano; , piano; Marta Ptaszynska, percussion | To the poetry of . Commissioned by and written for Patricia Adkins Chiti |
| Cantiones Jubilationis | (1995) | for women's choir and Percussion | March 19, 1995, Chicago; The Lira Singers; Lucy Ding, conductor | To the poetry of . Commissioned by the of Chicago |
| Silver Echos of Distant Bells | (1995) | for mezzo-soprano and string quartet | December 10, 1995 in New York at the Kościuszko Foundation by (mezzo-soprano) and the | To the poetry of Lord Tennyson, , , and Stanisław Wyspiański; in English. Commissioned by the Kosciuszko Foundation |
Chamber music[]
| hideTitle | Date Composed | Instrumentation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Four Preludes | (1965) | for vibraphone and piano | |
| Scherzo | (1967) | for xylophone and piano | |
| Jeu-Parti | (1970) | for harp and vibraphone | |
| Madrigals "Canticum Sonarum" Igor Stravinsky in Memoriam | (1971) | for woodwind and string quartets, trumpet, trombone and gong | First performance: March, 1972, Warsaw, Poland, . Special Mention, Young Polish Composers Contest, 1971 |
| Cadenza | (1972) | for flute and percussion | |
| Siderals | (1974) | for two percussion quintets and light projection | Commissioned and premiered by the , , conductor. 1974 Percussive Arts Society Award |
| Mobile | (1976) | for two percussionists | First performance: November 10, 1976, Bennington College, Vermont, Louis Calabro, Marta Ptaszyńska |
| Classical Variations | (1976) | for timpani and string quartet | 1976 Award at the Percussive Arts Society Composition Contest |
| Synchrony | (1978) | for percussion trio | |
| Dream Lands, Magic Spaces | (1979) | for violin, piano and 6 percussion players | First performance: November 13, 1980, , Daniel Kobialka, violin, , conductor. Percussive Arts Society International Conference, San Jose, California |
| Scintilla | (1984) | for two marimbas | First performance: 1985 by the duo in France |
| Moon Flowers (Kwiaty Księżyca) | (1986) | for cello and piano | Commissioned by the BBC in Bristol for the duo , cello, and , piano. First broadcast performance: May 14, 1986, BBC, England. First live performance: September 27, 1986, Warsaw, Poland, 29th . Recordings: Proviva – Teldec Germany, ISPN 152 |
| Ajikan – Unfolding Light | (1989) | for flute and percussion | Commissioned by and dedicated to the in England. First performance: September 10, 1989, Southampton International Music Week |
| Poetic Impressions | (1991) | for wind quintet and piano | Commissioned by the . Recordings: CD, DUX Records, Poland (CD of the Year 1996) |
| Concerto for saxophone and chamber orchestra | (1988–90) | for solo alto and tenor saxophone | Written for and Sinfonia Varsovia First performance: June 26, 1997, Festival European Cultural Month in Ljubljana, Slovenia |
| Four Portraits | (1994) | for string quartet | Written for the . Premiered: April 22, 1994 at at Lincoln Center in New York. |
| Concerto Grosso | (1996) | for 2 violins and chamber orchestra | Written as "A Birthday present for Lord Yehudi Menuhin" First performance: January 26, 1997, Warsaw, Poland, Sinfonia Varsovia and Lord Menuhin. VHS recording By Polish Television, Warsaw, 1997 |
| Letter To The Sun | (1998–2000) | for frame drum, percussion quartet and narrator | To the poem by ; in English. Written for and the . First performance: November 8, 2000, New York, USA, , Brian Willson, conductor |
| Scherzo Di Fantasia | (1997) | for euphonium and piano | Commissioned by the for the in St. Louis. First performance: June 29, 1997, St. Louis, USA, , euphonium |
| Mancala | (1997) | for 2 violins | Written for Hanna Lachert, violinist of the New York Philharmonic. First performance: April 18, 1997, New York, USA |
Instrumental and solo works[]
| hideTitle | Date Composed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Variations for flute | (1967) | |
| Space Model for percussion | (1971–75) | |
| Stress for percussion & tape | (1972) | |
| Arabesque for harp | (1972) | |
| Touracou for harpsichord | (1974) | |
| Farewell Souvenir for piano | (1975) | |
| Recitativo, Arioso and Toccata for Violin | (1969–75) | |
| Two Poems for tuba | (1975) | |
| Quodlibet for double-bass and prerecorded tape | (1976) | |
| Six Bagatelles for harp | (1979) | |
| Graffito for marimba | (1988) | Commissioned by . Premiered: , Germany. Recordings: CD, "Nebojsa Zivkovic, "Percussion made in Europe, VOlume 1" Edition Musica Europea, Germany |
| Hommage a I.J. Paderewski for piano | (1992) | Premiered: 1992, Washington, D.C., |
| Spider Walk for percussion | (1993) | Dedicated to . Premiered: November 10, 1993, Columbus, Ohio, USA, |
| Elegia: in Memoriam John Paul II for viola | (2005) | Premiered: 2005, , |
Multimedia works[]
| hideTitle | Date Composed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Soirée Snobe Chez La Princesse Instrumental Theatre | (1979) | for 2 keyboard instruments, prerecorded tape, mimes and lighting. Commissioned and premiered in 1979 by and Piotr Lachert, Théâtre European de Musique Vivante, Brussels, Belgium |
Music for children[]
| hideTitle | Date Composed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Suite Variée for percussion (4) and piano | (1965) | |
| Little Mosaic for percussion ensemble | (1968) | |
| Little Mexican Fantasy for percussion and piano | (1971) | Arrangement of a Mexican folk tune |
| Tunes from Many Countries of the World | (1977) | Children's songs arrangement for percussion and instruments |
| Journeys into Space for Piano in two volumes | (1978) | A set of 19 miniatures |
| Music of Five Steps for two flutes and percussion ensemble | (1979) | Commissioned by the International Society for Musical Education. First performance: July 12, 1980 by the pupils of E. Mlynarski Elementary School of Music in Warsaw, Poland, during the XIV World Congress of ISME |
| Miniatures for piano | (1982) | 14 miniatures |
| Four Seasons for Four Hands | (1984) | 12 pieces for Piano 4 hands |
| Silver Threads and Other Songs for Children | (1986) | for voice, chorus, and percussion in various combinations, to the poetry of , in Polish |
| Musical Alphabet for two pianos | (1985–86) | A set of 22 pieces, mainly dances from A to Z |
| Mister Marimba- children's opera in 3 acts | (1992–95) | Soloists, children's choir and orchestra. To the libretto of Polish lyricist Agnieszka Osiecka; in Polish and also in English. Written for the National Opera in Warsaw, Poland. First performance: November 1997, National Opera in Warsaw |
| Magic Doremik- children's opera in 2 acts | (2007) | Soloists, children choir and orchestra. To the libretto of the composer. Written for the National Opera in Warsaw, Poland. First performance: 2008, National Opera in Warsaw |
Books[]
- Ptaszynska, Marta & ; Colorful World of Percussion (1978) A book for percussion training in 5 volumes.
- about Ptaszyńska (in Polish):
Muzyka to język najdoskonalszy. Rozmowy z Martą Ptaszyńską, Kraków/Cracow PWM 2001
See also[]
Notes[]
- ^ University of Chicago
- ^ Polish Music Center, University of Southern California (archive from 5 June 2016, accessed 27 September 2018]].
Further reading[]
- Meckna, Michael, and Barbara Zwolska-Stęszeweska. 2001. "Ptaszyńska, Marta". The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell. London: Macmillan Publishers.
External links[]
- Marta Ptaszynska's page at Theodore Presser Company
- Marta Ptaszyńska on the University of Chicago's website
- Marta Ptaszyńska at the Polish Music Center
- Marta Ptaszyńska at PWM Edition
- Two Interviews with Marta Ptaszyńska, March 4, 1988 & May 25, 1997
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Categories:
- Polish classical composers
- Living people
- 1943 births
- Female classical composers
- 20th-century classical composers
- 21st-century classical composers
- Classical percussionists
- 20th-century women composers
- 21st-century women composers