Janina Gressel (born Janina Garścia; March 12, 1920 – March 1, 2004) was a Polish composer, pianist, and teacher.

Career

In 1945, she graduated from the Władysław Żeleński State Secondary School of Music (class of piano professor Olga Stolfowa), then studied at the State Higher School of Music in Kraków (composition with Stanislaw Wiechowicz and conducting with Artur Malawski). From 1946 she worked as a piano teacher in Kraków schools, first at the Władysław Żeleński State Secondary School of Music (1946-1950), and later for many years at the S. Wiechowicza State Primary School of Music (1951–1995).

Compositions

She composed roughly 700 pieces for children and teenagers, mainly for piano, as well as for cello, oboe, recorder, and percussion. She also composed works for four cellos, two pianos, and a folk band. Her works include musical illustrations, polyrhythmic pieces, pieces for piano and percussion for one performer, and pieces for piano with electronic music.

Selected songs

* ''The Easiest Pieces for Children'' (1946) * ''Puzzle'' (1958) * ''Little Suite'' for two pianos (1961) * ''Zrytmizowany świat'' for piano and children's percussion instruments for one performer (1974) * ''Cello Impressions'' (1981) * ''Fairy Tales Written with Sound'' (1994) * ''6 Expressive Miniatures'' (1997)

Arrangements

Some of her pieces have been arranged for accordion and harmonica. Many of her compositions have been included in method books in the Austria, Japan, the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

and the

former Soviet Union The post-Soviet states, also known as the former Soviet Union (FSU), the former Soviet Republics and in Russia as the near abroad (russian: links=no, ближнее зарубежье, blizhneye zarubezhye), are the 15 sovereign states that wer ...

. Her pieces are included in the

Royal Conservatory of Music The Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM), branded as The Royal Conservatory, is a non-profit music education institution and performance venue headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1886 by Edward Fisher as The Toronto Con ...

Piano Syllabus.

Awards and decorations

She was the winner of the first degree departmental award (1973) and the award of the Prime Minister (1975). She was decorated with the Knight's Cross of the

Order of Polonia Restituta The Order of Polonia Restituta ( pl, Order Odrodzenia Polski, en, Order of Restored Poland) is a Polish state order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on foreigners for outstanding achievement ...

(1983), the Medal of the

Commission of National Education The Commission of National Education ( pl, Komisja Edukacji Narodowej, KEN; lt, Edukacinė komisija) was the central educational authority in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, created by the Sejm and King Stanisław II August on October 1 ...

(1979), the Golden Badge of the City of Kraków (1972), and the Order of the Smile (2002).

Commemoration

Lubliniec Lubliniec (german: Lublinitz) is a town in southern Poland with 23,784 inhabitants (2019). It is the capital of Lubliniec County, part of Silesian Voivodeship (since 1999); previously it was in Częstochowa Voivodeship (1975–1998). Geograp ...

Chrzanów Chrzanów () is a town in southern Poland with 35,651 inhabitants as of December 2021. It is situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship (since 1999) and is the seat of Chrzanów County. History History to 1809 It is impossible to establish ...

Jelenia Góra Jelenia Góra (pron. ; Polish: ; german: Hirschberg im Riesengebirge; Exonym: ''Deer Mountain''; szl, Jelyniŏ Gōra) is a historic city in southwestern Poland, within the historical region of Lower Silesia. Jelenia Góra is situated in the Low ...

, and

Tczew Tczew (, csb, Dërszewò; formerly ) is a city on the Vistula River in Eastern Pomerania, Kociewie, northern Poland with 59,111 inhabitants (December 2021). The city is known for its Old Town and the Vistula Bridge, or Bridge of Tczew, which pl ...

, she is the patron of music schools. Since 1993, the Janina Garścia International Contest has taken place in

Stalowa Wola Stalowa Wola () is the largest city and capital of Stalowa Wola County with a population of 58,545 inhabitants, as of 31 December 2021. It is located in southeastern Poland in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship. The city lies in historic Lesser Polan ...

. She is also the patron of the Festival of Polish Contemporary Music for Pianists in Lubliniec.

References

Bibliography

* * * ''Kto jest kim w Polsce. Informator biograficzny'', edition 3, Warsaw 1993. {{DEFAULTSORT:Garścia, Janina Musicians from Kraków Polish composers Women classical composers 20th-century women composers Knights of the Order of Polonia Restituta 1920 births 2004 deaths Polish women composers