Michał Lorenc (born 5 October 1955 in

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

) is a Polish film score composer, best known for his work on films '' Little Rose'' (2010), '' Bastard'' (1997), ''

Blood and Wine ''Blood and Wine'' is a 1996 American neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Bob Rafelson and starring Jack Nicholson, Stephen Dorff, Jennifer Lopez, Judy Davis, and Michael Caine. The screenplay was written by Nick Villiers and Alison Cross. ...

'' (1996) and ''

300 Miles to Heaven ''300 Miles to Heaven'' (Polish: ''300 mil do nieba'') is a 1989 Polish drama film directed by Maciej Dejczer. It is based on the true story of the Zieliński brothers, two teenagers who escaped from Communist Poland in 1985. The film received ...

'' (1989). He is currently considered one of the most important contemporary Polish

film score A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to e ...

composers A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

Career

He was born on 5 October 1955 in

. In 1973, he joined the

folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers s ...

band Band or BAND may refer to: Places *Bánd, a village in Hungary *Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania *Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, I ...

''Wolna grupa Bukowina'' founded by Wojciech Belon and remained one of its members for four years. In the 1970s, he collaborated with

Marcin Wolski Marcin Wolski (born 22 July 1947 in Łódź) is a Polish writer, journalist and satirist. Member of the communist PZPR party from 1975 to 1981. As a journalist, he writes for ''Wprost'', '' Gazeta Polska''Waldemar Kumór, "Czy musiało do tego ...

on Polish Radio Programme 3 and frequently appeared on Maciej Zembaty's radio show ''Zgryz''. Between 1979-1981, he was one of the members of ''Teatr panoramiczny'' together with Jacek Kleyff and Michał Tarkowski. Since his debut in 1979, Lorenc has composed music for more than 150

feature film A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

documentaries A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in term ...

, TV series and theatre performances. He has won five Golden Lions at the

Gdynia Film Festival The Gdynia Film Festival (until 2011: Polish Film Festival, Polish: ''Festiwal Polskich Filmów Fabularnych w Gdyni'') is an annual film festival first held in Gdańsk (1974–1986), now held in Gdynia, Poland. It has taken place every year sinc ...

and

Polish Film Festival The Gdynia Film Festival (until 2011: Polish Film Festival, Polish: ''Festiwal Polskich Filmów Fabularnych w Gdyni'') is an annual film festival first held in Gdańsk (1974–1986), now held in Gdynia, Poland. It has taken place every year sin ...

Award for best movie score. The films and TV series in which his film scores appear include '' Sekal Has to Die'', '' Little Rose'', ''

'', '' A Prominent Patient'', ''

Ojciec Mateusz ''Ojciec Mateusz'' (English: ''Father Matthew'') is a Polish television drama series, which has aired on TVP1 since November 11, 2008. It is a Polish version of the Italian detective series ''Don Matteo'' broadcast in Italy by Rai Uno. ...

'', '' Bastard'', '' Fotoamator'', ''

Four Nights with Anna ''Four Nights with Anna'' ( pl, Cztery noce z Anną) is a 2008 drama film directed by Jerzy Skolimowski. It stars Artur Steranko and Kinga Preis. It tells the story of a man who visits a woman in her sleep. The film had its world premiere as the o ...

'', '' Kołysanka'', '' Exit in Red'', ''Kanalia'', ''Sauna'', ''Kroll'', ''Deborah'', ''Przedwiośnie'', ''Żurek'', ''Glina'', ''Złoto dezerterów'', ''Amok'' and ''Nic''. In 1996, he wrote the score for

Bob Rafelson Robert Jay Rafelson (February 21, 1933 – July 23, 2022) was an American film director, writer, and producer. He is regarded as one of the key figures in the founding of the New Hollywood movement of the 1970s. Among his best-known films as a ...

's film ''

'' starring

Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. In many of his films, he played rebels against the social structure. He received numerous ...

, Jennifer Lopez and

Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite; 14 March 1933) is an English actor. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films in a career spanning seven decades, and is considered a British film ico ...

. It was selected by

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

film studio for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

nomination. In 2016, to celebrate the 1050 anniversary of the

Baptism of Poland The Christianization of Poland ( pl, chrystianizacja Polski) refers to the introduction and subsequent spread of Christianity in Poland. The impetus to the process was the Baptism of Poland ( pl, chrzest Polski), the personal baptism of Mieszk ...

as well as the opening of the

Temple of Divine Providence The Temple of Divine Providence ( pl, Świątynia Opatrzności Bożej) and Pantheon of Great Poles (in Polish, Panteon Wielkich Polaków, in southern Warsaw's Wilanów district, is a principal Roman Catholic church in Poland. The backstory of i ...

, an album entitled ''Przymierze'' containing Lorenc's music works was released. The same year, he received Poland's highest official distinction - the Order of the White Eagle. He is a member of the

European Film Academy The European Film Academy is an initiative of a group of European filmmakers who came together in Berlin on the occasion of the first presentation of the European Film Awards in November 1988. The Academy—under the name of European Cinema Soc ...

, the

Polish Film Academy The Polish Film Academy (Polish: ''Polska Akademia Filmowa'') is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures. History The Academy, founded in 2003, is composed of about 600 mo ...

and the Czech Film Academy.

Works

*'' A Prominent Patient'' (2016) *''Smoleńsk'' (2016) *''Historia Roja, czyli w ziemi lepiej słychać'' (2016) *''Strażacy'' ("Firefighters") (2015) *''Komisarz Alex'' (2011-2012) *''W imieniu diabła'' ("In the Name of Devil") (2011) *''Jan Paweł II. Szukałem Was...'' (2011) *''Śluby panieńskie'' (2010) *''Syndrom'' (2010) *''Czarny czwartek'' ("Black Thursday") (2010) *'' Little Rose'' (2010) *'' Kołysanka'' (2010) *''La Prima notte della luna'' (2010) *''Wyłączność'' (2009) *''Mniejsze zło'' ("The Lesser Evil") (2009) *''Spokój w duszy'' (2009) *''Wino truskawkowe'' ("Strawberry Wine") (2008) *''Gry wojenne'' ("War Games") (TV series, 2008) *''

'' (2008-2016) *''

'' (2008) *''O rodzicach i dzieciach'' ("Of Parents and Children") (2008) *''Wszystko będzie dobrze'' ("Everything Will Be Alright") (2007) *''Statyści'' ("Extras") (2006) *''Fale'' ("The Waves") (2005) *''Solidarność, Solidarność...'' (2005) *''Oficer'' (TV series, 2005) *''Glina'' ("The Cop") (TV series, 2004-2008) *''Piekło, niebo'' ("The Hell, the Heaven")(2004) *''Są takie świeżuteńkie dziewczynki'' (2004) *''Symetria'' ("The Symmetry") (2003) *''Żurek'' (2003) *''Babie lato'' ("Indian Summer") (2002) *''Dziewczyna z plakatu'' ("The Poster Girl") (2001) *''Listy miłosne'' ("Love Letters") (2001) *''Tam, gdzie żyją Eskimosi'' ("Where the Eskimo Live") (2001) *'' The Spring to Come'' (2000) *''Żółty szalik'' ("A Yellow Scarf") (2000) *''Daleko od okna'' ("Far From the Window") (2000) *''Przeprowadzki'' (TV series, 2000) *''Cisza i ciemność'' ("Silence and Darkness") (2000) *''Słoneczna włócznia'' ("The Solar Spear") (2000) *''Jak narkotyk'' ("Like a Drug") (1999) *''Wszystkie pieniądze świata'' ("All the Money in the World) (1999) *''Zakochani'' (1999) *''Franciszkański spontan'' (1998) *''Złoto dezerterów'' ("The Deserters' Gold") (1998) *''Amok'' (1998) *''Nic'' ("Nothing") (1998) *'' Sekal Has to Die'' (1997) *'' Bastard'' (1997) *''Bride of War'' (1996) *''Przystań'' ("The Harbour") (1997) *'' Fotoamator'' (1996) *''

'' (1996) *'' Exit in Red'' (1996) *''Poznań 56'' (1996) *''Deborah'' (1995) *''Pokuszenie'' ("Temptation") (1995) *''Prowokator'' (1995) *''Podróż na wschód'' ("Journey to the East") (1994) *''Psy II: Ostatnia krew'' (1994) *''Ptaszka'' (1994) *''Wyliczanka'' ("The Counting Rhyme") (1994) *''Embrion'' ("Embryo") (1993) *''Lazarus'' (1993) *''Lepiej być piękną i bogatą'' (1993) *''A Magzat'' (1993) *''Skutki noszenia kapelusza w maju'' (1993) *''Wow'' (1993) *''Łowca. Ostatnie starcie'' (1993) *''Pamiętnik znaleziony w garbie'' (1992) *''Psy'' (1992) *''Sauna'' (1992) *'' Ferdydurke'' (1991) *''Dziecko szczęścia'' (1991) *''Halo, jestem tutaj!'' (1991) *''Koniec gry'' ("Game Over") (1991) *''Kroll'' (1991) *''Kapitan Conrad'' (TV series, 1991) *''Historia niemoralna'' ("An Immoral Story") (1990) *''Kanalia'' (1990) *''Kapitan Konrad'' (1990) *''Pension sonnenschein'' (1990) *''Superwizja'' (1990) *''Zakład'' (1990) *''

'' (1989) *''Bal na dworcu w Koluszkach'' (1989) *''Paziowie'' (TV series, 1989) *''Zakole'' (1988) *''Łuk Erosa'' ("Eros' Bow") (1987) *''A żyć trzeba dalej'' (1986) *''Kalejdoskop'' (1986) *''Magma'' (1986) *''Żuraw i czapla'' ("Crane and Heron") (1985) *''Latawiec'' ("A Kite") (1982) *''Przyjaciele'' ("Friends") (TV series, 1979)

Selected awards and honours

Czech Lion Award The Czech Lion Awards ( cs, Český lev) are annual awards that recognize accomplishments in filmmaking and television. It is the highest award of achievement in film awarded in the Czech Republic. The jury is composed of members of the Czech Fi ...

for best music score to the film '' A Prominent Patient'' (2017) * Order of the White Eagle (2016) * Fryderyk Award for best music score to the film ''Czarny czwartek. Janek Wiśniewski padł'' (2012) * Polish Film Award for best music score to the film ''Czarny czwartek. Janek wiśniewski padł'' (2011) *Golden Lions Award at the

for best music score to the film ''Wszystko będzie dobrze'' ("Everything Will Be Alright") (2007) *Golden Lions Award at the

for best music score to the film ''Przedwiośnie'' ("The Spring to Come") (2001) *Grand Prix at the

Bonn The federal city of Bonn ( lat, Bonna) is a city on the banks of the Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, with a population of over 300,000. About south-southeast of Cologne, Bonn is in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ru ...

Film Music Festival for music composed to ''Nic'' ("Nothing") (1999) *

for best soundtrack to the film '' Sekal Has to Die'' (1998) *Special Award at the Camerimage Film Festival for the soundtrack to the film ''Nic'' (1998) *Golden Lions Award at the

for best music score to the film '' Bastard'' (1997) *Golden Lions Award at the

for best music score to the film ''Prowokator'' (1995) *Golden Lions Award at the

for best music score to the film ''Psy'' (1992) *Nomination to the

European Film Award for Best Composer The European Film Award for Best Composer is one of the awards presented by the European Film Academy. It was first presented as a Special Jury Award in 1998 received by Yuri Khanon for the music of '' Days of Eclipse''. A set of nominees was pre ...

for music to the film ''

'' (1989)

Quotes

"Film is the only inspiration and ultimate goal for me. I do not compose any other music. It turned out that my gift for composing is limited to the cinema. I don't know what kind of feelings I should evoke in audiences in concert halls." (Michał Lorenc) "You don't compose music for a film but for SOMEBODY. The same film, if made by a different man, would have a completely different music." (Michał Lorenc)

Trivia

*The song ''Elena's Dance'' ("Taniec Eleny") from the original

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack ...

Maciej Dejczer Maciej Dejczer is a Polish film director, best known for his film ''300 Miles to Heaven'' (1989), which won the second European Film Award for European Discovery of the Year. He is an alumnus of the Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School in Katowice. ...

's 1997 film '' Bastard'' composed by Lorenc was used by

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...

n artistic gymnast

Sandra Izbașa Sandra Raluca Izbașa (; born 18 June 1990) is a retired artistic gymnast from Romania. She is a double Olympic champion, having won the floor event at the 2008 Olympics and vault at the 2012 Olympics. She is also a winner of two Olympic bronze m ...

in her

floor exercise In gymnastics, the floor is a specially prepared exercise surface, which is considered an apparatus. It is used by both male and female gymnasts. The gymnastics event performed on the floor is called floor exercise. The English abbreviation for t ...

routine at the 2008 Summer Olympics where she won gold medal. *''Elena's Dance'' is used by the

Widzew Łódź RTS Widzew Łódź () is a Polish football club based in Łódź. The club was founded in 1910. Its official colours are red and white, hence their nicknames ''Czerwona Armia'' (Red Army) and ''Czerwono-biało-czerwoni'' (Red-white-reds). Histor ...

football club when its players enter the pitch during

home game In sports, home is the place and venue identified with a team sport. Most professional teams are named for, and marketed to, particular metropolitan areas; amateur teams may be drawn from a particular region, or from institutions such as sch ...

s at Stadion Widzewa in

Łódź Łódź, also rendered in English as Lodz, is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located approximately south-west of Warsaw. The city's coat of arms is an example of cant ...

. In 2017, during the opening ceremony of the newly-reconstructed stadium, Lorenc formally granted the

rights Rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical theory ...

to perform the song to the club's owners. *The magazine ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' compared Michal Lorenc's music to the works of a prominent American composer -

Aaron Copland Aaron Copland (, ; November 14, 1900December 2, 1990) was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later a conductor of his own and other American music. Copland was referred to by his peers and critics as "the Dean of American Com ...

. *In 2010, Lorenc became one of members of the committee supporting

Jarosław Kaczyński Jarosław Aleksander Kaczyński (; born 18 June 1949) is a Polish politician who is currently serving as leader of the Law and Justice party (known by its Polish acronym PiS), which he co-founded in 2001 with his twin brother, Lech Kaczyński, ...

in the 2010 Polish Presidential Elections.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lorenc, Michal 1955 births Polish film score composers Male film score composers Living people