Antoni Wit (born 7 February 1944) is a Polish
conductor, composer, lawyer and professor at the
Fryderyk Chopin University of Music. Between 2002 and 2013, he served as the artistic director of the
Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra.
Life and career
Wit was born in
Kraków
, officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
. He graduated from the
Kraków conservatory (then called ''Państwowa Wyższa Szkola Muzyczna'') in 1967. He studied conducting under
Henryk Czyż and composition under
Krzysztof Penderecki. He went on to study in Paris under
Nadia Boulanger
Juliette Nadia Boulanger (; 16 September 188722 October 1979) was a French music teacher, conductor and composer. She taught many of the leading composers and musicians of the 20th century, and also performed occasionally as a pianist and organis ...
(1967–68). In 1969, he also graduated in law from the
Jagiellonian University
The Jagiellonian University (, UJ) is a public research university in Kraków, Poland. Founded in 1364 by Casimir III the Great, King Casimir III the Great, it is the oldest university in Poland and one of the List of oldest universities in con ...
in Kraków.
In the years 1974–1977, Antoni Wit was the deputy artistic director of the
Pomeranian Philharmonic in
Bydgoszcz
Bydgoszcz is a city in northern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Kuyavia. Straddling the confluence of the Vistula River and its bank (geography), left-bank tributary, the Brda (river), Brda, the strategic location of Byd ...
and the lead conductor of the orchestra. In Bydgoszcz, he gained independence in his repertoire and the opportunity to perform the works he valued the most. In 1977, he returned to his hometown of Krakow, where he took over the management of the Polish Radio and Television Orchestra and Choir.
He has recorded over 90 albums, most of them for the
Naxos
Naxos (; , ) is a Greek island belonging to the Cyclades island group. It is the largest island in the group. It was an important centre during the Bronze Age Cycladic Culture and in the Ancient Greek Archaic Period. The island is famous as ...
label, and many of them during his tenure with the
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (formerly the Great Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra) in Katowice, whose managing and artistic director he was from 1983 to 2000. In the years 1987–1992 he was the conductor of the Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria in the
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...
. Since 1998, he has been a professor of conducting at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in
Warsaw
Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
.
From 2002 to 2013 he was
music director
A music director, musical director or director of music is a person responsible for the musical aspects of a performance, production, or organization. This would include the artistic director and usually chief conductor of an orchestra or concert ...
of the
Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra. He also collaborated with the
Orquesta Sinfónica de Navarra in
Pamplona
Pamplona (; ), historically also known as Pampeluna in English, is the capital city of the Navarre, Chartered Community of Navarre, in Spain.
Lying at near above sea level, the city (and the wider Cuenca de Pamplona) is located on the flood pl ...
from the 2010–2011 to the 2016–2017 season, serving as their first guest conductor. In May 2013 he was nominated Artistic Director of the ensemble.
He has conducted the
Berlin Philharmonic
The Berlin Philharmonic () is a German orchestra based in Berlin. It is one of the most popular, acclaimed and well-respected orchestras in the world.
Throughout the 20th century, the orchestra was led by conductors Wilhelm Furtwängler (1922� ...
,
Staatskapelle Dresden, the
Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, the
Zürich Tonhalle Orchestra, the
Kraków Philharmonic Orchestra, the
Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya, and in London the
BBC Symphony Orchestra,
Philharmonia Orchestra
The Philharmonia Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It was founded in 1945 by Walter Legge, a classical music record producer for EMI Classics, EMI. Among the conductors who worked with the orchestra in its early years were Rich ...
, and
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is a British orchestra based in London. One of five permanent symphony orchestras in London, the LPO was founded by the conductors Thomas Beecham, Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a riv ...
. He specializes in the works of Polish composers such as
Henryk Górecki,
Wojciech Kilar,
Krzysztof Meyer,
Witold Lutosławski,
Karol Szymanowski
Karol Maciej Szymanowski (; 3 October 188229 March 1937) was a Polish composer and pianist. He was a member of the modernism (music), modernist Young Poland movement that flourished in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Szymanowski's early w ...
and
Krzysztof Penderecki, whose ''
Polish Requiem'' he recorded in 2004. Wit received a Cannes Classical Award for his album of
Olivier Messiaen's ''
Turangalîla Symphony''; his recording of
Bedřich Smetana's ''
Má vlast'' cycle was also very well received.
He currently teaches at the
Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music in
Warsaw
Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
.
Selected awards and honours
*
Grand Prix du Disque de la Nouvelle Académie, (1983)
*Knight's Cross of the
Order of Polonia Restituta
The Order of Polonia Restituta (, ) is a Polish state decoration, state Order (decoration), order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on alien (law), foreigners for outstanding achievements in ...
, (1985)
*
Polish Radio's ''Diamond Baton Award'', (1998)
*
Fryderyk Award for ''Album of the Year - Symphonic Music'', (2002)
*
Cannes Classical Award, (2002)
*Gold Medal of the
Artur Rubinstein Foundation, (2002)
*
Fryderyk Award for ''Album of the Year - Symphonic Music'', (2005)
*
Fryderyk Award for ''Album of the Year'' - Contemporary Music'', (2005)
*
Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic () is the most senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of Italy, President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi.
The highest-ranking honour of the Republi ...
, (2006)
*
Gramophone Editor's Choice, (2007)
*
Gramophone Editor's Choice, (2008)
*
BBC Music Magazine
''BBC Music Magazine'' is a British monthly magazine that focuses primarily on classical music.
The first issue appeared in September 1992. BBC Worldwide, the commercial subsidiary of the BBC, was the original owner and publisher together with ...
Editor's Choice, (2008)
*
BBC Music Magazine
''BBC Music Magazine'' is a British monthly magazine that focuses primarily on classical music.
The first issue appeared in September 1992. BBC Worldwide, the commercial subsidiary of the BBC, was the original owner and publisher together with ...
Editor's Choice, (2009)
*
Karol Szymanowski
Karol Maciej Szymanowski (; 3 October 188229 March 1937) was a Polish composer and pianist. He was a member of the modernism (music), modernist Young Poland movement that flourished in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Szymanowski's early w ...
Foundation Award, (2010)
*Commander's Cross with Star of the
Order of Polonia Restituta
The Order of Polonia Restituta (, ) is a Polish state decoration, state Order (decoration), order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on alien (law), foreigners for outstanding achievements in ...
, (2011)
*
Grammy Award for Best Classical Compendium, (2013)
*
Knight
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity.
The concept of a knighthood ...
of
Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...
, (2015)
See also
*
Music of Poland
*
List of Poles
This is a partial list of notable Polish people, Polish or Polish language, Polish-speaking or -writing people. People of partial Polish heritage have their respective ancestries credited.
Physics
*Miedziak Antal
* Czesław Białobrzesk ...
References
External links
Faculty biography from the Frederyk Chopin Academy of MusicBiography from the Warsaw PhilharmonicBiography at culture.pl
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wit, Antoni
1944 births
Living people
Polish male conductors (music)
Polish music educators
21st-century Polish conductors (music)
21st-century Polish male musicians