The Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music is a school of music of

university A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

level in

Katowice Katowice (, ) is the capital city of the Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland and the central city of the Katowice urban area. As of 2021, Katowice has an official population of 286,960, and a resident population estimate of around 315,000. K ...

, in Poland. It is named for

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 ...

Studies

The school offers full-time and part-time BA, MA and DA studies at four departments:

Composition Composition or Compositions may refer to: Arts and literature *Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography * Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include ...

, Conducting, Theory and Music Education, Jazz and Popular Music, Instrumental and Vocal-Acting. Studies are offered in the following fields: *

conducting Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance, such as an orchestral or Choir, choral concert. It has been defined as "the art of directing the simultaneous performance of several players or singers by the use of gesture." The primary d ...

(speciality: symphonic and operatic conducting, choral conducting) *

composition Composition or Compositions may refer to: Arts and literature *Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography * Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include ...

and theory of music (specialties:

, theory of music) *

music education Music education is a field of practice in which educators are trained for careers as primary education, elementary or secondary education, secondary music teachers, school or music conservatory ensemble directors. Music education is also a rese ...

(specialties:

eurhythmics Dalcroze eurhythmics, also known as the Dalcroze method or simply eurhythmics, is a developmental approach to music education. Eurhythmics was developed in the early 20th century by Swiss musician and educator Émile Jaques-Dalcroze and has inf ...

music therapy Music therapy, an allied health profession, "is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music t ...

) *

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

interpretation (specialties:

and

arrangements In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing Composition (music), composition. Differences from the original composition may include Harmony (music), reharmonization, Musical phrasing, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or M ...

, instrumental performance,

vocal The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal tract, including talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, shouting, humming or yelling. The human voice frequency is specifically a part of human sound producti ...

performance, sound production) * instrumental performance * vocal performance * dance performance It offers paid studies in given specialties in the English language. Study programs are based on the

European Credit Transfer System The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is a standard means for comparing academic credits, i.e., the "volume of learning based on the defined learning outcomes and their associated workload" for higher education across the E ...

Concerts

Each year the school holds several artistic events such as

concerts A concert, often known informally as a gig or show, is a live performance of music in front of an audience. The performance may be carried by a single musician, in which case it is sometimes called a recital, or by a musical ensemble such as an ...

(admission free), competitions,

master classes ''Master Class'' is a 1995 play by American playwright Terrence McNally, presented as a fictional master class by opera singer Maria Callas near the end of her life, in the 1970s. The play features incidental vocal music by Giuseppe Verdi, Giaco ...

and

conference A conference is a meeting, often lasting a few days, which is organized on a particular subject, or to bring together people who have a common interest. Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always d ...

s. Many ensembles consisting of students perform concerts on a regular basis:

Academic

Symphony Orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * String instruments, such as the violin, viola, cello, ...

, Academic Wind Orchestra, Academic

Baroque Orchestra A Baroque orchestra is an ensemble for mixed instruments that existed during the Baroque era of Western Classical music, commonly identified as 1600–1750. Baroque orchestras are typically much smaller, in terms of the number of performers, than ...

, Academic

Chamber Orchestra Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of Musical instrument, instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a Great chamber, palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music ...

, Mixed Choir of the

Academy of Music,

Chamber Choir A chamber choir is a small or medium-sized choir of roughly 8 to 40 singers (occasionally called "chamber singers"), typically singing classical or religious music in a concert setting.Riemann, Hugo. Dictionary of Music'. Trans. J.A. Shedlock. A ...

and

Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

Institute Big-Band. It organizes bigger events as well: International

Festival A festival is an event celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, Melā, mela, or Muslim holidays, eid. A ...

of Academic

Orchestras An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * String instruments, such as the violin, viola, cello, ...

(every 2 years),

Instrumental Music An instrumental or instrumental song is music without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer t ...

Festival (each year), Vocal Music Days (each year), International

Violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...

Festival,

Silesia Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...

Festival (each year), All-Poland

Brass Instruments A brass instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips. The term ''labrosone'', from Latin elements meaning "lip" and "sound", ...

Competition Competition is a rivalry where two or more parties strive for a common goal which cannot be shared: where one's gain is the other's loss (an example of which is a zero-sum game). Competition can arise between entities such as organisms, indi ...

, International

Harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or ...

Festival.

Alumni

Alumni include: *

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 ...

Wojciech Kilar Wojciech Kilar (; 17 July 1932 – 29 December 2013) was a Polish classical and film music composer. One of his greatest successes came with his score to Francis Ford Coppola's '' Bram Stoker's Dracula'' in 1992, which received the ASCAP Award a ...

Henryk Mikołaj Górecki Henryk may refer to: * Henryk (given name) * Henryk, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, a village in south-central Poland * Henryk Glacier, an Antarctic glacier * Henryk JanikowskiSoccer Player (polish National) See also * Henryk Batuta hoax, an int ...

Witold Szalonek Witold Szalonek (born in 1927 in Czechowice-Dziedzice, died in 2001 in Berlin) was a Polish composer. In 1949-56 he studied at the State Higher School of Music in Katowice. Following his first successes at international composers' competitions, h ...

, Eugeniusz Knapik,

Aleksander Lasoń Aleksander Lasoń (born 10 November 1951) is a Polish composer and teacher. He was born in Siemianowice Śląskie. He studied composition under professor Józef Świder's at The Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice. He is professor at ...

* Conductors:

Karol Stryja Karol Stryja (2 February 1915 in Cieszyn – 31 January 1998 in Katowice) was a Polish conductor and teacher. Stryja, son of a tailor, was born in Cieszyn and finished elementary school, gymnasium and teachers' seminary there. Since 1934 he wor ...

Piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...

Tadeusz Żmudziński Tadeusz Żmudziński (9 July 1924, in Chorzów – 17 October 1992, in Katowice) was a Polish pianist, and educator. In 1946, Żmudziński graduated with highest honours from the University of Music in Katowice, where he studied under Prof. Włady ...

Lidia Grychtołówna Lidia Grychtołówna (born 1928 in Rybnik) is a Polish pianist. In 1955 she was awarded the V International Chopin Piano Competition's seventh prize, and one year later she shared the third prize of the inaugural edition of the Robert Schumann C ...

Andrzej Jasiński Andrzej Jasiński (born 23 October 1936 in Częstochowa) is a Polish pianist. In 1959 he graduated with honors from the University of Music in Katowice in the piano class of Władysława Markiewiczówna. The following year he won the Maria Canal ...

Jerzy Sterczyński Jerzy Sterczyński (born 1957) is a Polish pianist and piano teacher. Since 1989 he has been a professor at Fryderyk Chopin Music Academy in Warsaw and since 2005 - the head of the Piano, Harpsichord and Organ Department.Fryderyk Chopin Music Aca ...

Krystian Zimerman Krystian Zimerman (born 5 December 1956) is a Polish concert pianist, conductor and pedagogue who has been described as one of the greatest pianists of his generation. In 1975, he won the IX International Chopin Piano Competition. Following ...

Joanna Domańska Joanna Domańska (born 20 September 1959) is a Polish classical pianist and music teacher from Gliwice. Biography Domańska started her piano studies at the Academy of Music in Kraków with professor Jan Hoffman, and graduated with distinction ...

Krzysztof Jabłoński Krzysztof Jabłoński (born 30 September 1977 in Gniezno, Poland) is a former motorcycle speedway rider from Poland. Career Jabłoński won Individual Speedway European Championship, European Champion titles and was a member of the Poland nati ...

Przemysław Lechowski Przemysław Lechowski (born 10 April 1977) is a Polish classical pianist. Biography Przemysław Lechowski graduated from the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, then mastered his piano skills within the post-graduate piano studies ...

Szczepan Kończal Szczepan Kończal (Polish pronunciation: ʂtʂɛpan kɔɲtʂal) (born on 27 May 1985, in Katowice, Poland) is a Polish classical pianist who has won prizes in many international music competitions held in more than a dozen different countries. ...

, Anna Górecka, Jarred Dunn *

Szymon Krzeszowiec Szymon Krzeszowiec (; born 20 April 1974) is a Polish violinist, chamber musician and pedagogue. Musician of the Silesian String Quartet and member of the Trio Aristos. Education Szymon Krzeszowiec was born in Tychy, Poland. He started his ...

, Martyna Pastuszka *

Guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

Marcin Dylla Marcin Dylla is a Polish classical guitarist who has won over fifteen international classical guitar competitions. He was born in Chorzów, Poland, and took lessons at the Ruda Śląska Music High School, attended the Academy of Music in Katow ...

and

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

performers:

Tomasz Szukalski Tomasz Szukalski (25 December 1947 in Warsaw, Polish People's Republic, registered by Soviet authorities 8 January 1948 – 2 August 2012 in Piaseczno, Poland) was a Polish jazz saxophonist, composer and improviser. Szukalski worked with Tomasz S ...

Kuba Badach Kuba Badach (Polish pronunciation: ; born 24 August 1976) is a Polish singer, composer, arranger, music producer, music journalist and television personality. He's a co-founder and member of the band Poluzjanci and member of the band The Globetr ...

, Mietek Szcześniak,

Kasia Cerekwicka Kasia Cerekwicka (born Katarzyna Cerekwicka, 17 March 1980 in Koszalin, Poland) is a Polish pop singer. She has been singing since she was a little girl. In 1997, at the age of 17, she won the popular Polish show ''Szansa na sukces'' ("Chance f ...

Janusz Szrom Janusz Szrom (born 16 November 1968 in Grodków) is a Polish jazz vocalist and composer. Biography His musical education started in 1977 on the piano, at Nysa, Poland, Nysa School of Music. Then, in 1981, he started to play on trumpet while ...

* the

Silesian String Quartet The Silesian String Quartet is a string quartet founded in 1978 by the graduates of the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, Poland. Its current members are: * Szymon Krzeszowiec (violin I) * Arkadiusz Kubica (violin II) * Łukasz Syr ...

, including:

Location

The school consists of five buildings. The oldest

neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...

building was constructed at the end of the 19th century (33, Wojewódzka street). It is linked with the modern building which includes a

concert hall A concert hall is a cultural building with a stage (theatre), stage that serves as a performance venue and an auditorium filled with seats. This list does not include other venues such as sports stadia, dramatic theatres or convention ...

for 480 people by a spacious

atrium Atrium may refer to: Anatomy * Atrium (heart), an anatomical structure of the heart * Atrium, the genital structure next to the genital aperture in the reproductive system of gastropods * Atrium of the ventricular system of the brain * Pulmona ...

(designed by Tomasz Konior). Apart from the concert hall, the modern building includes one of the biggest musical libraries in Poland, a

hall, an

electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...

laboratory, a

restaurant A restaurant is an establishment that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and Delivery (commerce), food delivery services. Restaurants ...

and many other facilities. The atrium is also linked with a building in 3, Zacisze street, where the academy's authorities have their offices. The other two buildings where lectures and rehearsals take place, are located in 5, Zacisze street and 27, Krasińskiego street.

Museum of Silesian Organ

The

Museum A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private colle ...

Organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...

, located in the basement of the oldest building, is the only museum of this kind in

Central Europe Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern Europe, Eastern, Southern Europe, Southern, Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in ...

. It gathers and preserves many objects connected with

organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...

and its history.

International cooperation

The academy has exchange agreements with the School of Music of

University of Louisville The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public university, public research university in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. Chartered in 1798 as the Jefferson Seminary, it became in the 19t ...

in the United States, the

Zoltán Kodály Zoltán Kodály (, ; , ; 16 December 1882 – 6 March 1967) was a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, music pedagogue, linguist, and philosopher. He is well known internationally as the creator of the Kodály method of music education. ...

Pedagogical Institute of Music in

Kecskemét Kecskemét ( ) is a city with county rights in central Hungary. It is the List of cities and towns of Hungary, eighth-largest city in the country, and the county seat of Bács-Kiskun County, Bács-Kiskun. Kecskemét lies halfway between the ca ...

in Hungary, and the department of

musicology Musicology is the academic, research-based study of music, as opposed to musical composition or performance. Musicology research combines and intersects with many fields, including psychology, sociology, acoustics, neurology, natural sciences, ...

of Palacký University of Olomouc in the

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

. It participates in the

Socrates Socrates (; ; – 399 BC) was a Ancient Greek philosophy, Greek philosopher from Classical Athens, Athens who is credited as the founder of Western philosophy and as among the first moral philosophers of the Ethics, ethical tradition ...

–

Erasmus Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus ( ; ; 28 October c. 1466 – 12 July 1536), commonly known in English as Erasmus of Rotterdam or simply Erasmus, was a Dutch Christian humanist, Catholic priest and Catholic theology, theologian, educationalist ...

Programme.

External links

References

{{authority control Universities and colleges in Katowice Music schools in Poland Universities and colleges established in 1929 1929 establishments in Poland