70th Anniversary of Jerzy Maksymiuk's Artistic Work Filharmonia Narodowa

Go to content
70th Anniversary of Jerzy Maksymiuk's Artistic Work
Jerzy Maksymiuk, photo: Wiktor Wołkow

Special concert celebrating Jerzy Maksymiuk's 70th anniversary of artistic work
 

Jerzy Maksymiuk will conduct two ensembles that occupy a unique place in his rich artistic career. The maestro will conduct both the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and Sinfonia Varsovia, with which – as he often admits – he has very strong ties. That admission takes on particular significance in the context of his impressive international career: suffice it to mention his long-standing collaboration with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra or the vibrant, energetic premieres he prepared for the English National Opera. Sinfonia Varsovia grew out of the ensemble of the Warsaw Chamber Opera, later known as the Polish Chamber Orchestra, to which the then thirty-something Maksymiuk gave new artistic impetus. The effects of their work together quickly came to international attention, and the ensemble’s first performances abroad were enthusiastically received, with Western critics full of praise, drawing attention to the orchestra’s extraordinary precision, dizzying tempos and unique sound. This success led to a contract with the prestigious EMI label – an event that Maksymiuk compared years later to receiving the Nobel Prize.
So it is hard to imagine a more beautiful form for the great maestro’s jubilee than a concert at the Warsaw Philharmonic, to which we are delighted to invite you.


Bartłomiej Gembicki

Close

Jerzy Maksymiuk

Born in Grodno in 1936, Jerzy Maksymiuk completed his musical studies in the classes of composition, piano and conducting. In 1972, he founded the Polish Chamber Orchestra, considered by many critics to be one of the best orchestras in the world. In 1975, he became the first conductor of the Great Symphony Orchestra of Polish Radio (WOSPR) in Katowice. Between 1983 and 1991, he was the principal conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and was awarded the title of Conductor Laureate (honorary conductor) for his achievements with this ensemble. 
In 1990, Jerzy Maksymiuk began working with the English National Opera. He has conducted many distinguished ensembles, such as the London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra.
The artist is a promoter of contemporary music. He has premiered some 200 works in various countries. He has recorded over 100 albums for labels such as EMI, Hyperion and Naxos. He has been honoured with many prestigious awards, including the Gramophone Classical Music Award – Best Concerto of the Year (1992). He is one of the two Polish artists awarded with the prestigious Elgar Society Medal.
Jerzy Maksymiuk is also a composer (symphonic music, chamber music, ballet, songs, film music – for approximately 200 films). Recent works include Leaves Somewhere Falling for chamber orchestra (2011), Vers per archi for string orchestra (2014), Arbor vitae II for soprano, three accordions and chamber orchestra (2018), When Dreams Burn for three accordions (2021), the soundtrack (2011) for the silent film Mania starring Pola Negri, and many others. 
The artist has been awarded, among others, the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta and Gloria Artis Gold Medal for Merit to Culture. He was also awarded the Super Wiktor award and the Golden Fryderyk award. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow in 1990, from the University of Białystok in 2017, from the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz in 2021, and in October 2023 – from the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. He is an Honorary Citizen of the City of Białystok.
 

[2024]