Stanisław Wisłocki
# Stanisław Wisłocki

Stanisław Wisłocki (July 7, 1921 – May 31, 1998) was a Polish conductor of classical music who performed and recorded with many internationally renowned orchestras, ensembles and virtuoso musicians and is highly regarded for his interpretations of Beethoven, Mozart, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Schumann and Tchaikovsky.

## Early life

Wisłocki was born in Rzeszów, Poland. He began his studies in Lwów [Lviv] under Seweryn Barbag, and continued during the war at the Academy of Music in Timișoara and Bucharest under George Simonis (composition and conducting), Emil Mikhail (piano), and George Enescu. It was during this time that he began his artistic career, performing as a pianist and conductor in Romania.

## Career

After returning to Poland in 1945, Wisłocki founded the chamber orchestra "Polish Society for the Promotion of Folk Music". Two years later he started the Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra, where he was artistic director and conductor for 11 years. From 1961 to 1967 he was director of the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, and from 1978-1982 director and artistic director of Symphony Orchestra of Radio and Television in Katowice. During this period he performed in Europe, the United States, Canada, South America and Japan. In 1948 he began teaching, and in 1951 he led classes in conducting at the Academy of Music in Poznań. In 1955 he became a professor at the National Academy of Music in Warsaw and from 1958 was Head of the Department of Conducting. Among his students were: Tomasz Bugaj, Zbigniew Graca, Jacek Kaspszyk, Simon Kawalla, Wojciech Michniewski, Andrew Straszynski, Rubén Silva, Juan Carlos Núñez and Henryk Wojnarowski. A few of the notable soloists that he performed with were: Sviatoslav Richter, Roman Totenberg and Ivry Gitlis.

At the turn of the 1990s he was appointed Music Director of the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Venezuela.

## Awards

Stanisław Wisłocki was awarded many prestigious awards, including the Grand Prix du Disque, Académie Charles Cros in Paris (for "Piano Concerto" by Sergey Rachmaninoff with Sviatoslav Richter and the National Philharmonic Orchestra), the Minister of Culture and Art Prize of the Polish Composers Union and numerous Polish and foreign decorations.

## Discography

* Extensive AllMusic entry - http://www.allmusic.com/artist/stanislaw-wislocki-q60929/credits/all
* Extensive Discogs entry - http://www.discogs.com/artist/Stanislaw+Wislocki

## Film work

* Trzy kroki po ziemi - 1965
* Dziadek do orzechów - 1967
* The Deluge - 1974
* The Conductor - 1980
* The Polish Bride - 1998
