MIECZYSLAW LITWINSKI
– composer, singer and multiinstrumentalist, has been an influential phenomenon in the world of new music. In his compositions he ‘unites different cultures, languages and centuries,’ yet always ‘retains his sense of homeland’ (The New York Times).

His music is ‘vibrant and harmonious’ with a ‘sense of incident, a sense of microcosmic detail’ and ‘often sounds like haunting street tunes’ (The New York Times). It has received a tremendous response from the listeners and critics in America and Europe alike. John Schaefer in his book ‘New Sounds – A Listener’s Guide to New Music’ (Harper & Row 1987) describes it as ‘heartbreakingly beautiful’.

He is also a singer and a performer with a ‘virtuosic vocal range’ (The New York Times), a ‘remarkable person on stage’ (The Village Voice). The New Yorker’s ‘Talk of the Town’ article on Litwiński says ‘during Litwinski’s performance, the only thing moving in the room was the music.’ Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung calls him a ‘musician and alchemist’ and talks about ‘the essence of the world turned into sound’. Lithuanian daily ‘Lietuvos Rytas’ calls him ‘the magician of music’.

LITWIŃSKI was born in Silesia, Poland. He has studied composition at the Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw. He has performed his music in the United States, Canada, many countries of western and central Europe, as well as in Russia, Ukraine and the Baltic states.

In the years 1986-1991 he lived in New York City, where his music was frequently heard on National Public Radio and other stations, on TV and live on numerous occasions, He performed his compositions (solo and with various ensembles, including his ‘Litwinski Ensemble & Choir’) in numerous places ranging from such renowned places as Carnegie Hall (during this musical mecca’s centennial celebrations), Lincoln Center, Merkin Concert Hall, Museum of National History, Great Hall of Cooper Union, to ‘downtown’ venues such as LaMama, Dance Theater Workshop and the Knitting Factory among others.

Listeners of John Schaefer’s ‘New Sounds’ nationally broadcast programme voted to choose Litwinski, in 1986, the ‘Composer of the Year’.

He received a number of awards (1989 Bessie Award – New York Dance and Performance Award, 1989 New York University Film Festival Award) and commissions (opening of the 1988/1989 season of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Composer-in-Residence for American Dance Festival 1990, China Institute 1991). His music is recorded on the Newport Classic label (the CD ‘Two Suns’ with First Avenue Ensemble).

He has also collaborated with the Tibetan Singing Bowl Ensemble, Love of Life Orchestra, Harmonic Choir and the Polish Theatre Institute (as an actor).

As a musician, he has participated in creating the soundtracks for the world-famous films directed by the brothers Coen, such as ‘Raising Arisona’, and ‘Barton Fink’.

From 1976 on he has conducted workshops on breathing, voice and movement, called ‘Tuning Yourself’. He has taught at the New York Open Center, was a guest lecturer at the New School, The New York University, and conservatories at Riga, Tallin and Klaipeda.

Since 1991 up to 2000 he lived in Kaunas, Lithuania, actively participating in musical and cultural life there, and enriching it considerably. He taught at the University of Kaunas (Vytautas Magnus University), played numerous solo concerts and performed with leading musicians of different styles. He also wrote numerous scores for modern dance and theatre there.

Since 2000 he has been living in Warsaw, Poland, where he teaches at Warsaw University, conducts workshops, frequently performs in several programmes of his songs set to mystical poems of different ages and traditions (by Angelus Silesius, Novalis, Rumi etc.) in their original languages (e.g. German, Lithuanian, Persian, Old Greek, Coptic). Recently he also performs his songs with the singer Saba Krasoczko as the duo ‘Sol et Luna’. They recently presented Litwiński’s music in the cycle ‘Orbis Sonans’ in Warsaw’s Museum of Asia and Pacific and at the National Museum in Warsaw. They have performed in Germany, Switzerland, Estonia and Lithuania. Litwiński has been creating numerous scores for dance, theatre and film (‘Die verrueckte Theater scheune’ by A. Klamt, ‘Całkiem zwyczajnie’/’Einfach so’ by B. Rang and W. Czechowski in Grermany, as well as ‘Zabane farsi – sarmoye-ye iranzamin’ for the Iranian TV). Litwiński has also created an outdoor (in field and forest) performance ‘Missa Pagana’.

Mieczyslaw Litwinski

mlitwinski@hotmail.com ; soletluna@wp.pl

Warszawa

ul. Królowej Aldony 5/5

management: Zbigniew Górnicki

zbigorn@poczta.fm ; mulrock@poczta.onet.pl

0 503 117 703