Bernadetta Matuszczak, the composer based in Warsaw and Toruń, died on 3 September 2021, at the age of 90. She was a member of the Polish Composers' Union from 1965.
After graduation from the Secondary Music School in Toruń, she studied music theory with Zygmunt Sitowski, piano with Irena Kurpisz-Stefanowa and composition with Tadeusz Szeligowski at the State Higher School of Music in Poznań. Having obtained an honours degree from the Music Theory Department in 1958, she interrupted her studies in the other subjects and started working as an assistant lecturer to Zygmunt Sitkowski. From 1960, she continued her composition studies at the State Higher School of Music in Warsaw with Tadeusz Szeligowski and, after his death, with Kazimierz Sikorski. She obtained a degree in composition in 1964. In 1968, she was granted a French government scholarship and left Poland for Paris, where she continued her composition studies with Nadia Boulanger.
Bernadetta Matuszczak received numerous awards for her compositions, incl. in 1965 – an award in the Young Composers’ Competition of the Polish Composers’ Union; in 1966 – 2nd prize in the Grzegorz Fitelberg Competition for Composers for Septem tubae; in 1967 – a prize in the Jeunesses Musicales Competition for Musica da camera per 3 flauti, 4 timpani e 5 tom-toms (1967). She was also twice awarded Prix Italia for her radio operas-oratorios – in 1973 for Humanae voces (1970-71) and in 1979 for Apokalypsis according to St John (1976-77).
She wrote mostly works for the stage, as well as vocal-instrumental works. She received commissions from various institutions in Poland, with the Warsaw Chamber Opera being the most important. Her compositions were frequently performed in Poland and abroad, e.g. Septem tubae for mixed choir, organ and symphony orchestra (1966) at the International Society for Contemporary Music Festival – “43. Weltmusikfest 1969” in Hamburg; the opera Juliet and Romeo (1967) – during the Internationale Maifestspiele in Wiesbaden in 1972; the operatic monodrama The Diary of a Fool (1976) – at the Brighton Music Festival in 1984. In 1983, her piece Canto Solenne for baritone, choir and orchestra was premiered in Toruń's Old Town Hall during the celebration of the 750th anniversary of Toruń city rights.
In 2008, Bernadetta Matuszczak was awarded the Silver Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis.
Hail to her memory!