composers (L)

film music compsoer; b. 5th October 1955 in Warsaw. He is a self-taught composer, although he has had a passion for classical music since his early days (Johann Sebastian Bach, impressionists, Krzysztof Penderecki). His became actively involved with music at the age of 15. In 1973 he joined Wolna Grupa Bukowina for four years. In 1975-78 he recorded songs for Maciej Zembaty's Zgryz programme aired on Polish Radio. In 1979 he set up Teatr Paranoiczny (Paranoiac Theatre) with Jacek Kleyff and Michał Tarkowski.

He debuted as composer of film music in 1979 with the score for the TV series Przyjaciele directed by Andrzej Kostenko. He began regularly writing for the film ten years later, in 1989, when he composed the score for 300 mil do nieba directed by Maciej Dejczer, which brought him a nomination for Felix (The European Film Award) in Berlin and the Stanisław Wyspiański Artistic Award for the Young from the Polish prime minister. In 1992 he won his first award for the best film score: Golden Lion (Złoty Lew) of the Gdynia Film Festival for the music to Psy directed by Władysław Pasikowski.

Subsequently he won two Poznań Goat (Poznański Koziołek) awards at the 13th Children's Film Festival (1994): for Łowca: Ostatnie starcie (TV series directed by Jerzy Łukaszewicz) and Skutki noszenia kapelusza w maju (a film directed by Krystyna Krupska-Wysocka). In 1995 and 1997 he received a Golden Lion in Gdynia for Prowokator directed by Krzysztof Lang and Bandyta directed by Maciej Dejczer. In 1996 he collaborated with American film director Bob Rafelson in LA. His score for Blood and Wine was nominated by 20th Century Fox for an Oscar. In 1999 he received the special award for music of the Camerimage festival in Łódź for his score for Nic directed by Dorota Kędzierzawska and the prestigious International Prize for Film and Media Music in Bonn. Also in 1999 the music he wrote for the Polish and Czech production Zabić Sekala received the most important Czech cinema award – Czech Lion at the festival in Karlove Vary. In 2001 his score for the film Daleko od okna directed by Jan Jakub Kolski was given the Golden Duck (Złota Kaczka), an award of readers of Film magazine and the Jańcio Wodnik award at Prowincjonalia in Września. In 2002 Lorence received the Golden Lion at the Gdynia Film Festival for the music for Przedwiośnie directed by Filip Bajon and was once again nominated for a Czech Lion for the score to Babie lato directed by Vladimír Michálek. In 2007 his score for Wszystko będzie dobrze directed by Tomasz Wiszniewski won another Golden Lion. In 2008 and 2009 Lorenc received two Jańcio Wodnik awards for the music for Wino truskawkowe directed by Dariusz Jabłoński and Cztery noce z Anną directed by Jerzy Skolimowski. Lorenc was twice nominated for the Fryderyk award for The Album of the Year – Original Score: in 2011 for the soundtrack of Różyczka directed by Jan Kidawa-Błoński and in 2012 for Czarny Czwartek: Janek Wiśniewski padł directed by Antoni Krauze. His music to Czarny Czwartek won an Eagle (Orzeł) – The Polish Film Award for the best score of 2011. In 2011 he received a Totus award from the Work of the New Millennium Foundation of the Conference of Polish Episcopate for "propagating Christian culture, composing outstanding film music" and in particular for Missa Magna Beatificationis, written in tribute to John Paul II.

Michał Lorenc has written music for over 175 films, TV series, documentaries, and theatre productions. He has collaborated with directors hailing from Poland, the Czech Republic, the UK, and the USA. He has recorded with recognised Polish orchestras: Sinfonia Varsovia, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, and Warsaw Chamber Orchestra. He is a member of the European Film Academy, Czech Film Academy, and Polish Film Academy.

Apart form film scores, he also composes music for shows and pieces for vocals and piano, including for 2 x Strajk shown in 2010 at the former Huta Warszawa steelworks in Warsaw to mark the 30 anniversary of anti-Communists protests held in August 1980 in Poland. In 2014 he wrote Światło prawdy, a suite in three parts for vocals and instruments marking the 30th anniversary of the assassination of Monsignor Jerzy Popiełuszko.

Michał Lorenc has also published two children's books. In 1977 he wrote Opowieści czerwcowe (June Tales) and in 1992 – Baśnie Pani Justyny (Mrs Justyna's Fairy Tales) illustrated by his wife, Agnieszka Lorenc.

updated: November 2014 (ai)

Composer's website: www.michallorenc.com