Krzesimir Dębski,
composer, jazz violinist and conductor, b. 26 October 1953 in Wałbrzych. He studied composition with Andrzej Koszewski and conducting with Witold Krzemieński at the State Higher School of Music in Poznań. From 1980, as the leader of the "String Connection" jazz ensemble he gave concerts in Europe, the United States and Canada. He participated in many festivals, among others - in Reno, Paris, Berlin, Nuremberg, Helsinki, the Hague, Montreal and Baden-Baden.
He won the 1st prize in the World Jazz Contest in Hoeilaart (1983), was honoured with the S. Wyspiański Award (1985), the readers' awards of the "Jazz Forum" magazine in the categories of Musician, Composer and Violinist of the Year (1983-86). In 1985, in the survey of the American magazine "Down Beat" he was ranked as one of the ten best jazz violinists in the world. In 1986 he received the 1st prize in the Competition for Composers organized to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the "Poznań Music Spring" Festival of Polish Contemporary Music. In 1988 he was granted the "Genie Award" of the Canadian Film Academy and the Prime Minister's Award for works for children. In 1998 in the United States his music for Andrzej Maleszka's film Maszyna zmian [Machine of Changes] he was nominated to the "Emmy Award". Krzesimir Dębski has released more than 20 records with his compositions under many prestigious record labels. Since 1986 he has appeared in concert less frequently, dedicating his time to composition. He has composed more than 40 symphonic and chamber pieces, as well as music for more than 50 feature films and documentaries, theatre and experimental music. In 1991 he also took up conducting, and has so far recorded more than a dozen records as a conductor, including performances of film music for Sony Classical.
In 1995-99, Krzesimir Dębski was a member of the Polish Composers’ Union’s Managing Board. He is also Vice-President of the International Society for Contemporary Music, Polish Section.
works
As a much film composer he is much sought after and for most music lovers his name is associated with that area of activity. He has recently written music for screen versions of many masterpieces of Polish literature; he also composes for Hollywood. He has also made a brilliant career for himself as a jazzman. In 1985, he was ranked as one of the ten most distinguished jazz violinists in the world in the survey of the prestigious American magazine "Down Beat". All the same, he has not abandoned classical music, the writing of which he still regards as his most important creative task. “I have worked in nearly all the fields of the music world,” he said in an interview for the “Studio” monthly in 1999; “rock men greet me as a rock musician, jazzmen - as a jazzman, still others - as a film composer. But I am personally convinced that classical music is my proper domain. I dedicate about 80 per cent of my time, or more in some periods, to the composition of contemporary classical music. Unfortunately, the world of contemporary music is so small that at times I cannot help having the impression that I could easily suffocate in it. And, for that matter, I do not seem to be fully accepted in that world. [...] ‘Oh, that’s him,’ they say, ‘he’s already been everywhere, done everything, does he really have to impose himself on us now?’ But I don’t complain - I have many performances. So far, I have refrained from releasing my music on record (though I could have done it at my own cost a long ago), but now I’d like to announce some releases with my compositions. The “Warsaw Autumn” has never presented my works, but I hope to be found worthy of this honour when I celebrate my 80th birthday... [...]. My pieces are performed every month, also frequently abroad. I feel happy that my works are played at usual philharmonic concerts, not only at festivals.” (“Studio” 1999 no. 5)
In 2002, Koch Classic released a noteworthy record with two concert works by Dębski, which is probably the first of the releases announced by the composer.
Composer's own internet site: www.kdebski.pl
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