Marta Ptaszyńska (born 29 July 1943) is a Polish composer, percussionist and professor of music at the University of Chicago.[1] She has been described by the Polish Music Center of the University of Southern California as "one of the best known Polish woman composers" as well as "a virtuoso percussionist specializing in performances of contemporary music".[2]
Career
Ptaszyńska was born in Warsaw, Poland. In 1998, she was appointed a Professor of Music and the Humanities at the University of Chicago. Since 2005 she holds an endowed chair of Helen B. & Frank L. Sulzberger Professor in Composition.
First performance: 1985 by the duo Tavernier in France
Moon Flowers (Kwiaty Księżyca)
(1986)
for cello and piano
Commissioned by the BBC in Bristol for the duo R. Jabłoński, cello, and K. Borucińska, piano. First broadcast performance: May 14, 1986, BBC, England. First live performance: September 27, 1986, Warsaw, Poland, 29th International Music Festival Warsaw Autumn. Recordings: Proviva – Teldec Germany, ISPN 152
Ajikan – Unfolding Light
(1989)
for flute and percussion
Commissioned by and dedicated to the Uroboros Ensemble in England. First performance: September 10, 1989, Southampton International Music Week
Poetic Impressions
(1991)
for wind quintet and piano
Commissioned by the Warsaw Wind Quintet. Recordings: CD, DUX Records, Poland (CD of the Year 1996)
Concerto for saxophone and chamber orchestra
(1988–90)
for solo alto and tenor saxophone
Written for David Pituch and Sinfonia Varsovia First performance: June 26, 1997, Festival European Cultural Month in Ljubljana, Slovenia
Written as "A Birthday present for Lord Yehudi Menuhin" First performance: January 26, 1997, Warsaw, Poland, Sinfonia Varsovia and Lord Menuhin. VHS recording By Polish Television, Warsaw, 1997
Soirée Snobe Chez La Princesse Instrumental Theatre
(1979)
for 2 keyboard instruments, prerecorded tape, mimes and lighting. Commissioned and premiered in 1979 by Annette Sachs and Piotr Lachert, Théâtre European de Musique Vivante, Brussels, Belgium
Music for children
Title
Date Composed
Notes
Suite Variée for percussion (4) and piano
(1965)
Little Mosaic for percussion ensemble
(1968)
Little Mexican Fantasy for percussion and piano
(1971)
Arrangement of a Mexican folk tune
Tunes from Many Countries of the World
(1977)
Children's songs arrangement for percussion and instruments
Journeys into Space for Piano in two volumes
(1978)
A set of 19 miniatures
Music of Five Steps for two flutes and percussion ensemble
(1979)
Commissioned by the International Society for Musical Education. First performance: July 12, 1980 by the pupils of E. Mlynarski Elementary School of Music in Warsaw, Poland, during the XIV World Congress of ISME
Miniatures for piano
(1982)
14 miniatures
Four Seasons for Four Hands
(1984)
12 pieces for Piano 4 hands
Silver Threads and Other Songs for Children
(1986)
for voice, chorus, and percussion in various combinations, to the poetry of Josef Czechowicz, in Polish
Musical Alphabet for two pianos
(1985–86)
A set of 22 pieces, mainly dances from A to Z
Mister Marimba- children's opera in 3 acts
(1992–95)
Soloists, children's choir and orchestra. To the libretto of Polish lyricist Agnieszka Osiecka; in Polish and also in English. Written for the National Opera in Warsaw, Poland. First performance: November 1997, National Opera in Warsaw
Magic Doremik- children's opera in 2 acts
(2007)
Soloists, children choir and orchestra. To the libretto of the composer. Written for the National Opera in Warsaw, Poland. First performance: 2008, National Opera in Warsaw
Books
Ptaszynska, Marta & Niewiadomska, Barbara; Colorful World of Percussion (1978) A book for percussion training in 5 volumes.
about Ptaszyńska (in Polish):
Muzyka to język najdoskonalszy. Rozmowy z Martą Ptaszyńską, Kraków/Cracow PWM 2001
Meckna, Michael, and Barbara Zwolska-Stęszeweska. 2001. "Ptaszyńska, Marta". The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell. London: Macmillan Publishers.
