Marta Ptaszynska

Marta Ptaszyńska (born 29 July 1943) is a Polish composer, percussionist and professor of music at the University of Chicago. 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".

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.

She has been honored with many prizes and awards including Simon J. Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, the Danks Award of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Fromm Music Foundation Award, the Award at the International Rostrum of Composers at the UNESCO in Paris, several ASCAP Awards, and many more. In 1995, she received the Officer Cross of Merit of the Republic of Poland.

Works Orchestral music

Vocal and instrumental works TitleDate ComposedInstrumentationPremiereNotesA Tale of Nightingales(1968)for baritone and chamber ensemble To the poetry of K.I. GałczyńskiVocalise (1971)for female voice and vibraphoneJuly 18, 1971, Breukelen, the NetherlandsCornelia van der Horst, soprano; Marta Ptaszyńska, vibesOscar of Alva opera in 6 scenes(1971–72, revised in 1986)for 5 soloists (soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone, bass), mixed choir and orchestraA TV production: 1988, Cracow, Poland, Polish Radio and Television (in Polish with English subtitles). Stanisław Zajączkowski, director, Cracow Radio and TV Orchestra and Chorus, Szymon Kawalla, conductorLibretto based on Lord Byron's poem by Z. KopalkoEpigrams (1976–77)for women's choir, flute, harp, piano and percussionMay 8, 1977, Santa Barbara, California, Dorians Choir, Michael Ingham, conductorTo ancient Greek poetry; in English. Commissioned by the Dorians Choir of the University of California at Santa BarbaraUn Grand Sommeil Noir (A Great Dark Sleep)(1977)for soprano, flute and harpJune 22, 1979, Pontino, Italy, XV Festival di Musica ContemporaneaTo Paul Verlaine's poem (French/English)Die Sonette an Orpheus (Sonnets to Orpheus)(1980–81)for middle voice and chamber orchestraOctober, 1989, Warsaw, Poland, Sinfonia Varsovia, Jerzy Maksymiuk, conductor, Ewa Podleś, mezzo-sopranoTo Rainer Maria Rilke's poems; in German. Ave Maria(1982 version)for four men's voices, brass, percussion and organOctober 10, 1982, Boston Cathedral, New England Conservatory New Music EnsembleCommissioned by the S. Moniuszko Musical Society of BostonAve Maria(1987 version)for men's choir and orchestraApril 18, 1988, Cracow, Poland, The Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra and ChoirPolish Letters (Listy Polskie)(1988)for percussion, piano, string quartet, soprano, mezzo-soprano, baritone soliJuly 15, 1989, Royal Castle in Warsaw, Poland, Warsaw Academy of Music chamber Choir and Instrumental Ensemble, Varsovia String Quartet, Ryszard Zimak, conductor, VHS recording: Polish TV Poltel, Warsaw, 1984Cantata to commemorate Poland's Independence. To the poetry of Polish and other European poets; in PolishSongs of Despair and Loneliness (Pieśni rozpaczy i samotności)(1988–89)for mezzo-soprano and pianoOctober 3, 1989, Warsaw Philharmonic, Poland, E. Podleś and J. Marchwiński. Recordings: CD, Muza Records, Poland, 1991 Poems by Rilke, Verlaine, Shakespeare, Staff, and Lorca in original languages. Commissioned by Jerzy Marchwiński for Ewa Podleś, contraltoHolocaust Memorial Cantata(1992)for three solo voices, mixed choir and orchestra (percussion, harp, strings)April 5, 1992, Glencoe, Illinois; Lira Singers; Lucy J. Ding conductor. Score and piano reduction. Recordings: CD, POLYGRAM CD ACCORD, Poland, 1996To the poetry of Leslie Woolf Hedley "Chant for All the People on Earth" (English/Hebrew/Yiddish/Polish). Commissioned by the Lira Singers of ChicagoLiquid Light for Mezzosoprano(1994–1995)Piano and PercussionWarsaw Autumn Festival 1997 and in the unabridged version at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, November 25, 1997. Patricia Adkins Chiti, mezzo-soprano; Ian Buckle, piano; Marta Ptaszynska, percussionTo the poetry of Modene Duffy. Commissioned by and written for Patricia Adkins ChitiCantiones Jubilationis(1995)for women's choir and Percussion March 19, 1995, Chicago; The Lira Singers; Lucy Ding, conductor To the poetry of Modene Duffy. Commissioned by the Lira Singers of ChicagoSilver Echos of Distant Bells(1995)for mezzo-soprano and string quartet December 10, 1995 in New York at the Kościuszko Foundation by Mary Henderson-Stuckey (mezzo-soprano) and the Halycon String QuartetTo the poetry of Lord Tennyson, Laslie Woolf Hedley, Donald Bogan, Krzysztof Koehler and Stanisław Wyspiański; in English. Commissioned by the Kosciuszko Foundation

Chamber music TitleDate ComposedInstrumentationNotesFour Preludes(1965)for vibraphone and pianoScherzo(1967)for xylophone and pianoJeu-Parti(1970)for harp and vibraphoneMadrigals "Canticum Sonarum" Igor Stravinsky in Memoriam (1971)for woodwind and string quartets, trumpet, trombone and gongFirst performance: March, 1972, Warsaw, Poland, Warsaw Philharmonic Chamber Players. Special Mention, Young Polish Composers Contest, 1971Cadenza(1972)for flute and percussion Siderals(1974)for two percussion quintets and light projectionCommissioned and premiered by the University of Illinois Percussion Ensemble, Thomas Siwe, conductor. 1974 Percussive Arts Society AwardMobile(1976)for two percussionistsFirst performance: November 10, 1976, Bennington College, Vermont, Louis Calabro, Marta PtaszyńskaClassical Variations(1976)for timpani and string quartet1976 Award at the Percussive Arts Society Composition ContestSynchrony(1978)for percussion trio Dream Lands, Magic Spaces(1979)for violin, piano and 6 percussion playersFirst performance: November 13, 1980, San Francisco Conservatory Percussion Ensemble, Daniel Kobialka, violin, Barry Jekowski, conductor. Percussive Arts Society International Conference, San Jose, CaliforniaScintilla(1984)for two marimbasFirst performance: 1985 by the duo Tavernier in FranceMoon Flowers (Kwiaty Księżyca)(1986)for cello and pianoCommissioned 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 152Ajikan – Unfolding Light(1989)for flute and percussionCommissioned by and dedicated to the Uroboros Ensemble in England. First performance: September 10, 1989, Southampton International Music WeekPoetic Impressions(1991)for wind quintet and pianoCommissioned 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 saxophoneWritten for David Pituch and Sinfonia Varsovia First performance: June 26, 1997, Festival European Cultural Month in Ljubljana, SloveniaFour Portraits(1994)for string quartet Written for the Wilanów String Quartet. Premiered: April 22, 1994 at Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center in New York.Concerto Grosso(1996)for 2 violins and chamber orchestraWritten 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, 1997Letter To The Sun(1998–2000)for frame drum, percussion quartet and narratorTo the poem by Julia Rafalska; in English. Written for Morris Lang and the Brooklyn College Percussion Ensemble. First performance: November 8, 2000, New York, USA, Brooklyn College Percussion Ensemble, Brian Willson, conductorScherzo Di Fantasia(1997)for euphonium and pianoCommissioned by the National Brass Society for the International Brass Conference in St. Louis. First performance: June 29, 1997, St. Louis, USA, Gail Robertson, euphoniumMancala(1997)for 2 violinsWritten for Hanna Lachert, violinist of the New York Philharmonic. First performance: April 18, 1997, New York, USA

Instrumental and solo works TitleDate ComposedNotesVariations for flute(1967)Space Model for percussion(1971–75)Stress for percussion & tape(1972)Arabesque for harp(1972)Touracou for harpsichord(1974)Farewell Souvenir for piano(1975)Recitativo, Arioso and Toccata for Violin(1969–75)Two Poems for tuba(1975)Quodlibet for double-bass and prerecorded tape(1976)Six Bagatelles for harp(1979)Graffito for marimba(1988)Commissioned by Nebojsa Jovan Zivkovic. Premiered: European Percussion Congress, Germany. Recordings: CD, "Nebojsa Zivkovic, "Percussion made in Europe, VOlume 1" Edition Musica Europea, GermanyHommage a I.J. Paderewski for piano(1992)Premiered: 1992, Washington, D.C., Jerzy StryjniakSpider Walk for percussion(1993)Dedicated to Stanisław Skoczyński. Premiered: November 10, 1993, Columbus, Ohio, USA, Stanisław SkoczyńskiElegia: in Memoriam John Paul II for viola(2005)Premiered: 2005, Rekyavik, Iceland, Michael Hall

Multimedia works TitleDate ComposedNotesSoirée 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 TitleDate ComposedNotesSuite 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 tuneTunes from Many Countries of the World(1977)Children's songs arrangement for percussion and instrumentsJourneys into Space for Piano in two volumes(1978)A set of 19 miniaturesMusic 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 ISMEMiniatures for piano(1982)14 miniaturesFour Seasons for Four Hands(1984)12 pieces for Piano 4 handsSilver Threads and Other Songs for Children(1986)for voice, chorus, and percussion in various combinations, to the poetry of Josef Czechowicz, in PolishMusical Alphabet for two pianos(1985–86)A set of 22 pieces, mainly dances from A to ZMister 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 WarsawMagic 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 : Muzyka to język najdoskonalszy. Rozmowy z Martą Ptaszyńską, Kraków/Cracow PWM 2001