Walter Buczynski

Walter Joseph Buczynski (born 17 December 1933) is a Canadian composer, teacher, and pianist.

Born in Toronto, Buczynski earned an Associate diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music in 1951 and a Licentiate in 1953. While there he studied music composition with Godfrey Ridout and piano with Earle Moss. He studied under Darius Milhaud and Charles Jones at the Aspen Music Festival and School in 1955. He pursued further studies in piano with Rosina Lhévinne in New York in 1958–1959. He received grants from the Polish government that enabled him to study with Zbigniew Drzewiecki in Warsaw in 1959 and 1961. Likewise, grants from the Canada Council made it possible for him to study under Nadia Boulanger in Paris in 1960 and 1962.

In 1951 and 1952 Buczynski was awarded second prizes at the Composers, Authors and Publishers Association of Canada composition competition, going on to win first prize there in 1954 with his Piano Trio. In 1955 he won the Fromm Foundation Award with his Suite for Woodwind Quintet. That same year he made his debut as a concert pianist with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra playing Chopin's F minor Concerto. Among his notable pupils were John Burge, Mychael Danna, and Timothy Sullivan.