Marek Stachowski

Marek Stachowski (21 March 1936 – 3 November 2004) was a Polish composer. He received many awards and won many competitions for composers, including 1st prize at the K. Szymanowski Competition in 1974.
Personal life and education.
Stachowski was born March 21, 1936 in Piekary Śląskie and died in Kraków on 3 December 2004.
From 1963 to 1968 he studied composition under Krzysztof Penderecki and music theory at the State Higher School of Music in Kraków (today known as Academy of Music in Kraków) from which he graduated with honours.
Before the outbreak of the Second World War, Marek Stachowski spent the first three years of life with his parents in the Silesia province (Poland). When the war started, his mother escaped with him, traveling across Poland in order to get to Bydgoszcz, where the composer's father was hiding from the Nazis. In 1952 Stachowski began attending the piano classes given by Stanisław Czerny at the State First Level Music School in Kraków. In 1959, at the State Second Level Music School he obtained a diploma in piano on a fast-track basis, and also in 1960 in the theory of music. In 1962 he married Maria Jabłońska. 
During his studies under Krzysztof Penderecki (1963–1968) at the State Higher School of Music in Kraków (today known as Academy of Music in Kraków) he achieved his first international successes: in 1968 the prize during the International Competition of the 'Gaudeamus' Foundation for the piece entitled "Musica Con una Batuta del Tam-tam"; the first prize during the Artur Malawski Competition for Composers for the piece "Neusis I" as well as the award for "Sequenze Concerttatii" received during the Competition for Young Musicians organised by the Polish Composers’ Union. In the next year he won the second prize in the International Competition organised by the 'Solidarity Committee' in Skopje for the piece entitled "Chant de l'espoir". 
In 1970 "Audition" for flute, cello and piano was Marek Stachowski's first piece which was performed during the International Festival of Contemporary Music 'Warsaw Autumn'. 
In 1971 he was awarded the third prize during the National Competition for Composers for the cantata 'Słowa do wierszy W. Broniewskiego' ('Words for the W.Broniewski's Poems'). He was three times awarded during the International Tribune of Composers (UNESCO) in Paris: in 1974 for Neusis II, in 1979 he was again awarded for the "Divertimento" for string orchestra and in 1990 for "III String Quartet" written on the request of the BBC Bristol. In 1974 he received the first prize in the Karol Szymanowski Competition for the piece entitle "Thakurian Chants". In 1975 he was giving lectures at the Yale University (USA). One year later he received the musical prize of the city of Mönchengladbach for the piece entitled "Poeme sonore". 
In 1984 he received the prize of the Polish Composers’ Union.
Apart from the creative work, Marek Stachowski was also involved in teaching. Since 1967 he conducted composition classes at the State Higher School of Music in Kraków, since 1981 as a full professor, and then between the years 1993-1999 and 2002-2004 he was a rector of the Academy. He lectured also on composition on the courses in the Rubin Academy of Music and Dance in Jerusalem and during the summer courses in Durham. Marek Stachowski conducted seminars within the framework of the Gaudeamus Music Week. He served on juries of competitions for composers and performers, these was, among others, the Krzysztof Penderecki Competition in Kraków. He educated many composers of younger and middle-age generations.
Legacy.
One of the streets in Kraków is named in Stachowski's honor.