Krzysztof Penderecki was born on 23 November 1933. He studied composition at the State Music School in Krakow. His avant-garde compositions from the 1960s brought him world-wide publicity, like Threnody to Victims of Hiroshima and the St.Luke Passion, which marked the beginning of his international successes. In the 1970s, he started his career as a conductor, leading symphony orchestras in Europe, the United States and Asia.
In addition to his original compositions for films, his previously composed works were used by many filmmakers worldwide, including Stanley Kubrick in The Shining, William Friedkin in The Exorcist, the Quay Brothers in Mask, Wild at Heart by David Lynch and Children of Men by Alfonso Cuarón.
Krzysztof Penderecki was awarded many times for his work. He is a two-time Prix Itala winner, and he won four Grammy Awards. In 2005 he was awarded the Order of the White Eagle.
Krzysztof PendereckiWARSAW: Krzysztof Penderecki, one of the greatest contemporary Polish composers and conductors, died on 29 March 2020. He was the composer of many film scores, including Andrzej Wajda's Oscar-nominated film Katyń and The Saragossa Manuscript by Wojciech Has.
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