Stojowski: Piano Music

Featuring

Jonathan Plowright
Sigismond Stojowski

Did you know?

1/7

Historical Context

Stojowski was highly active in American Polonia (the Polish diaspora), working for the Polish cause during World War I and championing the newly independent nation after 1918.

Notable Performances

Stojowski was the first Polish composer to have an entire program of his music performed by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, on March 1, 1915.

Cultural Impact

For his efforts in the rebirth of a sovereign Polish state, Stojowski was awarded Polonia Restituta, the highest order the Polish government could confer upon a civilian.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Stojowski's music is known for its rich lyricism and chromatic complexity, with later works sometimes abandoning traditional tertiary harmony for fourths, fifths, and diminished fifths.

Composer Biography

Sigismond Stojowski, born in 1870, studied composition with Léo Delibes and harmony with Théodore Dubois at the Conservatoire National in Paris, winning first prizes in piano, counterpoint, and fugue.

Performer Biography

Jonathan Plowright, the pianist on this recording, is a Gold Medallist from the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal Overseas League, and won the 1989 European Piano Competition.

Composer Biography

In 1905, Stojowski settled in New York and became the head of the piano department at the new Institute of Musical Art, which later became part of the Juilliard School of Music.