The Paderewski Music Association

The history of the Paderewski Music Association in Bydgoszcz

The Bydgoszcz Music Association came into being in 1922, shortly after Poland regained independence. Its creation by a group of musicians and music lovers symbolized Polish society’s will to revive and develop music life in Bydgoszcz after the First World War. Three years later, in 1925, Zygmunt Lisiecki, a pianist, founded the City Music Institute which two years later was transformed into the City Music Conservatory. This institution was directed by Zdzislaw Jahnke, and later by his wife Irena. It provided education at a very high level and became the center of music activities in Bydgoszcz. The Music Association assembled many conservatory teachers, among them Alfons and Edmund Rezler, Zdzislawa and Halina Wojciechowska, Jerzy Stefan and Felicja Krysiewicz, who made a great contribution towards propagating and boosting musical culture in Bydgoszcz and the region.

After the Second World War the Society focused its efforts on creating a professional symphonic orchestra. It came into existence in 1946, at the 600th anniversary of Bydgoszcz, under the name of the Pomeranian Symphonic Orchestra of the Music Association. Arnold Rezler initially conducted the orchestra and then Mieczysław Tomaszewski took over. On the 1st of January 1953 the orchestra changed its name to the State Pomeranian Philharmonic. Simultaneously, the Society’s members supported efforts to build the Philharmonic edifice.

Paderewski’s personal keepsakes – ownership of the Paderewski Music Association

In 1956 the Music Association, acting on the advice of Felicja Krysiewiczowa – a singing teacher, organizes an Opera Studio, which lay the foundations for the music scene.

The Studio, after four years, was transformed into the Opera and Operetta Music Theatre in Bydgoszcz. In 1960 it is put under state’s control. In the same year the Association created Music Studies for high- and post-graduate-schools.

In 1986 the Music Association adopted the name of Ignacy Jan Paderewski, and its statutory aim became to extol the great Polish pianists, composer and politician, popularize his ideas and music. During the 2nd Paderewski Piano Competition the Association founded a prize for the best interpretation of Paderewski’s work (won by Andrzej Janaszak). For its 65th anniversary (in 1987) it organized a symposium, a series of concerts and a literary competition, devoted to Paderewski.

In the over 100-year history of the Music Association in Bydgoszcz, the Society’s guests have included the most outstanding representatives of Polish musicians, including Karol Szymanowski, Feliks Nowowiejski, Ewa Bandrowska-Turska, Jerzy Waldorff, Regina Smendzianka.

The Mission of the Association consists in promoting compositions and composer’s and performer’s activity, as well as the personage of this eminent Pole – Ignacy Jan Paderewski through, among other e ndeavors, staging concert and meeting devoted to the Master. Alongside these efforts the Paderewski International Piano Competition and the newest undertaking: namely the Paderewski Piano Academy constitute the most prestigious events.