Zygmunt Stojowski
Zygmunt Stojowski was a Polish pianist, composer, and music educator. He was born in Strzelce on 27 March (8 April) 1869. He spent his childhood in Kraków, where his mother hosted a salon attended by musicians including Ignacy Jan Paderewski, who later became a longtime artistic colleague. At school in Kraków, Stojowski studied music with Władysław Żeleński.
In 1887, Stojowski entered the Paris Conservatory, studying piano with Louis Diémer, composition with Léo Delibes, and harmony with Théodore Dubois. He also studied literature and philosophy at the Sorbonne. During Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Paris visit in 1888, Stojowski assisted him as an interpreter. In 1891, Stojowski made his Paris concert debut, performing his First Piano Concerto with the Colonne Orchestra, conducted by Benjamin Godard. He also studied with Paderewski and learned chamber music with Władysław Górski.
At the turn of the century, Stojowski gave concerts in Poland and elsewhere in Europe, often performing his own works. Hans von Bülow conducted the premiere of his Suite for Orchestra in Hamburg in 1891. His Symphony in D minor was performed at the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra’s first concert in 1901. After moving to the United States in 1905, he headed the piano department at the Institute of Musical Art, where he taught for seven years. He also gave private lessons at home; his students included Alfred Newman and Guiomar Novaes.
Stojowski continued to perform in the United States during the 1900s and 1910s. In 1913, he performed his Second Piano Concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra under Arthur Nikisch; Paderewski performed the concerto in New York three years later. Stojowski later gave up both composing and concert performance to focus on teaching. From 1940 until his death, he taught at the Juilliard School, which had developed from the Institute of Musical Art. He died in New York City on 5 November 1946.