Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music

The Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice

Akademia Muzyczna im. Karola Szymanowskiego w Katowicach
Established	1929
Rector	Professor Tomasz Miczka
Location	Katowice, Poland (EU)
Website	http://www.am.katowice.pl

Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice is a school of music of university level in Poland. It is located in Katowice, Silesia.

Studies

The Academy offers full-time as well as part-time BA, MA and DA studies at two departments: Composition, Interpretation, Education and Jazz Department and Vocal-Instrumental Department. Studies are offered in the following fields:^[1]

• conducting (speciality: symphonic and opera conducting)
• composition and theory of music (specialties: composition, theory of music, eurhythmics)
• music education (specialties: music education, choral conducting, music therapy)
• jazz interpretation (specialties: composition and arrangements, instrumental performance, vocal performance)
• instrumental performance
• vocal performance

School of Music

The Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music offers paid studies in given specialties in the English language. Study programs are based on the European Credit Transfer System.^[2]

Concerts

Each year, the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music holds several artistic events such as concerts (admission free), competitions, master classes and conferences. Many ensembles consisting of students perform concerts on a regular basis: Karol Szymanowski Academic Symphony Orchestra, Academic Wind Orchestra, Academic Baroque Orchestra, Academic Chamber Orchestra, Mixed Choir of the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music, Chamber Choir and Jazz Institute Big-Band.^[3] The school organizes bigger events as well: International Festival of Academic Orchestras (every 2 years), Instrumental Music Festival (each year), Vocal Music Days (each year), International Violin Festival, Silesian Jazz Festival (each year), All-Poland Brass Instruments Competition, International Harp Festival.

Notable alumni

The most known alumni are:^[4]
Composers: Michał Spisak, Wojciech Kilar, Henryk Mikołaj Górecki, Witold Szalonek, Józef Świder, Jan Wincenty Hawel, Edward Bogusławski, Eugeniusz Knapik, Aleksander Lasoń
Conductors: Karol Stryja, Zdzisław Szostak, Napoleon Siess, Renard Czajkowski, Jan Wincenty Hawel, Mirosław Jacek Błaszczyk, Jan Wojtacha, Czesław Freund
Music Theory: Danuta Mirka
Piano: Tadeusz Żmudziński, Lidia Grychtołówna, Józef Stompel, Andrzej Jasiński, Kazimierz Morski, Wiesław Szlachta, Monika Sikorska-Wojtacha, Jerzy Sterczyński, Krystian Zimerman, Joanna Domańska, Krzysztof Jabłoński, Magdalena Lisak, Zbigniew Raubo, Anna Górecka, Wojciech Świtała, Beata Bilińska, Barbara Karaśkiewicz, Przemysław Lechowski, Szczepan Kończal
Chamber music: Maria Szwajger-Kułakowska, Urszula Stańczyk, Urszula Musialska, Marek Moś
Organ: Irma Thenior-Janecka, Julian Gembalski
Violin: Andrzej Grabiec, Aureli Błaszczok, Beata Warykiewicz-Siwy, Adam Taubitz, Adam Musialski, Kazimierz Skowronek, Szymon Krzeszowiec
Cello: Bernard Polok, Paweł Głombik
Oboe: Jerzy Kotyczka, Edward Mandera, Tomasz Miczka
Saxophone: Maciej Sikała, Jakub Raczyński, Krzysztof Kapel
Clarinet: Paweł Roczek, Andrzej Janicki
Bassoon: Paweł Podleśka, Kazimierz Siudmak, Wiktor Osadzin
Trombone: Roman Siwek, Jan Górny
Horn: Józef Brejza, Alfred Kasprzok, Wiesław Grochowski
Accordion: Marek Andrysek, Marcin Wyrostek
Guitar: Marek Nosal, Marcin Dylla, Beata Będkowska-Huang
Vocal: Irena Lewińska, Jadwiga Romańska, Krystyna Szostek-Radkowa, Irena Torbus-Mierzwiak, Michalina Growiec, Stanisława Marciniak-Gowarzewska, Jolanta Wrożyna
Jazz and pop performers: Andrzej Zubek, Krystyna Prońko, Stanisław Sojka, Lora Szafran, Wojciech Niedziela, Jacek Niedziela, Bernard Maseli, Jerzy Główczewski, Janusz Brych, Tomasz Szukalski, Patrycja Gola, Andrzej Daniewicz, Paweł Golec, Łukasz Golec, Ania Szarmach, Anna Serafińska, Anna Sochacka, Anna Stępniewska, Mieczysław Szcześniak, Kuba Badach, Grzegorz Jabłoński, Bartek Królik, Marcin Ułanowski, Gosia Stępień, Łukasz Sztaba, Michał Grott, Kasia Cerekwicka, Janusz Szrom, Hania Stach
Silesian String Quartet, including: Szymon Krzeszowiec, Arkadiusz Kubica, Łukasz Syrnicki, Piotr Janosik

Location

The Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music’s seat consists of five buildings. The oldest neo-Gothic building^[5] was constructed at the end of the 19th century (33, Wojewódzka street). It is linked with the modern building which includes a concert hall for 480 people by a spacious atrium (designed by Tomasz Konior). Apart from the concert hall, the modern building includes one of the biggest musical libraries in Poland, a music therapy hall, an electronic music laboratory, a restaurant and many other facilities. The atrium is also linked with a building in 3, Zacisze street, where the Academy’s authorities have their offices. The other two buildings where lectures and rehearsals take place, are located in 5, Zacisze street and 27, Krasińskiego street.

Museum of Silesian Organ

The Museum of Silesian Organ, located in the basement of the oldest building, is the only museum of this kind in Central Europe. It gathers and preserves many objects connected with organ and its history.

International cooperation

The Academy of Music cooperates closely with the University of Louisville – School of Music (the USA), Zoltán Kodály Pedagogical Institute of Music in Kecskemét (Hungary) and the Department of Musicology of Palacký University of Olomouc (the Czech Republic), in terms of the exchange of students and faculty members. Institutions work on mutual projects and prepare concerts held both in Poland and abroad.
Within the frames of the Socrates-Erasmus Programme, the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music cooperates with the following schools:^[6]

• in Austria:

Universität für Musik, Graz
Mozarteum, Salzburg
Universität für Musik, Vienna

• in Belgium:

Erasmushogeschool, Brussels

• in the Czech Republic:

Academy of Performing Arts, Prague
Univerzita Palackeho, Olomouc

• in Denmark:

The Royal Music Conservatory, Aarhus
The Royal Danish Academy of Music, Kopenhagen
Rhythmic Music Conservatory-Kopenhagen

• in Finland:

Sibelius Academy - University of the Arts Helsinki

Oulu University of Applied Sciences

• in France:

Conservatoire National, Rennes
Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et Danse, Lyon

• in Greece:

University of Macedonia, Department of Music Science and Art, Saloniki

• in Spain:

Escola Superior de Musica de Catalunya, Barcelona

• in The Netherlands:

Royal Conservatoire, Hague
Hogeschool Zuyd, Maastricht
Codarts University of Professional Arts Education, Rotterdam

• in Ireland:

Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin

• in Germany:

Hochschule für Künste, Bremen
Hochschule für Musik, Frankfurt am Main
Hochschule für Musik, Hannover
Musikhochschule, Hamburg
Musikhochschule, Lübeck
Hochschule für Musik und Theater, Munich
Staatliche Musikhochschule, Stuttgart
Staatliche Hochschule für Musik, Trossingen
Hochschule für Musik, Weimar

• in Slovakia:

Higher School of Music – Bratislava

• in Slovenia:

University of Ljubljana, Academy of Music

• in Italy:

Conservatorio di Musica, Frosinone
Conservatorio di Musica, Trieste

• in the UK:

Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London
Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Glasgow

External links

• Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music's official website

References

Coordinates: 50°15′19″N 19°01′48″E / 50.25528°N 19.03000°E / 50.25528; 19.03000