Knittel Krzysztof
Born in Warsaw in 1947, he studied at the Faculty of Sound Engineering and Faculty of Composition, Conducting and Music Theory of the F. Chopin State High School of Music in Warsaw (including composition with Tadeusz Baird, Andrzej Dobrowolski and Włodzimierz Kotoński). He took part in the Courses in Applied Mathematics organized by the Polish Academy of Sciences (1974) and in the Summer Courses for New Music in Darmstadt (1974, 1976). Since 1973 he has collaborated with the Experimental Studio of the Polish Radio. In 1978 he worked for the Center for the Creative and Performing Arts in Buffalo. He composes symphonic, chamber, stage, electroacoustic and computer works, and creates sound installations. His commissions have included those from the Warsaw Philharmonic, National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice, Amadeus Polish Radio Chamber Orchestra, Sinfonia Varsovia, Polish Radio Orchestra, Camerata Silesia Singers’ Ensemble and many soloists, including harpsichordist Elżbieta Chojnacka, pianist Janusz Olejniczak, singer Olga Pasichnyk (recipient of the Orpheus Critics’ Award for her role in The Heartpiece – Double Opera by Krzysztof Knittel and John King at the Warsaw Autumn Festival in 1999).
He has performed his works in most European countries, Asia, the Americas, including monographic concerts in Brazil, the Czech Republic, Spain, Germany, Russia, and Hungary. His music was featured at prestigious festivals including the Warsaw Autumn, ISCM Music Days in Paris, Fylkingen in Stockholm, Living in a Virtual World in Toronto, Experimentelle Musik Festival in Munich, New Europe ’99 Festival and Experimental Intermedia in New York, Ilkhom XX in Tashkent, Pan Music Festival in Seoul, Festival International de Musique Expérimentale in Bourges, Ton-Art in Bern, Musica Ficta in Vilnius, Contemporary Music Days in Dresden, Melos-Etos in Bratislava and Alternativa in Moscow. He is the co-founder of improvised music groups, including the KEW Composers’ Group (1973–76), Independent Electroacoustic Music Studio (1982-84), Freight Train (set up in 1986), European Improvisation Orchestra (1996–98), CH&K&K Group (founded in 1999) and Mud Cavaliers (set up in 2003).
In 1981 he worked closely with the Commission for Culture of “Solidarity”’s Mazovian Branch. Following the imposition of martial law in 1981, he participated in a wide range of independent cultural projects. In later years he served as vice-president of the Polish Society for Contemporary Music (1989–92), director of the Warsaw Autumn Festival (1995–98), chairman of the Polish Composers’ Union (1999–2003), vice-chairman (2000–2005) and chairman (since 2005) of the Polish Music Council, and member of the Supervisory Board of Polish Television (2003–2006). He is a member of the Programming Board of the Zachęta National Gallery (since 2004) and of the Board of the ZAiKS Authors and Composers’ Association (since 2006). He co-founded the AudioArt Festival at the Centre for Contemporary Art in Warsaw. He is the artistic director of the Ad Libitum International Festival of Improvised Music, which he founded in 2006. He lectures at the music academies in Łódź and Cracow and the Chopin University of Music in Warsaw.
His honours include the “Solidarity Prize“ for the String Quartet written in tribute to late Father Jerzy Popiełuszko (1985), Polish Composers’ Union Award (2003), Cyprian Kamil Norwid Award (2003), “Gloria Artis“ Silver Medal of Merit for Culture (2005), Guardian of National Remembrance Sites Gold Medal (2005), Cultural Merit Badge (2007). He also received an award from the Foundation for Contemporary Performing Arts in New York (1998).
As journalist and critic, he contributed to the periodicals “Tygodnik Literacki”, “Ruch Muzyczny” and “Studio”, and freelanced for Polish Television (weekly arts feature and Classical Music Department).
He has cooperated in improvised music groups with musicians such as Andrzej Bauer, Jeff Beer, Ed Bogaard, Marek Chołoniewski, Axel Dörner, Uwe Dierksen, Uli Fusseneger, Tim Hodgkinson, Carl-Ludwig Hübsch, Pere Oliver Jørgens, John King, Włodzimierz Kiniorski, Martin Klapper, Jacek Kochan, Werner Kodytek, Jerzy Kornowicz, Ryszard Latecki, Mieczysław Litwiński, Albert Markos, László Melis, Marek Mietelski, Ernesto Molinari, David Moss, Victor Nubla, Uwe Oberg, Paolo Pandolfo, Zdzisław Piernik, Adam Pierończyk, Jan Pilch, Andrzej Przybielski, Kazimierz Pyzik, Andrei Smirnov, Tomasz Stańko, Raymond Strid, Tadeusz Sudnik, Olga Szwajgier, Birgit Ulher, Wojciech Waglewski, Marcus Weiss, Tadeusz Wielecki, Frank Wingold, Niels Winther, Carlos Zingaro and Agata Zubel.
S e l e c t e d w o r k s ( s i n c e 2 0 0 0 ): Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, oh Lord, psalms for mixed choir and electronic sounds (2000), Spiegelverkehrte Reise, singspiel to a libretto by Piotr Bikont for soprano, actor and electronics (2000), Weather Reports, performance with Krzysztof Zarębski and Zofia Knittel (2000), Sonatas da camera Nos. 8–18 for speaker, various instruments and live electronics (2000-2006), El maale rahamim… for mixed choir and symphony orchestra (2001), Norwid’s Songs for soprano and piano (2001), Trio for any melodic instruments (2001), Negev II for voice, percussion, synthesizer and sampler (2002), Touching (A Snake from Within), installation (2003), Live from CNN for trombone, voice, synthesizer and tape (2003), The Circus Has Come!for soprano, flute, cello, piano, prepared piano, dancer and two CDs (2003), V2RTrio (Grand River Trio) for clarinet, violin, piano and CD (2003), St Matthew Passion for solo voices, mixed choir, two percussionists, string orchestra and electronics (2004), A Diary from the Warsaw Uprising for five actors, women’s choir, piano, cello and symphony orchestra (2004), …Inthe Opposite Way…for 4-channel tape (2004), Concerto for Harpsichord and Orchestra (2004), Vagante for soloists, orchestra and tape (2005), Electronic Waves (2005), Social / asocial, performance and video installation (2005), Homage to J.C.(2006), Snatches of Memory, computer music (2006), Toccata for symphony orchestra (2007), Snatches of Memory II for two pianos, computer sounds and video (2007),Four Seasons, sound installation (2008), cheap imitations for flute, clarinet, string quartet, piano and CD (2008), Master Exercises, live electroacoustic music to films by David Wark Griffith from 1909–1915 (2009), Chopin Air – sound installation (2010), Free for Windows for guitar and live electronics (2011), Meetings (in two unfulfilled acts) music for ballet (2010), free for(m) macwin_1 for live electronics (2011), About what is notfor live electronics and chamber ensemble (2012), free for(m) macwin_2 for live electronics (2012).
