Bauer, Jerzy

He studied at the State School of Music in Łódź: music theory (graduating in 1959), conducting (graduating in 1961) and composition with Tomasz Kiesewetter (graduating in 1966). In 1969–70 he continued his studies with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. In 1987 he was made associate professor and in 1992, professor. In 1989–91 he served as Vice-President of the Board of the Polish Composers’ Union w Warsaw. 

Jerzy Bauer’s works have been performed at numerous concerts and festivals, including Warsaw Autumn, Poznań Musical Spring, Musica Polonica Nova in Wrocław, Berlin Festival, as well as in Paris and the United States. 

He won the 1st Prize at the National Composers’ Competition in Kamień Pomorski for Accende lumen sensibus for organ (1985); Bronze Medal at the 31st Concours International de Guitare organised by Radio France in Paris for Colours and Rhythms of Movement for guitar (1989); 1st Prize at the Wawrzyniec Żuławski National Competition in Warsaw for Countryside Paintings for soprano and piano (1991); 1st Prize at the International Composers’ Competition in Tychy for pieces for solo guitar: Improvisations of Arethusa and BachcabachaB (1993 and 1995). In 2008 he won the 1st Prize at the International Competition in Mikołów for the prayer Libera me Domine for organ and brass quintet. In 1980 he received the Prime Minister’s Award for his works for children and young people and in 2006, the Silver Gloria Artis Medal for services to culture. 

Selected works (since 1985): Colours of Space for flute, cello and piano (1985), Tarantella for French horn and piano (1985), Concerto per violoncello e orchestra (1985), Accende lumen sensibus for organ (1985), Lullaby for piano (1985), Event for percussion (1986), Musica per quattro auti (1986), Les images du mouvement for harpsichord and guitar (1986), Un désir for a cappella choir (1986), 3 Primitivi per violoncello e pianoforte (1987), Bright Tweeting for flute and orchestra (1987), Postcard from the Mountains for two pianos (1988), Play for Moods for string quartet (1988), Missa Pagana for baritone, mixed choir, three flutes, guitar and piano (1988), Libera me Domine for string sextet and organ (1989; rev. for organ, 1989), Ritornello e coro for violin and orchestra (1989), Les couleurs et les rythmes en mouvement for guitar (1989), And Yet Habanera... (on the 115th anniversary of M. Ravel’s birth) for harpsichord and guitar (1990), Play serious to make fun for flute, guitar and accordion (1991), Countryside Paintings for soprano / mezzo-soprano and piano (1991), Trio no. 1 for piano, violin and cello (1992),Variations in Search of a Theme for cello (1992), Jubilee Improvisation of Arethusa for guitar (1993), Epitaph in Memory of Witold Lutosławski for violin, cello and piano (1994), Golden Overture for French horn septet (1994), Trio no. 2 La serietà e leggerezza for violin, cello and piano (1995), Variations by means of bachcabachab for guitar (1995), Trio Musikalische Stimmung und Scherz for alto flute and guitar (1996), Duo concertante for guitar duo and symphony orchestra (1997), Lilt from the Mountains for cello and piano (1998), Eschatological ought (in memory of Bernard Pietrzak) for organ (1998), Collection of Piano Miniatures with Elements of Improvisation for children (1998), BACHCAB for organ (1999), Four Musical Moments for guitar (1999), Resonances and Rhythms for oboe and piano (1999), Native Language for four-voice children’s choir (1999), Fanfares, Bells and Jingles for piano and symphony orchestra (2000), Musical Moment for violin and piano (2000), Why Isn’t the Cucumber Singing? for mezzo-soprano and piano (2000), Song Cycle to Poems by Wisława Szymborska for mezzo-soprano and piano (2001), Stylisations for two accordions (2002), Dualistylfor oboe and piano (2003), Hungarian Capriccio for bassoon and piano (2005), is for cello and piano (2006), Libera me Domine for organ and brass quintet (2008), Cello Concerto no. 2 (2013), Postcard from the Mountains for guitar octet (2014), BisGit for guitar octet (2014), Venusto words by Halina Poświatowska for soprano / mezzo-soprano and piano (2014), Conjugation to words by Halina Poświatowska for soprano / mezzo-soprano and piano (2015), Watercolour for Two for flute, cello and joke (2017).