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Antoni WIT |
Managing and Artistic Director
of Warsaw Philharmonic – The National Orchestra and Choir of Poland
since January 2002. Previously, he directed the Pomeranian Philharmonic
(1974-77), Polish Radio and Television Orchestra and Choir in Cracow (1977-83),
the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice (WOSPR, later
NOSPR: 1983-2000), Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria (1987-92).
His work with each of these orchestras is now remembered as a period of
intense artistic development and as the ensemble’s heyday. His concerts
and recordings with the Cracow orchestra and choir proved important for
Polish music; with these musicians, he frequently toured Italy, Germany,
Great Britain, France and Spain. He was NOSPR’s longest-time managing
and artistic director. With this orchestra, he started regular record
production, foreign tours, concerts on TV and film music recordings. Among
archive recordings as well as symphonic and oratorio concerts, the pride
of place was given to Polish music both by historical and contemporary
composers. The artist gave many first performances of compositions by
Krzysztof Penderecki, Witold Lutoslawski, Wojciech Kilar, and others.
Born in Cracow, he received his education in this city, studying conducting
under Henryk Czyz, composition under Krzysztof Penderecki at the State
Higher School of Music, and law at the Jagiellonian University. He then
continued his musical studies with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. From 1967
till 1969 he was Witold Rowicki’s assistant at Warsaw Philharmonic.
The 2nd prize in the International Herbert von Karajan Conducting Competition
in Berlin in 1971 paved the way for his great international career. He
has given performances in nearly all the major musical centres in Europe,
both Americas, the Near and Far East, conducting such leading symphony
orchestras as the Berliner Philharmoniker, Staatskapelle Dresden, Tonhalle
Zurich, the Royal Philharmonic, Philharmonia, BBC London, Montreal Symphony,
NHK Tokyo, and many others. Recently he conducted, among others, the Orchestre
Philharmonique de Strasbourg, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Staatskapelle
Weimar (in a recording of R. Strauss’s Alpine Symphony for Naxos)
and Japan Philharmonic Orchestra in Tokyo.
Symphonic music remains the main focus of Antoni Wit’s artistic
work. However, he has also been highly successful in the field of the
opera, preparing the premieres of The Barber of Seville, Traviata and
A Masked Ball in Warsaw’s Grand Theatre, as well as Aida and The
Consul in Malmö Opera, and premiered Halka in Tokyo and Triest.
He has made over 130 records for such labels as EMI-HMV, CBS, Naxos, NVS
Arts, Pony Canyon, Polskie Nagrania and others sold in more then 3 million
copies. His collaboration with Naxos resulted in the release of 26 CDs
with Polish music and over 40 CDs with non-Polish music. These recordings
were made predominantly with the Warsaw Philharmonic and NOSPR (WOSPR).
An important feature of the Polish music collection is its wide range.
The Naxos catalogue includes e.g. 10 CDs of compositions by Lutoslawski,
7 CDs - by Penderecki (the next three are in preparation). At present,
he is working with Warsaw Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra) and Choir on
a CD series of Karol Szymanowski's orchestral and symphonic works for
Naxos – a project supported by the Ministry of Culture and National
Heritage. Simultaneously, with New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Warsaw
Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra he is recording the complete symphonic
poems by Karlowicz.
In recognition of his achievements, he received numerous awards. His version
of the complete Prokofiev piano concertos (with Kun Woo Paik as soloist)
was awarded the Diapason d’Or and Grand Prix du Disque de la Nouvelle
Academie in 1993, while his recording of Messiaen’s Turangalîla
symphony won Cannes Classical Award (Midem Classique 2002). In 2004, Antoni
Wit won the Classical Internet Award and was nominated for the Grammy
Award for his performance of Penderecki’s St. Luke’s Passion
(Naxos). In June 2005, he made a CD recording of Symphony No. 8 by Mahler,
which received extraordinary international reviews, placing the performance
among the best recording ever made. In December of the same year, he was
nominated again for the Grammy Award and won the Record Academy Award
2005 of the Japanese music magazine "Record Geijutsu" for his
recording of Penderecki’s Polish Requiem (Naxos). In March 2006,
he won three Fryderyk 2005 prizes (Polish record awards) - for his CD
recordings and the special Gold Fryderyk for his lifetime achievements.
In 2006, he recorded R. Strauss’s Alpine Symphony with Staatskapelle
Weimar; also this CD received highly favourable reviews placing it in
the “Karajan League”. In July 2007, the first record in the
above mentioned series of music by Karol Szymanowski, containing both
Violin Concertos (with Ilya Kaler as soloist) as well as the Nocturne
and Tarantelle was named Editor’s Choice by the prestigious British
music monthly Gramophone. In December 2007 his recording of Seven Gates
of Jerusalem by Penderecki for Naxos with Warsaw Philharmonic got nomination
for the Grammy Award.
In September 2006, on the initiative of Rafal Blechacz, the winner of
the 2005 Chopin Competition, and Antoni Wit, an unusual artistic event
– the first ever concert of symphonic music – took place in
the pianist’s hometown of Naklo. The artist played both of Chopin’s
piano concertos with Warsaw Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra conducted
by Antoni Wit.
For the best performance of a Polish work at the “Warsaw Autumn”
International Festival of Contemporary Music, the artist twice won the
Orpheus Critics’ Award (1984, 1996). “For outstanding artistic
creations and the popularisation of Polish music at home and abroad, reaching
millions of listeners worldwide”, the Polish Radio awarded him in
1998 the “Diamond Baton”.
Antoni Wit also engages in teaching activity – he is professor of
conducting in the Frédéric Chopin Music Academy in Warsaw.
His students have won many top prizes in music competitions in Poland
and abroad.