Michał Spisak

Composer, born in Dąbrowa Górnicza, died in Paris. Between 1930 and 1937 he studied violin under the supervision of Józef Cetner and composition under Aleksander Brachocki at what is now the Academy of Music in Katowice. Between 1936 and 1937 he also took private composition classes from Kazimierz Sikorski in Warsaw. Aside from his creative work, he earned a living by playing and teaching violin. In 1934-36 Spisak worked as an assistant in Zygmunt Szeller’s violin class in the Lower Music School in Katowice (editor’s translation), which the latter ran at the time. In 1937 he played in the chamber ensemble of the Polish Radio in Katowice.

In 1937 Spisak received a stipend from the Silesian Music Society (editor’s translation), and was given a chance to study composition under Nadia Boulanger in Paris. That same year, he joined the Society of Young Polish Musicians in Paris (editor’s translation), of which he was the vice chair after 1939. During the Nazi occupation he stayed in Voiron, only to return to Paris in 1945. Between 1930 and 1937 he studied violin under the supervision of Józef Cetner and composition under Aleksander Brachocki at what is now the Academy of Music in Katowice. Between 1936 and 1937 he also took private composition classes from Kazimierz Sikorski in Warsaw. Aside from his creative work, he earned a living by playing and teaching violin. In 1934-36 Spisak worked as an assistant in Zygmunt Szeller’s violin class in the Lower Music School in Katowice (editor’s translation), which the latter ran at the time. In 1937 he played in the chamber ensemble of the Polish Radio in Katowice. In 1937 Spisak received a stipend from the Silesian Music Society (editor’s translation), and was given a chance to study composition under Nadia Boulanger in Paris. That same year, he joined the Society of Young Polish Musicians in Paris (editor’s translation), of which he was the vice chair after 1939. During the Nazi occupation he stayed in Voiron, only to return to Paris in 1945.

Despite being considered an emigré composer, he never cut ties with Poland. In 1947, he became a member of the Polish Composers’ Union. His compositions were regularly performed during the Warsaw Autumn International Festival of Contemporary Music, the Poznań Music Spring – International Festival of Contemporary Music, and other contemporary music festivals. They were also featured in the programmes of many philharmonic halls in Poland.

Michał Spisak was a laureate of many prestigious composition awards: twice (in 1945 and 1946) he received the Lili Boulanger Award and also twice (in 1953 for his Serenade for Orchestra from 1939 and in 1957 for Concerto Giocoso Per Orchestra Da Camera), the Grand Prix in the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels. In 1955 he won the Grand Prix of the International Competition for the Official Olympic Anthem in Monaco for his Hymne Olympique (1955), in 1962 – a distinction (regular prizes were not awarded) for Improvisazione for piano and violin (1962) at the International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition in Poznań, and finally in 1964 – the yearly prize of the Polish Composers’ Union.

Source: www.culture.pl, Małgorzata Kosińska, Polish Music Information Center, Polish Composers’ Union, October 2006, translated by WF, Oct 2017.