The Ignacy Jan Paderewski Academy of Music in

The Conservatory was not only an appreciated teaching institution, but
also an important concert centre in the Poznan of those years. In 1939 diplomas
were awarded to 130 graduates, highly trained musicians of different
specializations who had a profound influence on the Polish cultural
life.
After a six-year break, in October 1945, the Poznan music institution resumed
its activities in its present premises in Sw. Marcin Street 87, and
then in 1947 it was turned into the State Higher School of Music. The present
name: the I. J. Paderewski Academy of Music has been in use since
1981. The educational offer is now widened by the classes in the Szczecin
Branch of the Academy, which was opened in 1961 (at the beginning as
the Consultation Place).
The position of rector was held by: again Zdzisław Jahnke (1945-1948),
a musicologist Zygmunt Sitowski (1948-1951), a pianist Wacław Lewandowski
(1951-1961), a choirmaster Edmund Maćkowiak (1961-1967), a
musicologist and conductor Stefan Stuligrosz (1967-1981), a pianist Waldemar
Andrzejewski (1981-1987), a choirmaster Stanisław Kulczyński
(1987-1993), an oboist Mieczysław Koczorowski (1993-1999). Since October
1999 the position has been held by a cellist Stanislaw Pokorski.
The system is based – similarly to other Polish Academies of Music – on
the faculty structure. In Poznan, apart from such specializations as composition,
symphonic-opera conducting, choral conducting, theory of music, instrumentation,
instrumental pedagogy, vocal performance and music education,
one can also study eurhythmics, church music and artistic violinmaking
– the only such specialization at the higher education level in Poland.
The Academy has acquired considerable teaching importance by employing
outstanding artistic personalities, among them such artist, as: conductors
– Walerian Bierdiajew, Stanisław Wisłocki; pianists – Olga Iliwicka-
Dąbrowska, Władysław Kędra, Raul Koczalski, Stanisław Szpinalski;
composers – Florian Dąbrowski, Andrzej Koszewski, Stefan Bolesław Poradowski,
Tadeusz Szeligowski; singers – Antonina Kawecka, Marian
Kouba, Stanisław Romański, Irena Winiarska; violinists – Jadwiga Kaliszewska,
Edward Statkiewicz; a percussionist – Jerzy Zgodziński.
The I. J. Paderewski Academy of Music has delivered the title of Dr Honoris
Causa to two splendid internationally renowned conductors: Jan
Krenz (2000) and Stefan Stuligrosz (2002).
The level of education may be proved by numerous awards and honours
received by the Academy students and young academic staff at prestigious
music competitions. To mention just a few: in 2001-2003 they were
awarded in the cities of Aqua, Alessandria, Darmstadt, Haarlem, Koln, Milan,
Moscow, Paris, St. Petersburg, Tokyo, Vienna and others.
In years of 1945-2002, the diplomas of higher education were awarded
to over 3000 graduates (in Poznan and Szczecin). Most of them have remained
faithful to music; they perform as soloists, play in Polish and foreign
philharmonics, operas and chamber ensembles, teach in music
schools of all levels and in the schools of general education, work in different
cultural institutions and music divisions of national and regional mass
media.
Presently, the Academy of Music educates over 700 students and employs
231 academic staff members, 53 of them are professors.
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