Multi-award winning Polish composer and conductor Krzysztof Penderecki was one of the world’s leading and most distinguished musicians of his generation.

Works like Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima (1960), St. Luke Passion (1966), Cello Concerto No.2 (1982) written for Mstislav Rostropovich, Polish Requiem (1984), Symphony No.3 (1995), Violin Concerto No.2 ​“Metamorphosen” written for Anne-Sophie Mutter (1995), Symphony No.7 ​“The Seven Gates of Jerusalem” (1996) commissioned for 3000 years of Jerusalem, Flute Concerto written for Jean-Pierre Rampal, and the Double Concerto (2012) written for Janine Jansen and Julian Rachlin, to name a few, are now considered masterworks of our time.

In over 70 years of composing activity, Krzysztof Penderecki has created nearly 150 pieces of varied orchestration, size, composing techniques, genres, forms and symbolic message. Over the years, Penderecki garnered numerous awards both as composer and conductor – his most recent accolade was the fifth Grammy Award (2017) for Best Choral Performance (he was previously awarded in 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2013). In total, he won 7 Grammy awards and had 11 Grammy nominations. He was also awarded numerous Doctor Honoris Causa from all over the world as well as over 170 awards and decorations, including the highest recognition of the Republic of Poland, as well as from Germany, Austria, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia.

A state funeral will be held for Krzysztof on Tuesday, 29 March 2022 at 12:00 at the Church of Sts Peter and Paul in Kraków. Polish President, Mr. Andrzej Duda, as well as the German Bundespräsident, Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier will be in attendance, joining the family and a large number of friends and famous artists from around the world.