Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music


Academy of Music in Katowice is a school of music of university level in Poland. It is located in Katowice, Silesia.

Studies

The Academy offers full-time as well as part-time BA, MA and DA studies at two departments: Composition, Interpretation, Education and Jazz Department and Vocal-Instrumental Department. Studies are offered in the following fields:
The Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music offers paid studies in given specialties in the English language. Study programs are based on the European Credit Transfer System.

Concerts

Each year, the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music holds several artistic events such as concerts, competitions, master classes and conferences. Many ensembles consisting of students perform concerts on a regular basis: Karol Szymanowski Academic Symphony Orchestra, Academic Wind Orchestra, Academic Baroque Orchestra, Academic Chamber Orchestra, Mixed Choir of the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music, Chamber Choir and Jazz Institute Big-Band.
The school organizes bigger events as well: International Festival of Academic Orchestras, Instrumental Music Festival, Vocal Music Days, International Violin Festival, Silesian Jazz Festival, All-Poland Brass Instruments Competition, International Harp Festival.

Notable alumni

The most known alumni are:

Composers: Michał Spisak, Wojciech Kilar, Henryk Mikołaj Górecki, Witold Szalonek, Józef Świder, Jan Wincenty Hawel, Edward Bogusławski, Eugeniusz Knapik, Aleksander Lasoń

Conductors: Karol Stryja, Zdzisław Szostak, Napoleon Siess, Renard Czajkowski, Jan Wincenty Hawel, Mirosław Jacek Błaszczyk, Jan Wojtacha, Czesław Freund

Music Theory: Danuta Mirka

Piano: Tadeusz Żmudziński, Lidia Grychtołówna, Józef Stompel, Andrzej Jasiński, Kazimierz Morski, Wiesław Szlachta, Monika Sikorska-Wojtacha, Jerzy Sterczyński, Krystian Zimerman, Joanna Domańska, Krzysztof Jabłoński, Magdalena Lisak, Zbigniew Raubo, Anna Górecka, Wojciech Świtała, Beata Bilińska, Rafał Łuszczewski, Barbara Karaśkiewicz, Przemysław Lechowski, Szczepan Kończal

Chamber music: Maria Szwajger-Kułakowska, Urszula Stańczyk, Urszula Musialska, Marek Moś

Organ: Irma Thenior-Janecka, Julian Gembalski

Violin: Andrzej Grabiec, Aureli Błaszczok, Beata Warykiewicz-Siwy, Adam Taubitz, Adam Musialski, Kazimierz Skowronek, Szymon Krzeszowiec

Cello: Bernard Polok, Paweł Głombik

Oboe: Jerzy Kotyczka, Edward Mandera, Tomasz Miczka

Saxophone: Maciej Sikała, Jakub Raczyński, Krzysztof Kapel

Clarinet: Paweł Roczek, Andrzej Janicki

Bassoon: Paweł Podleśka, Kazimierz Siudmak, Wiktor Osadzin

Trombone: Roman Siwek, Jan Górny

Horn: Józef Brejza, Alfred Kasprzok, Wiesław Grochowski

Accordion: Marek Andrysek, Marcin Wyrostek

Guitar: Marek Nosal, Wanda Palacz, Marcin Dylla, Beata Będkowska-Huang

Vocal: Irena Lewińska, Jadwiga Romańska, Krystyna Szostek-Radkowa, Irena Torbus-Mierzwiak, Michalina Growiec, Stanisława Marciniak-Gowarzewska, Jolanta Wrożyna

Jazz and pop performers: Andrzej Zubek, Krystyna Prońko, Stanisław Sojka, Lora Szafran, Wojciech Niedziela, Jacek Niedziela, Bernard Maseli, Jerzy Główczewski, Janusz Brych, Tomasz Szukalski, Patrycja Gola, Andrzej Daniewicz, Paweł Golec, Łukasz Golec, Ania Szarmach, Anna Serafińska, Anna Sochacka, Anna Stępniewska, Mieczysław Szcześniak, Kuba Badach, Grzegorz Jabłoński, Bartek Królik, Marcin Ułanowski, Gosia Stępień, Łukasz Sztaba, Michał Grott, Kasia Cerekwicka, Janusz Szrom, Hania Stach

Silesian String Quartet, including: Szymon Krzeszowiec, Arkadiusz Kubica, Łukasz Syrnicki, Piotr Janosik

Location

The Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music’s seat consists of five buildings. The oldest neo-Gothic building was constructed at the end of the 19th century. It is linked with the modern building which includes a concert hall for 480 people by a spacious atrium. Apart from the concert hall, the modern building includes one of the biggest musical libraries in Poland, a music therapy hall, an electronic music laboratory, a restaurant and many other facilities. The atrium is also linked with a building in 3, Zacisze street, where the Academy’s authorities have their offices. The other two buildings where lectures and rehearsals take place, are located in 5, Zacisze street and 27, Krasińskiego street.

Museum of Silesian Organ

The Museum of Silesian Organ, located in the basement of the oldest building, is the only museum of this kind in Central Europe. It gathers and preserves many objects connected with organ and its history.

International cooperation

The Academy of Music cooperates closely with the University of Louisville – School of Music, Zoltán Kodály Pedagogical Institute of Music in Kecskemét and the Department of Musicology of Palacký University of Olomouc, in terms of the exchange of students and faculty members. Institutions work on mutual projects and prepare concerts held both in Poland and abroad.
Within the frames of the Socrates-Erasmus Programme, the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music cooperates with the following schools:
Universität für Musik, Graz

Mozarteum, Salzburg

Universität für Musik, Vienna
Erasmushogeschool, Brussels
Academy of Performing Arts, Prague

Univerzita Palackeho, Olomouc
The Royal Music Conservatory, Aarhus

The Royal Danish Academy of Music, Kopenhagen

Rhythmic Music Conservatory-Kopenhagen
Sibelius Academy - University of the Arts Helsinki
Oulu University of Applied Sciences
Conservatoire National, Rennes

Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et Danse, Lyon
University of Macedonia, Department of Music Science and Art, Saloniki
Escola Superior de Musica de Catalunya, Barcelona
Royal Conservatoire, Hague

Hogeschool Zuyd, Maastricht

Codarts University of Professional Arts Education, Rotterdam
Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin
Hochschule für Künste, Bremen

Hochschule für Musik, Frankfurt am Main

Hochschule für Musik, Hannover

Musikhochschule, Hamburg

Musikhochschule, Lübeck

Hochschule für Musik und Theater, Munich

Staatliche Musikhochschule, Stuttgart

Staatliche Hochschule für Musik, Trossingen

Hochschule für Musik, Weimar
Higher School of Music – Bratislava
University of Ljubljana, Academy of Music
Conservatorio di Musica, Frosinone

Conservatorio di Musica, Trieste
Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London

Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Glasgow