Jan Krenz
Jan Krenz (14 July 1926 – 15 September 2020) was a Polish composer and orchestra conductor.
Jan Krenz

Photographer Andrzej Świetlik · scanned from POLISH Studio monthly Sept/Oct 1993 · Public domain
- Name
- Jan Krenz
- Born
- 14 July 1926
- Birthplace
- Włocławek, Second Polish Republic
- Died
- 15 September 2020
- Occupation
- Composer Conductor
- Nationality
- Poland
- Fields
- conducting · music composing · composed musical work · music composition
- Education
- Academy of Music in Łódź
- Teachers
- Stanisława Raube · Zbigniew Drzewiecki · Kazimierz Sikorski · Kazimierz Wiłkomirski
- Honours
- Honorary badge For Merits for Warsaw · Order Ecce Homo · Work Flag Order and 2nd class · Gold Cross of Merit · Knight of the Order of Polonia Restituta · Medal of the 10th Anniversary of People's Poland
- Languages
- Polish
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Jan Krenz (14 July 1926 – 15 September 2020) was a Polish composer and orchestra conductor.
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wikidata · Q440011 · wikipedia · Jan Krenz
In this article
Biography
Biography
Jan Krenz studied at Academy of Music in Łódź. Training under Stanisława Raube, Zbigniew Drzewiecki and Kazimierz Sikorski is recorded. The recorded working language is Polish. The field of work recorded is conducting, music composing and composed musical work. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are symphony. Employment is recorded with Grand Theatre and Poznań Philharmonic. Distinctions recorded are Honorary badge "For Merits for Warsaw", Order Ecce Homo, Work Flag Order, 2nd class and Gold Cross of Merit.

Grób Jana Krenza na warszawskim Cmentarzu Powązkowskim.
Cezary Piwowarski
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Jan Krenz • Born — 14 July 1926 • Birthplace — Włocławek, Second Polish Republic • Died — 15 September 2020 • Occupation — Composer Conductor
Biography
Biography
During World War II, Krenz studied piano with Zbigniew Drzewiecki and composition with Kazimierz Sikorski. From 1945 to 1947, he studied at the Academy of Music in Łódź, conducting with Kazimierz Wiłkomirski and composing with Sikorski. In 1949, Krenz began serving under Grzegorz Fitelberg as deputy conductor at the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra. After Fitelberg's death, Krenz became director of the orchestra from 1953 to 1968. In 1968, he became artistic director of the Grand Theatre in Warsaw, and was General Director of Music in Bonn from 1979 to 1982. At the same time, he directed the Danish National Symphony Orchestra in Copenhagen. He was a guest conductor at the Radio Filharmonisch Orkest in Hilversum. He also often performed with the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo. Other orchestras he led include the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. On 26 March 1958, Krenz was the first person to conduct Musique funèbre by Witold Lutosławski. In addition to conducting many orchestras, he has also written a number of compositions. Jan Krenz died on 15 September 2020 at the age of 94.
Works
Works
• I kwartet smyczkowy (1943) • Tryptyk na głos i fortepian (1946) • Symfonia nr 1 (1947–1949) • Serenada klasyczna na małą orkiestrę (1950) • Dwie śpiewki (smutna i wesoła) na chór a cappella (1950) • Kwartet na flet, obój, klarnet i fagot (1950) • Dwa miasta, kantata na dwa chóry i orkiestrę (1950) • Taniec symfoniczny na orkiestrę (1951) • Serenada wiejska na małą orkiestrę (1951) • Rapsodia na orkiestrę smyczkową, ksylofon, tam-tam, kotły i czelestę (1952) • Concertino na fortepian i małą orkiestrę (1952) • Musica per clarinetto solo (1958) • Capriccio na 24 instrumenty (1961–1962) • Messa breve per coro e campane (1982) • Maski – tryptyk symfoniczny na orkiestrę (1982–1985) • Musica da camera (Quartetto No. 3) per quartetto d’archi (1983) • Sonatina per due violini soli (1986) • Epitaphion na orkiestrę (1989–1990) • Symfonia nr 2 (quasi una fantasia) (1989–1992) • Sinfonietta per fiati (1994–1995) • Impromptu pour violoncelle (1997) • Tristan in memoriam. Postludium per quartetto d’archi (1997) • Aria i Perpetuum Mobile na orkiestrę (2004) • Uwertura na orkiestrę symfoniczną (2005) • Requiem na baryton solo, chór mieszany i orkiestrę (2007)
Decorations
Decorations
• Cross of Merit (1952) • Order of Polonia Restituta (1954) • Nagroda Państwowa II stopnia (1955) • Nagroda muzyczna miasta Katowic (1957) • Nagroda Ministra Kultury i Sztuki III stopnia w dziedzinie muzyki (1963) • Nagroda Związku Kompozytorów Polskich (1968) • Nagroda Państwowa I stopnia (1971) • Order of the Banner of Work (1971) • Złota Odznaka Za zasługi dla Warszawy (1972) • Nagroda Państwowa I stopnia (1972) • Polish Radio and Television Award (1979) • Diamentowa Batuta – nagroda honorowa z okazji 70-lecia Polskiego Radia (1995) • Nagroda Ministra Kultury i Sztuki za rok 1998, za dorobek artystyczny w dziedzinie muzyki (1999) • Gold Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis (2005) • Nagroda Tansman za wybitną indywidualność muzyczną (2006) • Order Ecce Homo (2009) • Koryfeusz Muzyki Polskiej za całokształt twórczości (2011) • Dwukrotnie nagroda Złotego Orfeusza za wykonania na Warszawskiej Jesieni • Doktorat honoris causa Akademii Muzycznej im. Grażyny i Kiejstuta Bacewiczów w Łodzi (2018)
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1926
Jan Krenz born at Włocławek.
2020
Jan Krenz died at Warsaw.
References
Citations
References
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Secondary witness
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
Formation and teaching. Krenz studied at Academy of Music in Łódź. He trained under Stanisława Raube, Zbigniew Drzewiecki, Kazimierz Sikorski and Kazimierz Wiłkomirski. Krenz worked in conducting, music composing, composed musical work, music composition and popularization of music. He was employed by Grand Theatre and Poznań Philharmonic. He belonged to Union of Polish Composers. Krenz received Honorary badge "For Merits for Warsaw", Order Ecce Homo, Work Flag Order, 2nd class, Gold Cross of Merit, Knight of the Order of Polonia Restituta and Medal of the 10th Anniversary of People's Poland.
Career and activity
Recognition and collections
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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