Krzysztof Knittel

Krzysztof Knittel (born 1 May 1947, in Warsaw) is a Polish composer of symphonic, chamber, stage and electroacoustic works.

Knittel studied sound engineering and composition with Tadeusz Baird, Andrzej Dobrowolski, Wlodzimierz Kotonski at the Frederic Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw. He also studied computer music with Lejaren Hiller and programming at the Mathematical Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences (1974–75).

He attended Summer Courses of New Music in Darmstadt in 1974 and 1976. He has worked at the Experimental Studio of Polish Radio since 1973 and at the Center for the Creative and Performing Arts at State University of New York at Buffalo in 1978. He composes symphonic, chamber, stage, electroacoustic and computer works that have been performed in most European countries, Asia, North and South Americas. He took part in many art performances, built sound installations and played in improvised music groups.

His compositions were written for the National Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir, National Symphony Orchestra of the Polish Radio, “Amadeus” Chamber Orchestra of the Polish Radio, Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra, Camerata Silesia Choir, and for numerous soloists.

Performances
Concerts dedicated exclusively to his music were held in Barcelona, Budapest, Cracow, Kromeriz, Leipzig, Moscow, Sao Paulo, Warsaw. Knittel co-founded the following:
 * KEW Composers Group (1973-75; with Elisabeth Sikora and Wojciech Michniewski)
 * Cytula Tyfun da Bamba Orchester (1981)
 * Independent Electroacoustic Music Studio (1982-84)
 * Interdisciplinary group Freight Train (since 1986)
 * European Improvisation Orchestra (1996-98)
 * CH&K&K (since 1999; with Marek Choloniewski and Wlodzimierz Kiniorski)
 * Mad Cavaliers (since 2003)

Honours/awards
Among his honors are the Solidarity Award in Music (1985), Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists Award (1998), Norwid Price in Music (2003), Polish Composers' Union Prize (2003). In 2005 he was awarded by Polish Minister of Culture with “Gloria Artis” Silver Medal.

He served as director of the International Festival of Contemporary Music "Warsaw Autumn" (1995-98), president of the Polish Composers' Union (1999-2003), vice-president of the Polish Music Council (since 2000) and president (since 2005), the member of the Supervisory Board of the public Polish Television (2003-2006). Director of international Ad Libitum festival of improvised music since 2006. A member of the Programming Board of Zacheta National Gallery (2004-2012). Professor of the Fryderyk Chopin Music University, he teaches also at the music academies in Krakow and Lodz.

<!-- ==Selected works== Prelude for piano (1972)

points/lines for clarinet, tapes and slides (1973)

~440 for violin, piano and tape (1973)

form A, form E for flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon and 5 spotlights (1974)

à la Santé for clarinet, trombone, cello and piano (1974)

detour (instrumental theatre work, text - Theodor W. Adorno) for speaker, cello, piano, percussion and 2 tapes (1974)

Second Secret Poem (composed together with Elżbieta Sikora and Wojciech Michniewski) for

instruments and tape (1974)

Lipps for tenor saxophone/trumpet, double bass, drums and large orchestra (1974-78)

In The Tatra Mountains (composed together with Elżbieta Sikora and Wojciech Michniewski) for tape (1975)

Adherence Zones (composed together with Elżbieta Sikora and Wojciech Michniewski) for tape (1976)

The Conqueror Worm for tape (1976)

Ursus String Quartet (1976)

dorikos, seven miniatures for string quartet and tape (1976-77)

odds and ends for tape (1978)

Glückspavillon for Cathy (instrumental theatre work, text by the composer) for tuba and tape (1978)

Three Studies for Piano (1978)

sketches 1 for any players – graphical score (1978)

low sounds 1 – 5 (text by the composer) for instruments, speakers and tape (1978-91)

polygamy for tape (composed together with Andrzej Bieżan) (1979)

Five Pieces for cello and piano (1979-80)

norcet 1 for tape (1980)

norcet 2 for tape (1980)

Woman's Voice (ballet, scenario by the composer, after Rafal Wojaczek) for 4 percussions and tape (1980)

29 Staves for small orchestra (29 players) (1980-81)

Light (monologue, text by the composer) for actress (1981)

Starry Sky for 5 percussions (1982)

Man-Orchestra I for any instruments and tape (1982)

Black Water, White Water, Old Stream for any instruments and tape (1983)

It's time now for any 5 instruments and piano (1983)

Four Preludes for Piano (1983)

nora for keyboard or harp (1983)

String Quartet „1984-85” (1984-85)

Old Style Pieces for tape (1985)

Lapis for tape (1985)

Three Cassettes for Any 3 Players (1986)

Poko for tape (1986)

Automatic Pilot composed together with Marek Chołoniewski) for tape (1986)

Ave vita for saxophone, piano and percussion (1986)

14 Variations by Piotr Bikont and Krzysztof Knittel on 14 Variations by Edwin Moran on 14 Words by John Cage for voices, electric guitar and 2 synthesizers (1986-92)

Brother John's Struggle for flute, trombone, guitar, violin and percussion (1987)

Three Songs without Words for soprano and tape (1987)

Nibiru for string orchestra and harpsichord (1987)

Histoire I for tape (1988)

Etwas aus Leben for voice, piano and tape ((1988)

Histoire II for clarinet, piano, synthesizer and tape (1989)

Histoire III for harpsichord and tape (1989)

Man-Orchestra II for synthesizer, kitchen objects and computer (1989)

Jingle-Jangle (text by Piotr Bikont) for 2 voices, synthesizer and computer (1989)

Borders of nothing for instruments, synthesizer and computer (1990)

Man-Nature for computer (1991)

Homage to Charles Ives for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, viola, double bass, piano and percussion (1991-92)

instant reactions (text by Charles Baudelaire) for soprano, trumpet, guitar, percussion and synthesizer (1992)

Between for piano and tape (1993)

Negev I for synthesizer and percussion (1993)

Satan in Goray (ballet, scenario by the composer, after Isaac Bashevis Singer) for flute, violin, cello, piano and tape (1993)

legs interactive sound installation (1993)

radio sculpture interactive sound installation (1994)

passage interactive sound installation (1994)

Sonatas da camera nr 1 – 18 for different instruments, synthesizer and computer (1994-2006)

Disco interactive sound installation (1994)

Der Erwählte (ballet, scenario by Marek Wortman, after Thomas Mann), bagpipes, soprano recorder (+ alto recorder, tenor recorder, bass recorder) for baroque trombone, lute, violin, viola da gamba, harmonium, synthesizer and 2 percussions (1994-95)

Synaesthetic Performance with Anna Maria Bauer (1995)

Duo for clarinet and tape (1995)

Raum der Begegnung, video installation (1995)

Book of Beowulf (composed together with Piotr Bikont, Marek Chołoniewski. Włodzimierz Kiniorski and Tomasz Stańko (1996)

Homage to Barbara Zbrożyna for synthesizer and sampler (1996)

Surface en rotation for tape (1997)

Awakenings (ballet, scenario by Piotr Bikont, after Oliver Sachs) for speaker, saxophones, synthesizers and interactive light-sound installation (1998)

The Heartpiece – Double Opera (opera – composed together with John King, libretto by

John King and composer, after Heiner Müller) for soprano, electric guitar, string quartet, synthesizer, sampler and drums (1999)

Interactions composed together with Tadeusz Sudnik (1999)

Bücklein Grooves composed together with Marek Chołoniewski and Włodzimierz Kiniorski (1999)

Out of the Depths Have I Cried unto Thee, O Lord… (texts from Psalms 23, 51, 102-03, 117, 130, 150) for mixed choir and tape (2000)

Spiegelverkehrte Reise (text by Piotr Bikont) for soprano, actor and 2 CDs (2000)

Weather Reports performance with Krzysztof Zarębski and Zofia Knittel (2000)

El maale rahamim… – O God, Full of Mercy… (text from a Hebrew prayer) for mixed choir and large orchestra (2001)

Norwid Songs (text by Cyprian Kamil Norwid) for soprano and piano (2001)

Trio for any 3 melodic instruments (2001)

Negev II for voice, percussion, synthesizer and sampler (2002)

Der Zirkus ist gekommen (text by the composer) for soprano, flute, cello, piano, prepared piano, dancer and 2 CDs (2003)

V2R Trio (Grand River Trio) for clarinet, violin, piano and CD (2003)

to touch a snake from the inside sound installation (2003)

Live from CNN for voice, trombone, synthesizer and tape (2003)

St Matthew Passion for solo voices, mixed choir, two percussions, string orchestra and electronic sounds (2004)

A Memoir of the Warsaw Uprising (scenario by composer, after Miron Białoszewski) for five actors, female choir, cello, piano, orchestra and electronic sounds (2004)

Social / unsocial performance and video installation (2005)

Sonata da camera nr 16 for three actors, instrumental ensemble and electronic sounds [for „de ereprijs” ensemble] (2006)

Homage to J.C. soundscape (2006)

First episode for violin, piano and percussion (2006)

scratches of memory surround computer sounds and video (2006)

Toccata for symphony orchestra (2007)

scratches of memory II for two pianos, surround computer sounds and video (2006)

sketches II for any players – graphical score (2007) -->