Conductor, pedagogue and composer. Born on the 26th of August 1920 in Poznań. Passed away on the 15th of June 2012 in Puszczykowo.
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Stefan Stuligrosz, Photo: Donat Brykczyński / Reporter / East News
Stuligrosz's success with the Poznan Nightingales and his pedagogic work have been recognized with a number of awards, medals and distinctions. He has received the National Award of 1st degree "for outstanding achievement in choral music"; Grand Cross of the Order of St Sylvester, awarded by Pope John Paul II; Memorial Medal "Ad Perpetuam Rei Memoriam" awarded by the Poznan Provincial Governor; Commander's, Officer's and Knight's Crosses of the Order of Restitution of Poland; ADI ART 2001 Statue "in acknowledgement of work for culture and art and for the education of a number of young people". The Adam Mickiewicz University and the Poznan Academy of Music awarded him their honorary doctorates in 1995 and 2002, respectively.
Stuligrosz studied the merchant trade at Wozniak's Department Store from 1937 till the outbreak of World War II. He took his baccalaureate exam after the war, at the Karol Marcinkowski Gymnasium in Poznań. Meanwhile he learned the piano and music theory with Gertruda Konarkowska and solo singing with Maria Trampczynska. As a boy, he had joined the sopranos of the Poznan Cathedral Choir conducted by Father Wacław Gieburowski. After Gestapo arrested Gieburowski in 1939, Stuligrosz took over as conductor of the 24-voice Boys' and Men's Choir. In 1945 he established the Poznanskie Slowiki / Poznan Nightingales Boys' and Men's Choir. The Nightingales which he has led ever since, has regularly worked with the Poznań Philharmonic since 1950. In 1951 Stuligrosz graduated from the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, where he had studied musicology under Adolf Chyliński, and two years later from the National Higher School of Music in Poznań (with honours), having studied singing in Maria Trampczyńska's class and symphonic conducting under Walerian Bierdiajew.
Stuligrosz was a faculty member of the Poznan Academy of Music from 1951 to 1982, and was appointed professor in 1973. There he lectured on choral conducting, was the Dean of the Vocal Department in 1963-4, the Vice-Chancellor and Chancellor in 1964-7 and 1967-1981, respectively, as well as heading the Chair of Choral Singing (which had been established on his initiative) in 1972-82. He has trained a number of choir conductors who are renowned in Poland as well as abroad.
Stuligrosz's other activities have included membership in the Section of Music and the Presidium of the Council of Higher Artistic Education at the Ministry of Culture and Art in 1973-82, managing the Music Division of the Polish Radio in Poznań in 1953-63 and chairing the Henryk Wieniawski Poznan Music Society in 1971-90. As a composer, he can boast over 600 choral works of sacred music and 100 adaptations of Polish and foreign carols. He has also done research on choral music and singing.
Author: Małgorzata Kosińska, Polish Music Information Center, Polish Composers' Union, October 2006