Kulenty studied composition, first in the class of Włodzimierz Kotoński's at the Warsaw Academy of Music in 1980-86, and then, in 1986-88, with Louis Andriessen at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Hague. She also took part in International Trainings for Young Composers, organised by the Polish Society of Contemporary Music (the Polish section of ISCM/SIMC), and in the Vacation School of New Music in Darmstadt. In 1990-91 Kulenty stayed in Berlin as a Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst grant holder.
Kulenty has been composing since 1989, receiving - as an independent composer - numerous commissions and grants, and teaching at composing courses at Apeldoorn (1995), Radziejowice and Munich (1996), Amsterdam (1997) and California (1998). Since 1999 she has been a "composer-in-residence" in Holland.
Kulenty's compositions earned her a number of awards, including the 2nd prize at the 1985 European Contest of Young Composers in Amsterdam for Ad unum for orchestra (1985); the 2nd prize at the 1987 Young Composers' Competition of the Polish Composers' Association for Ride for 6 percussionists (1987), and, the same year, the Stanisław Wyspiański Young Artists' Award. Kulenty is also a four-time laureate of the Composing Competition of the Warsaw Division of the Polish Composers' Association, winning the 1st prize for her 1986 Quinto for two pianos in 1986, the 1st prize for the 1987 Breathe for string orchestra the following year, the 3rd prize for her 1988 Cannon for violin and piano in 1988 and, the following year, the 2nd prize for Aaa Tre for viola, cello and double bass from 1988. In 1999 Kulenty was named the Composer of the Year at Gelderland, and in November 2000 the Deutschlandfunk radio in Cologne organised a concert of her compositions. The concert was recorded on CD.
Since 1992 Hanna Kulenty has divided her time between Warsaw and Arnhem, Holland.
Compositions:
- Trzy minuty / Three Minutes for the Double Bass for double bass solo (1983)
- Kwartet smyczkowy nr 1 / String Quartet no. 1 (1983-84)
- Muzyka podwodna / Underwater music for orchestra (1984)
- Prośba o słońce / Request for the Sun for electro-acoustic tape (1984)
- Przypowieść o ziarnie / Parable of the grain, monodrama for contralto, flute, violin, double bass, percussion and tape to texts from Three Women by Sylvia Plath (Polish translation) (1985)
- Martwa natura ze skrzypcami / Still Life with a Violin for violin (1985)
- Ad unum for symphony orchestra (1985)
- Sesto for piano solo (1985)
- Quatro for chamber orchestra (1986)
- Symphony No. 1 (1986)
- Quinto for 2 pianos (1986)
- Arci for percussion solo (1986)
- Ride for 6 percussionists (1987)
- Breathe for string orchestra (1987)
- Symphony No. 2 for mixed choir and orchestra to texts from Spinoza's Ethics (1987)
- One by One for solo marimba (1988)
- Arcus for 3 percussionists (1988)
- Cannon for violin and piano (1988)
- Aaa Tre for viola, cello and double bass (1988)
- Perpetuus for chamber ensemble {C} (1989)
- Trigon for chamber orchestra (1989)
- String Quartet No. 2 (1990)
- Piano Concerto No. 1 for piano and chamber orchestra (1990)
- Piano Concerto No. 2 for 2 pianos and orchestra (1991)
- Air for chamber ensemble {C} (1991)
- E for E for solo harpsichord (1991)
- Violin Concerto No. 1 [version I] for violin and chamber orchestra (1992)
- Passacaglia for chamber orchestra (1992)
- Cadenza for solo violin with delay {C} (1992)
- Still life with a cello for cello (1993)
- Violin Concerto No. 1 [version II] for violin with delay and orchestra (1993)
- Sinequan for solo cello with optional delay {C} (1993)
- A Cradle Song for violin, cello and piano (1993)
- A Fifth Circle for alto flute with {C} delay (1994)
- A Fourth Circle for violin (or viola, or cello) and piano (1994)
- Sinequan forte B for solo amplified cello with delay and chamber orchestra {C} (1994)
- Sinequan forte A for solo amplified cello with delay, orchestra {C} (1994)
- Lysanxia for gamelan ensemble and tape (1994)
- The Mother of Black-Winged Dreams, opera in one act (1995)
- Going Up 2 for chamber ensemble {C} (1995)
- Going Up 1 for violin and double bass (1995)
- A Sixth Circle for trumpet and piano (1995)
- Violin Concerto No. 2 for violin and symphony orchestra (1996)
- Sierra for violin and cello (1996)
- A Third Circle for piano solo (1996)
- Blattinus for saxophone quartet (1996)
- Certus for chamber orchestra {C} (1997)
- Waiting for... for piano solo and human voice (1997)
- Elfen, ballet music for chamber orchestra (1997)
- Stretto for flute, clarinet, cello and guitar (1998)
- Rapidus for saxophone quartet (1998)
- Harmonium for harmonium solo (1999)
- MM-Blues for two pianos and two percussions (1999)
- Symphony No. 3 for symphony orchestra (1998-2000)
- Drive Blues for solo piano (2000)
- Koncert na flet i orkiestrę kameralną / Flute Concerto No. 1 for flute (amplified, optional delay) and chamber orchestra (2001)
- Asjaawaa for mezzo-soprano, flute, harp, piano, percussion, electronics (2001){C}
Source: Polish Music Information Center, Polish Composers' Union, June 2002.