Zalewski is a graduate of the Zenon Brzewski General Music School in Warsaw. He studies composition under Marcin Błażewicz at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. In 2011, he attended Prof. Wolfgang Rihm's masterclass, organized during the Brücken für Neue Musik festival in Rostock, Germany.
Zalewski has received numerous awards at composition contests, such as third prize and the Audience Award at the Polish Student Music Forum Composition Contest (2008), and 2nd prize in the 1st National Marian Gordiejuk Composers Competition in Bydgoszcz (2008). In 2009, he received the 1st prize in the Polish Student Music Forum Composition Contest for his Perun for chamber orchestra, and honourable mentions at the 4th National Srebrna Szybka (Silver Windowpane) Composition Competition in Kraków, for Kujawiak for viola and piano, and at the 4th International Composing Competition Muzyka Ogrodowa (Garden Music) – for Fairy Song (after John Keats). In the same year, the composer received a scholarship from the Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage. In 2010, Ignacy Zalewski received the main prize in the 51st Tadeusz Baird Competition for Young Composers, for Zutibure for two percussionists.
Zalewski’s compositions have been performed at such venues as the National Philharmonic in Warsaw, the Witold Lutosławski Concert Studio of the Polish Radio, the Grand Hall of the Royal Castle in Warsaw, the ballroom of Łańcut Castle (where he debuted as conductor in 2009, during the 35th International Music Courses in Łańcut), at the Lviv Philharmonic, Alti Concert Hall in Kyoto, and the National Centre for Contemporary Art in Nizhny Novogrod.
Ignacy Zalewski’s piece Anger for symphonic orchestra was first performed on 4th March, 2012, by the Polish Radio Orchestra conducted by Szymon Bywalec, at the Witold Lutosławski Concert Studio of Polish Radio in Warsaw, during the final concert of the Generacje (Generations) series, which formed part of the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the Polish Radio 2. During the same concert, another of his compositions was performed for the first time: Dedykacja (Dedication), commissioned by the organizers of the jubilee.
In the 2013/2014 season, Ignacy Zalewski participated in the 3rd edition of the Music and Dance Institute's Composer-Resident programme, during which he was the resident composer of the Polish Sinfonia Iuventus Orchestra.
Ignacy Zalewski's YouTube channel.
Selected Works:
- Perun for chamber orchestra, 2008
- String Quartet (Kwartet smyczkowy), 2009
- Zutibure for two percussionists, 2009
- Kammerkonzert for ten instruments, 2010
- Mazur for chamber orchestra, 2010
- Scherzo for string orchestra, 2010
- Die Spinnerin for flute and marimba, 2010
- Three Songs (Trzy pieśni) for baritone and string quartet, with lyrics by Józef Czechowicz, 2011
- String Concert (Koncert skrzypcowy), 2011
- Anger for symphonic orchestra, 2011
- Piano Quintet (Kwintet fortepianowy), 2011
- The Man With White Eyes by Leopold Tyrmand (Zły wg Tyrmanda) for flute and percussion, 2011
- Standing Aloof (Stojąc z daleka) for a cappella choir, 2012
- Dedication (Dedykacja) for symphonic orchestra, 2012
- Nav' (Nawie) for two accordions, 2012
- Scherzo II for three flutes and double bass, 2012
- The Lillies (Lilije) – a symphonic adaptation of Adam Mickiewicz’s ballad, 2012
- Poeme (Poemat) for string orchestra, 2012
- Mazurka (Mazurek) for piano, 2013
- Lutostudy for piano, 2013
- Initial in a Lightning (Inicjał w błyskawicy) for four percussionists, 2013
- Catulli Carmen VIII for baritone and percussion, 2013
- Sonata for strings and piano, 2013
- Variations (Wariacje) for symphonic orchestra, 2014
Author: Paweł Krzaczkowski, January 2015, transl. AM