He started his musical education under his father and sharpened his skills at the Warsaw Conservatory. From 1922 to 1926 he studied composition at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin with Walter Gmeindl and Franz Schreker.
His works have been performed in many European countries at the festivals organized by the International Society for Contemporary Music in Geneva (1929), Liège (1930), Vienna (1932), Barcelona (1936), Paris (1937), Los Angeles (1941) and Frankfurt (1946, 1951) and in the United States.
In 1933, he moved to Paris, where he lived until 1939. In May 1939, he moved to the United States and settled in New York. He was a member of the American League of Composers.
In 1928, Jerzy Fitelberg received first prize for his String Quartet No. 2 (1928) in the composition competition organized by the Association of Young Polish Musicians in Paris. He also received the prestigious Library of Congress Award for String Quartet No. 4 (1936), the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award for lifetime achievements, in 1945, and the Award for Music Composition for Suite for organ (1949).
His compositions have been published by such music recording label as Chester, Max Eschig, Editions Salabert, Universal Edition, Associated Music Publishers, B. Balan, Dimit Edition, Independent Music Publishers, EF Kalmus, EB Marks, Omega Music, G. Schirmer Inc., Southern Music Publishers, Inc. Universal Art, M. Witmark.
Major Compositions:
- Suite for Orchestra no. 1 (1925)
- Serenade for violin and double bass (1925)
- Octet for brass instruments (1925)
- Sześć kołysanek/ Six Lullabies for 3 clarinets (1925)
- Serenade for nonet (1926)
- String Quartet no. 1. (1926)
- Piano Sonata no. 1 (1926)
- Rhapsody for 4 pianos (1926)
- Piano Suite (1927)
- Violin Concerto no.1 [version I] (1928)
- Suite for Orchestra no. 2 (1928)
- String Quartet no. 2 (1928)
- Suita for Harp (1928)
- Piano Concerto no.1 (1929)
- Prometeusz źle spętany/ Prometheus Bound ballet suite for orchestra (1929)
- Divertimento for brass instruments (1929)
- Brass Quintet (1929)
- Piano Sonata no. 2 (1929)
- Suite for Orchestra no. 3 (1930)
- Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (1930)
- Cello Concerto (1931)
- Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra (1931)
- Tango for violin and piano (1931)
- Trzy mazurka/ Three Mazurkas for piano (1931)
- Trzy mazurka/Three Mazurkas for orchestra (1932)
- Cztery etiudy/ Four Etudes for orchestra (1932)
- Suite for Violin and Orchestra (1932)
- Suite for Violin and Piano (1932)
- Trzy mazurki/ Three Mazurkas for violin and piano (1932)
- Cztery etiudy/ Four Etudes for two pianos (1932)
- Trzy romanse/ Three Romances for violin and piano (1933)
- Piano Concerto no. 2 (1934)
- Divertimento for orchestra (1934)
- Sonatina for Two Violins [version I] (1934)
- Duo [version I] for violin and cello (1934)
- Violin Concerto no. 2 (1935)
- String Quartet no. 3 (1935-36)
- String Quartet no. 4 (1936)
- Piano Sonate no. 3 (1936)
- Konzertstück for orchestra (1937)
- Trio for Violin, Viola and Cello (1937)
- Sonata for Violin and Piano (1938)
- Sonata for Two Violin and Two Pianos (1938)
- Music for Two Pianos (1939)
- Trzy polskie pieśni/ Three Polish Songs for choir a cappella (1941)
- Epitaph for violin and orchestra (1942)
- Złoty róg/ Golden Horn variations for string orchestra (1942)
- Pan Tralaliński for choir a cappella (1942)
- Serenade for viola and piano (1943)
- Nocturne for orchestra (1944)
- Variations for violin and piano (1944)
- Siedem kaprysów/ Seven Caprices for violin and piano (1944)
- String Quartet no. 5 (1945)
- Cello Suite (1945)
- Polish Pictures, suite for orchestra (1946)
- Sinfonietta for orchestra (1946)
- Symphony for string orchestra (1946)
- Sonatina for Two Violins [version II] (1947)
- Violin Concerto no. 1 [version II] (1947)
- Capriccio for brass quintet (1947)
- Concerto for Trombone, Piano and String Orchestra (1947)
- Duo [version II] for violin and cello (1947)
- Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra (1948)
- Dwanaście etiud/ Twelve Etudes for 3 clarinets (1948)
- Suite for Clarinet and Piano (1948)
- Album dla dzieci/ Album for Children for piano (1948)
- Organ Suite (1949)
- The Silly Chick, opera for children (1949)
Author: Małgorzata Kosińska, December 2007, transl.GS, September 2015
