He studied sound engineering and composition with Tadeusz Baird, Andrzej Dobrowolski and Włodzimierz Kotoński, and computer music (with Lejaren Hiller) at the State Higher School of Music in Warsaw. As from 1973, he cooperated with the Experimental Studio of the Polish Radio. Between the years 1974-75, he studied programming at the Mathematical Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences. In 1978, he worked in The Centre of the Creative and Performing Arts in Buffalo.
Krzysztof Knittel is probably the most independent Polish contemporary composer. Starting with his debut during the "Warsaw Autumn" in 1975 with Points / Lines for clarinet, tapes and slides, he follows his own road, ignoring the main trends that shape the changing musical landscape of our times. A year earlier, together with Wojciech Michniewski and Elżbieta Sikora - form the KEW Group - he presented an experimental improvisation at the "Warsaw Autumn" Festival entitled The Second Secret Poem. At that time, he was already a well-known song composer, of which the Autumn Concert sang by Magda Umer, made him hugely popular.
KEW, Light from Poland and Mud Cavaliers
He is a co-founder of several artistic groups: KEW Composers' Group – with Elżbieta Sikora and Wojciech Michniewski (1973-76), Cytula Tyfun da Bamba Orkiester - with Andrzej Bieżan, Mieczysław Litwiński and Tadeusz Sudnik (1981), the Independent Studio of Electroacoustic Music – among others with Stanisław Krupowicz and Paweł Szymański (1982-84), Light from Poland - with the poet Tadeusz Sławek, Mieczysław Litwiński and Bogusław Mizerski (1985-87), the European Improvisation Orchestra (1996-98). In 1986, together with Piotr Bikont and Marek Chołoniewski, he founded the Freight Train Ensemble which exists till today, while in 1989 - the CH&K Studio that was transformed into the CH&K&K Trio (with Marek Chołoniewski and from 1999 - Włodzimierz Kiniorski), since 2004, he is the co-founder of the Mud Cavaliers – among others, with Jerzy Kornowicz, Ryszard Latecki and Tadeusz Wielecki.
Apart from his more or less traditional compositions, Knittel is also involved in performances, he creates sound installations and plays improvised music. This is connected with his participation in numerous groups and ensembles, usually of which he is a co-founder. Apart from the above mentioned KEW Group, these were: Cytula Tyfun da Bamba Orkiester, Independent Electroacoustic Music Studio, Freight Train Ensemble, Go-Go Boys, CH&K Studio, European Improvisation Orchestra. It should be noted though, that Knittel is also the author of the String Quartet - a tribute to Father Jerzy Popiełuszko, for which he received the music award of the underground "Solidarity" in 1985, and then later, he also created such works like: Out of the Depths Have I Cried unto Thee, O Lord.. to the texts of Psalms (2000), El maale rachamim - devoted to the memory of the victims of Jedwabne (2001) and the Norwid Songs (2001). Among the most recent compositions by Knittel, it is the opera HeartPiece written in collaboration with American composer and guitarist John King that has stirred the most emotions. Its experimental character "summarizes" well the core essence of Knittel's creative attitudes.
From Warsaw Autumn to ISCM
Krzysztof Knittel has participated in many prestigious contemporary music festivals. These include Warsaw Autumn, ISCM in Paris and Zagreb, Fylkingen in Stockholm, Living in a Virtual World in Toronto, Experimentelle Musik Festival in Munich, New Europe ’99 Festival and Experimental Intermedia in New York, Ilkhom XX in Tashkent, Pan Music Festival in Seoul, Festival International de Musique Experimentale in Bourges, Ton-Art in Bern, Musica Ficta in Vilnius, Dresdner Tage der zeitgen Össischen Musik, Melos-Etos in Bratislava, Alternativa in Moscow. He has performed in most European countries, as well as in Asia, North and South America, given monograph concerts in Brazil, Czech Republic, Spain, Germany, Poland, Russia, and Hungary, and played in concert halls such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and The Kitchen in New York, Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, Théatre de la Ville and Théatre du Lierre in Paris, Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, Kunstmuseum Bern, and ORF Studio in Graz.
National Philharmonic Hall and Tomasz Stańko
He writes computer and electroacoustic pieces, he composes ballet music, he creates sound installations, he writes musical pieces for orchestra, choirs, chamber ensembles - among them, for the National Philharmonic Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of the Polish Radio, Amadeus Chamber Orchestra of the Polish Radio, the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra, Camerata Silesia Choir, soloists - Elżbieta Chojnacka, Olga Pasiecznik (the Orpheus Prize at the "Warsaw Autumn" in 1999 for his The HeartPiece - Double Opera composed in collaboration with John King), Janusz Olejniczak, Tomasz Stańko and many others.
He cooperated with following musicians in the field of improvised music: Andrzej Bauer, Franziska Baumann, Jeff Beer, Ed Bogaard, Marek Chołoniewski, Axel Dörner, Uwe Dierksen, Tomasz Duda, Uli Fusseneger, Tim Hodgkinson, Carl-Ludwig Hübsch, Pere Oliver Jørgens, Timo Kamarainen, John King, Włodzimierz Kiniorski, Martin Klapper, Jacek Kochan, Werner Kodytek, Jerzy Kornowicz, Alexey Kruglov, Ryszard Latecki, Mieczysław Litwiński, Albert Markos, Laszlo Melis, Marek Mietelski, Ernesto Molinari, David Moss, Victor Nubla, Uwe Oberg, Olga Pasiecznik, Paolo Pandolfo, Zdzisław Piernik, Adam Pierończyk, Jan Pilch, Andrzej Przybielski, Kazimierz Pyzik, Andrey Smirnov, Tomasz Stańko, Maciej Staszewski, Raymond Strid, Tadeusz Sudnik, Olga Szwajgier, Birgit Ulher, Wojciech Waglewski, Marcus Weiss, Tadeusz Wielecki, Frank Wingold, Niels Winther, Yuriy Yaremchuk, Carlos Zingaro, Agata Zubel.
Awards and Distinctions
As a journalist and music critic, he cooperated with the Tygodnik Literacki (Literary Weekly), he also collaborated with the TV programme Pegaz and with the Music Department of Polish Public Television, as well as with such journals like Ruch Muzyczny (Music Motion) and Studio. In 1985, Krzysztof Knittel received the Solidarity Award for his String Quartet written as a tribute to Father Jerzy Popiełuszko, and in 1998 - he was awarded by the Foundation for Contemporary Performance Arts in New York; in 2003 - he received the Cyprian Norwid Prize and the Prize of the Polish Composers' Union, in 2005 - the Silver Gloria Artis Medal "For Merit to Culture" and the Gold Medal of Guardian of National Memorials.
Educator and Activist
Since 1986, he lectured in modern music (in Warsaw, Łódź, Kraków, Munich, Boston, Philadelphia, Barcelona, Alicante, Budapest, Viitasaari). In 2006, he defended his doctoral dissertation at the Academy of Music in Łódź. In 2011, he received an academic title of assistant professor (‘doktor habilitowany’) and in 2012 he rose to the rank of professor of musical arts. Currently he is professor emeritus of the Fryderyk Chopin Music University in Warsaw.
In 1981, he cooperated with Solidarity's Culture Committee of the Mazowsze Region, he was also one of the co-founders of the Circle for Independent Artists. During Martial Law, he was active in independent culture circles. Between 1989-92, he was Vice-President of the Polish Contemporary Music Association, he was one of the co-founders of the "Audio-Art" Festival in the Centre for Contemporary Art in the Ujazdowski Castle, 1995-98 - he was director of the Warsaw Autumn Festival, 1999-2003 - President of the Polish Composers' Union, between 2000-2005 - Vice-President of the Polish Music Council, and its President from December 2005 to 2017, from 2003 to 2006 - he was a member of the Supervisory Board of the Polish Public Television. From 2004 to 2010, he was a member of the Programme Council of the Zachęta National Art Gallery and from 2006 - a member of the Council of the Association of Authors ZAiKS. He is the artistic director of Ad Libitum International Festival of Improvised Music which he founded in 2006. The festival takes place in Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art. Since 2014, he has been a member of the board of the European Music Council.
Major 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 wood-wind quintet and spotlights (1973)
- à la Santé for clarinet, trombone, cello and piano (1974)
- detour, a musical event for speaker, cello, piano, percussion and tapes (1974)
- Second Secretive Poem, electronic music [composed in collaboration with Elżbieta Sikora and Wojciech Michniewski] (1974)
- Lipps for jazz trio and symphony orchestra (1974-78)
- In the Tatra Mountains, electronic music [composed in collaboration with Elżbieta Sikora and Wojciech Michniewski] (1975)
- Adhesive Zones, electronic music [composed in collaboration with Elżbieta Sikora and Wojciech Michniewski] (1975)
- The Conqueror Worm, music for tape (1976)
- The 'Ursus' String Quartet (1976)
- dorikos, seven miniatures for string quartet and tape (1976-77)
- odds and ends, music for tape (1978)
- Glückspavillon for Kasia, musical theatre work for tuba and tape (1978)
- Three Etudes for piano (1978)
- Low Sounds (no 1-5) for instruments, voices and tape (1978-91)
- Polygamy, electronic music [composed in collaboration with Andrzej Bieżan] (1979)
- 3 Studies for tape (1979)
- Sketches for any performers (1979)
- Fives Pieces for cello and piano (1979-80)
- Norcet 1, computer music (1980)
- Norcet 2, computer music (1980)
- Three Etudes for piano (1980)
- Woman's Voice, ballet for percussion and tape to the words of poems by Rafał Wojaczek (1980)
- 29 Staves for chamber orchestra (1980-81)
- Light, monologue for actress (1981)
- Starry Sky for percussion ensemble (1982)
- Man-Orchestra I for any instruments and tape (1982)
- Black Water, White Water, Old Stream for instruments and tape (1983)
- That which is for any five instruments and piano (1983)
- Four Preludes for piano (1983)
- Nora for keyboard instrument or harp (1983)
- String Quarter '1984-85' (1984-85)
- Lapis, electronic music (1985)
- Old Style Pieces, music for tape (1985)
- Three Cassettes for three performers (1986)
- Poko, music for tape (1986)
- Autopilot, suite for voices, saxophone, electronic instruments [composed together with Marek Chołoniewski] (1986)
- Ave vita for saxophone, cello, piano and percussion (1986)
- Morana on 14 words by John Cage for voices and computers (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, synthesiser and tape (1989)
- Histoire III for harpsichord and tape (1989)
- Man-Orchestra II for computers and objects (1989)
- Jingle-Jungle for voices and computers (1989)
- Borders of Nothing for instruments and computers (1990)
- Man-Nature, collection of 16 graphic computer compositions (1991)
- Homage to Charles Ives for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, piano, percussion, viola and double-bass (1991-92)
- instant reactions for voice, instruments, synthesiser and computer (1992)
- Between for piano and tape (1993)
- Negev I for percussion instruments and synthesiser (1993)
- Satan in Goray, ballet for flute, violin, cello and tape to the novel by Isaac Bashevis Singer (1993)
- Legs, interactive installation (1993)
- Radio sculpture, interactive installation (1994)
- Passage, interactive installation (1994)
- Sonata da camera no. 1 for trumpet and synthesisers [for Tomasz Stańko] (1994)
- Disco, interactive installation (1994)
- The Chosen One, ballet for chamber ensemble according to the novel by Thomas Mann (1994-95)
- Sonata da camera no. 2 for 2 synthesisers [for Marek Chołoniewski] (1995)
- Sonata da camera no. 3 for harpsichord and synthesisers [for Władysław Kłosiewicz] (1995)
- Synaestheic Performance with Anna Maria Bauer (1995)
- Duo for clarinet and tape (1995)
- Raum der Begegnung, video installation (1995)
- Beowulf Book, music composed in collaboration with Piotr Bikont, Marek Chołoniewski, Włodzimierz Kiniorski and Tomasz Stańko (1996)
- Homage to Barbara Zbrożyna for synthesiser and sampler (1997)
- Surface en rotation, music for tape (1997)
- Sonata da camera no. 4 for violin, cello and synthesisers [for Laszlo Melis and Albert Markosa] (1997)
- Sonata da camera no. 5 for cello and synthesisers [for Ivan Monighetti] (1997)
- Awakenings, ballet according to the novel by Oliver Sachs (1998)
- Sonata da camera no. 6 for viola da gamba, prepared piano and synthesisers [for Kazimierz Pyzik and Marek Mietelski] (1998)
- The HeartPiece - Double Opera [composed together with John King] (1999)
- Sonata da camera no. 7 for tenor saxophone and live electronics [for Ed Bogaard] (1999)
- Interactions, computer music composed in collaboration with Tadeusz Sudnik (1999)
- 1h05' , performance with Stasys Eidrigevicius and Tadeusz Sudnik (1999)
- Bücklein Grooves composed in collaboration with Marek Chołoniewski and Włodzimierz Kiniorski (1999)
- Out of the Depths Have I Cried unto Thee, O Lord..., psalms for choir and electronic sounds (2000)
- Spielverkehrte Reise for soprano, actor and electronic sounds (2000)
- Sonata da camera no. 8 for reciting voice and live electronics [for Andrzej Chłopecki] (2000)
- Sonata da camera no. 9 for saxophone and live electronics [for Włodzimierz Kiniorski] (2000)
- Sonata da camera no. 10 for Theremin and live electronics [for Andrei Smirnov] (2000)
- Meteorological Messages, performance with Krzysztof Zarębski and Zofia Knittel (2000)
- El maale rahamim... for mixed choir and symphony orchestra (2001)
- Norwid Songs for soprano and piano (2001)
- Trio for any melodic instruments (2001)
- Sonata da camera no. 11 for double-bass and live electronics [for Aleksander Gabryś] (2002)
- Negev II for voice, percussion instruments, synthesiser and sampler (2002)
- Der Zirkus ist gekommen for soprano, dancer, flute, cello, piano, prepared piano and 2 CD records (2003)
- V2R Trio (Grand River Trio) for clarinet, violin, piano and CD (2003)
- To Touch a Snake From the Inside, touch and sound installation (2003)
- Live from CNN for voice, trombone, synthesiser and tape (2003)
- A Memoirs from the Warsaw Uprising for 5 actors, female choir, piano, cello and symphony orchestra (2004)
- The Passion of Our Lord according to St. Matthew for solo voices, mixed choir, two percussionists, string orchestra and electronics (2004)
- Concert for harpsichord and orchestra (2004)
- ...in the opposite direction... for 4-channel tape (2004)
- Sonata da camera no. 12 for saxophone and synthesiser [for Marek Chołoniewski and Włodzimierz Kiniorski] (2004-2005)
- Sonata da camera no. 13 and 14 for violin, synthesiser and sampler [for Krzysztof Bąkowski] (2004-2005)
- Sonata da camera no. 15 for piano and synthesiser [for Jerzy Kornowicz] (2005)
- Vagante for soloists, orchestra and tape (2005)
- Sonata da camera no. 17 for organ [for Irena Wisełka] (2005)
- Electronic Waves (2005)
- Social / anti-social, performance and video installation (2005)
- Sonata da camera no. 16 for three actors and instrumental ensemble [for orkest de ereprijs] (2006)
- Sonata da camera no. 18 for organ [for Michał Górczyński and Bartosz Kowalski-Banasewicz] (2006)
- Snatches of Memory, computer music (2006)
- Toccata for symphony orchestra (2007)
- Snatches of Memory II for 2 pianos, computer sounds and video (2007)
- Seasons of the Year, computer music (2008)
- Cimochowizna, graphic score (2009)
- Wprawki mistrza, electroacoustic music to be performed live for the movies by David Wark Griffith from 1909-1915: What shall we do with our old? (Co zrobić z naszymi staruszkami);The girl and her trust (Dziewczyna i powierzone jej dobro); Those awful hats (Te okropne kapelusze); The mathering heart (Matczyne serce); A corner in wheat (Spekulant zbożowy);The country doctor (Wiejski lekarz); The painted lady (Malowana dama) (2009)
- Szkice III, for undetermined group of musicians, graphic score (2010)
- Epizod, for violin and tape (2010)
- Chopin Air, sound installation (2010)
- Free for Windows, for guitar and live electronics (2011)
- Spotkania (w dwóch niespełnionych aktach), music for the Grand Polish Dance and Song Theatre in Łódź (2011)
- free for(m) macwin no 1, (2011)
- O tym czego nie ma, for live electronics and chamber ensemble (2012)
- free for(m) macwin no 2, live electronics (2012)
- Sen o Podlasiu [together with z R. Latecki, M. Litwiński, T. Sudnik, and T. Wielecki], intuitive audiovisual composition for photographs by Mariusz Wideryński (2012)
- Partita 1 (Koori) for saxophones, symphony orchestra and electronic media (2013)
- Partita 2 (Inuit) for flute, string orchestra and electronic media (2013)
- AD-W2014 for actor, improvising soloists, orchestra and choir (2014)
- Jakby ich nie było czyli bunt w Królikarni, sound installation (2015)
- The Final Judgement, opera, libretto by Mirosław Bujko (2015-2017)
- Sonata da camera nr 20 for accordion and electronic media (2016)
- Like a Stone, oratorium for 4 improvising soloists and choir (2016)
Website of the artist: www.krzysztofknittel.com
Originally written in Polish by Małgorzata Kosińska, Polish Music Information Centre, Polish Composers' Union, September 2008; updated by MG, June 2019.
