In 1949-51, he studied musicology under Adolf Chybiński at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. In 1950-54, he studied composition in Tadeusz Szeligowski’s class, and from 1951 to 1955, he also studied conducting under Walerian Bierdiajew and Stanisław Wisłocki at the State Higher School of Music in Poznań. In 1954-64, he worked as a conductor at the Poznań Opera and simultaneously cooperated with many symphony orchestras, mainly the Poznań Philharmonic. Then he cooperated with Wielki Theatre in Łódź and Wielki Theatre in Warsaw. In 1970-73, he was the artistic director of the Polskie Nagrania record label. From 1973 to 1985, he served as Secretary General of the Polish Composers’ Union, and from 1985 to 2001, he was the President of the Warsaw Branch of the Polish Composers’ Union. In 1986, he initiated the Warsaw Music Meetings, for many years (1986-2016) he was the artistic director of that event, and now he is its honorary director.
Władysław Słowiński’s compositions have been released on CDs: Works for String Quartet (Acte Préalable, 2000), Chamber Works (Acte Préalable, 2000), Laks. Słowiński. Pstrokońska-Nawratil (DUX, 2012).
He has received many awards and distinctions for his work and organisational activities: in 1975, he received the Gold Cross of Merit, in 1977 – Prime Minister’s Award for his work for children and youth, in 1980 – Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, in 1986 – Gold Badge of Honour "For Merits to Warsaw", in 1987 – Officer’s Cross of the Polonia Restituta Order, in 1999 – annual award of the Polish Composers’ Union for composing, initiating the Warsaw Music Meetings and for merits to the Polish Composers’ Union, in 2001 – Award of the Marshal of Masovian Voivodeship for composing and social activity, in 2005 – Commander’s Cross of the Polonia Restituta Order, in 2006 – Silver Gloria Artis Medal for Merit to Culture and Cyprian Kamil Norwid Award of the Masovian self-government. In 2019, he received the 100th Anniversary Award of the ZAiKS Association of Authors.
Władysław Słowiński reconstructed the lost score of Władysław Żeleński’s opera An Ancient Tale (1959)