After few years break from performing contemporary classical music, he returned to the stage and started cooperating with improvising musicians such as Sławomir Janicki (double bass), Michał Górczyński (clarinet) and Andrzej izdebski (guitar).
A Sought-after Tubist
As a soloist Zdzisław Piernik has taken part in hundreds of symphonic and chamber concerts. His concert repertoire is extremely varied - from his own transcriptions of the masters’ pieces to the newest acquisitions of contemporary music. He was the first tubist in Poland to implement flageolets, glissandos, frullatos and chords into his playing. He remodelled his instrument by adding trumpet, saxophone or trombone bells or using bassoon and saxophone mouthpieces.
Amongst the composers whose music the music of whom he performs are: Antonio Vivaldi, Henry Eccles, Johann Sebastian Bach, Benedetto Marcello, Ludwig van Beethoven, Robert Schumann, Marian Borkowski, Zbigniew Bargielski, Jan Fotek, Bogusław Scheaffer, Andrzej Dobrowolski, Witold Szalonek, Andrzej Krzanowski, Krzysztof Penderecki, Marek Stachowski, Krzysztof Knittel, Wojciech Kilar, Marta Ptaszyńska, Andrzej Bieżan, Ryszard Klisowski, Benno Ammann, Fernando Grillo, Roman Haubenstock-Ramati, Elżbieta Sikora. The greatest contemporary music composers wrote especially for him and, often devoteding his pieces to him.
In 1974-78 he was an associate of National Theatre in Warsaw and in 1983-1988 of National Theatre in Łódź. Since 1983 he has been working as an educator. He took part in the International Music Meetings in Bayreuth (1971-74) as well as in many music festivals such as: Warsaw Autumn (since 1972), Witten (1977), Cologne (1977, 1979), Darmstadt, Los Angeles (1978), Bourges (1978), Stockholm (1979, 1981), Salzburg (1978, 1987), Lisbon (1982), Washington (1983) and Metz (1984). Since 1978 he has been a permanent representative of Poland at the International Tuba Euphonium Association in US.
Zdzisław Piernik performs all over the world (inter aliaincluding in: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Holland, Great Britain, France, Portugal, Sweden, Japan, Mexico and USA) and is recognised for his originality and character. He made numerous records as a soloist, with piano accompaniment and with symphony orchestras for recording labels such as: Polskie Nagrania, Pro-Viva, and Sonoton. His resume also comprises comprises also of radio recordings made in Germany, Belgium, France, Swede, and Great Britain.
Discography
- Zdzisław Piernik – Tuba, Polskie Nagrania SX1210, 1975
- Zdzisław Piernik – (no title), Intersound (Monachium), 1980
- Zdzisław Piernik – Tuba (Polish Contemporary Music Series), Polskie Nagrania SX1806, 1982
- Zdzisław Piernik, Michał Górczyński – Energa One , Kariatyda, 2002
- Zdzisław Piernik, Piotr Zabrodzki – Namanga, Vivo, 2008
Author: Małgorzata Kosińska, PolMic, Polish Composers’ Union , March 2006, updates: 2009, 2014. Translated by W.O. March 2014.