Astriab, Jan (EN)

Astriab Jan, *14 September 1937 Smerekowiec (near Gorlice), †29 March 2005 Poznań, Polish composer and teacher. In 1963, he graduated in composition under S.B. Poradowski at the State Higher School of Music in Poznań. In 1973–74, he studied composition and instrumentation under W. Benson and jazz with R. Wright at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester (New York). From 1963, he lectured at the State Higher School of Music (now the Academy of Music) in Poznań, becoming an associate professor in 1989 and a full professor in 1992. He served three times as Dean of the Faculty of Composition, Conducting, and Music Theory. He was vice-rector from 1987 to 1990, headed a research team since 1993, and was head of the Department of Composition and Music Theory since 1996. He promoted Polish contemporary music, engaging in the organizational and artistic work of the Poznań Music Spring and Warsaw Autumn festivals, as well as composer concerts. He is the winner of many awards, including the ZKP and K. Szymanowski composition competitions in Warsaw, First Prize of the Ministry of Culture and Art (1981), and the Artistic Award of the City of Poznań (1984). In 1995, he was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.

Astriab’s musical style is shaped by his particular interest in harmonic phenomena and the sonoristic values of instruments. These are not only a source of inspiration, but above all a source of creativity, both in terms of the basic, constitutive elements of music and the formal structure of compositions. An important role in the creation of sonoristic qualities is played by the appropriate selection of sound material, the harmonic system associated with the technique of sound centers, and the category of spatiality, which is the result of the search for new textural solutions. Non-musical inspirations related to human emotional and spiritual experiences also play an important role in Astriab’s work. The composer creates a specific sound idiom, characterized by deep emotionalism, condensed expression, and intense tension in the musical narrative. Astriab’s works are distinguished by great attention to detail and formal precision. His style is a harmonious synthesis of traditional and contemporary compositional techniques.