Rudnik, Eugeniusz (EN)

Rudnik Eugeniusz, *28 October 1932 (not: 28 March 1933) Nadkole nad Liwcem, †24 October 2016, Polish composer and sound director. He graduated from the Faculty of Electronics of the Warsaw University of Technology in 1967. From 1955, he worked at the Polish Radio, and from 1958, at the Experimental Studio of the Polish Radio. Later, he worked at the Electronic Music Studio of the Westdeutscher Rundfunk in Cologne in 1967–68. At the turn of the 1960s and 1970s, he collaborated with Arne Nordheim on projects for the Norwegian contemporary art centre “Sonja Henie Onstad Art Center,” the installation Sculpture sonore at the rehabilitation centre for the blind in Oslo and on the Scandinavian pavilion at the World Exhibition in Osaka in 1970. Then, he led classes in electroacoustic music technology at the Academy of Music in Warsaw in 1974–75. From 1994 to 95, he lectured at the Centre for Journalism in Warsaw. Rudnik was the first electroacoustic music producer in Poland and co-founder of the Polish school of electroacoustic music. He collaborated on the production of many electroacoustic works, musical installations and film music, including those by K. Penderecki, A. Markowski, W. Kotoński, B. Schaeffer, S. Radwan, and A. Nordheim. He is the author or producer of musical illustrations for the performances of the Polish Radio Theatre and the Polish Television Theatre, and about 300 musical illustrations for films. He has composed about 50 electroacoustic works, including in electroacoustic music studios in Warsaw, Stockholm, Cologne, Paris, Bourges, Oslo, and Baden-Baden. Winner of many awards, including: at the 1^st Competition for the Dartmouth Arts Council Prize in Hanover (United States) in 1968 for Dixi, the Prix Italia in 1970 for the music to the film Gry by G. Lasota; he received four awards at the International Electroacoustic Music Competition in Bourges: the 1^st prize for Mobile in 1972, the 3^rd prize for Ostinato in 1973, the 2^nd prize for Homo ludens in 1984, the “Euphonie d’Or” again for Mobile in 1993; in 2002 he also received the 1st prize (together with M. Brzezińska) at the 17th International Catholic Film and Multimedia Festival and at the “Dwa Teatry” festival in Gdańsk for the radio play Przyjaciółki z Żelaznej ulicy. He received the “Człowiek ze złotem uchem” Award in 2012 at the International Festival of Music Producers “Soundedit” in Łódź for “pioneering achievements in the field of music production.” He was awarded the “Golden Microphone” in 1993 “for his world-renowned achievements in the field of radio art and autonomous experimental music.” He was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta in 2000.

Rudnik’s compositional output can be divided into two categories: autonomous electroacoustic pieces and pieces described as “ars acustica,” oscillating in genre between a type of radio play and programme music. In both types, the composer uses electronic material or processed concrete material with varying degrees of source recognition. Rudnik often uses the collage method, making it the primary means of expression.

Literature: G. Michalski Eugeniusz Rudnik, “Ruch Muzyczny” 1970 No. 7; D. Mazurowski Z Eugeniuszem Rudnikiem rozmowa niesymetryczna, “Estrada i Studio” 2000 No. 1, 2; Bolesław Błaszczyk and others Ptacy i ludzie. Ballada dokumentalna o Eugeniuszu Rudniku, Łódź 2020.