Strugała Tadeusz, *10 February 1935 Katowice, Polish composer. He studied at PWSM (now Academy of Music) in Wrocław at the A. Kopyciński’s conducting class (1953–58) and at post-graduate studies with F. Ferrara in Venice and with A. Jansons in Weimar. In 1954–57, he worked as an oboist in the Wrocław Symphonic Orchestra. He was a conductor of the State Symphonic Orchestra in Opole (1960–64), a conductor (1964–68), executive and artistic director of the State Philharmonic in Wrocław (1969–80), and executive and artistic manager of the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice (1975–76). In 1976–78 and 1984–86, he was a general music director of the Presidential Symphony Orchestra in Ankara. In 1978, he co-founded the Chamber Orchestra “Leopoldinum” and was its first conductor. In 1979–90, he was a deputy artistic director and a conductor of the National Philharmonic Orchestra in Warsaw, and at the same time, an artistic director and conductor of the Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra (1981–86), general music director of the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra (1989–90), and an artistic director and the main conductor of the Polish Radio Orchestra in Warsaw (1990–93). In 1994–2001, he was a permanent guest conductor of the Polish Symphony Orchestra FOK, and in 1998–2006 a resident conductor of the Chopin Festival in Gaming.
Strugała gave concerts in almost all European countries, as well as on other continents, including Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, the USA and Cuba. He has performed with the most important Polish and foreign orchestras. Outstanding Polish and foreign soloists performed under his baton, including K. Zimerman, M. Argerich, E. Ax, P. Badura-Skoda, R. Buchbinder, E. Leonskaja, and G. Ohlssohn. In Strugała’s extensive concert repertoire, which includes works from A. Vivaldi to I. Xenakis, there is a special place for 18th– and 19th-century music (especially works by L. v. Beethoven, J. Brahms and A. Bruckner), and the 20th– and 21st-century Polish music (including K. Szymanowski, G. Bacewicz, T. Baird, H.M. Górecki, W. Kilar, W. Lutosławski, K. Meyer, R. Palester, A. Panufnik, K. Penderecki, A. Tansman and others), which he has been introducing to national and international stages for years. He has made many world premieres, archival radio and television recordings, as well as recordings for Polish and foreign record companies, including Polskie Nagrania, Wifon, Tonpress, Victor, Collins Classics, Adda, Sony Classical, and Hyperion. The first performances of outstanding Polish works are recorded in the archives of German radio orchestras (including those from Berlin and Leipzig), e.g. Lutosławski’s symphonies and Penderecki’s Polish Requiem.
The artist collaborated with opera theatres: he prepared Der Freischütz by C.M. von Weber on the occasion of the 160th anniversary of the Lower Silesian Opera in Wrocław (2001); Beethoven’s opera Fidelio for the opening of the Hoffmann Festival in Poznań (2002); ballet performance Czajkowski. Misterium życia i śmierci choreographed by B. Ejfman at the Grand Theater – National Opera in Warsaw (2003) and with the Boris Ejfman Dance Theatre in Saint Petersburg and the opera theatre orchestra in Graz (2004). He also collaborated with the Warsaw Chamber Opera, with which he prepared several premieres, including Prometheus by Bernadetta Matuszczak (2009).
In 2002, Strugała performed as a conductor in the final episode of R. Polański’s Pianist; he also recorded the soundtrack with the Polish National Philharmonic Orchestra, released on the CD accompanying the film (2003).
Apart from his concert activities, Strugała also worked as a teacher. For more than 20 years (1954–75), he was associated with the Academy of Music in Wrocław (a graduate of his conducting class was, among others, M. Pijarowski), and in 2007–2015 with the Academy of Music in Kraków. He conducted master classes in Hong Kong and Tokyo (1988). He participated in the work of the jury of international competitions, including the International Conducting Competition in Prague “Prazske Jaro” (2000), the G. Fitelberg International Conducting Competition in Katowice (chairman of the jury in 2003 and 2007) and the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas (2005, 2009).
He also made his mark as a music activist, and artistic director of festivals in Wrocław: the Festival of Polish Contemporary Music (1969–80), the Days of Organ and Harpsichord Music (1969–78), as well as the International Chopin Festival in Duszniki Zdrój (1975–85) and the Oratorio–Cantata Festival “Wratislavia Cantans” (1968–97), which he was co-director of until 1976 (with A. Markowski), and then general director.
In 1986, the artist was honoured by SPAM music critics with the “Orfeusz” award for the best performance of a Polish work at the International Festival of Contemporary Music “Warsaw Autumn” (Liturgia sacra by Z. Mycielski), and with the award of the Polish Composers’ Union (1991) for outstanding achievements in the field of performance of Polish contemporary music. Other prestigious awards include F. Liszt Grand Prix du Disque in Budapest (1987) for Lisztowskie Polonica, nomination for the Record of the Year title of the “Gramophone” magazine for the premiere recording of Requiem. Missa pro Defunctis by R. Maciejewski (1991), which as a re-edition was awarded the “Fryderyk” award of the Polish phonographic industry (2011), and “Stern des Monats” award from the German record magazine “Fono Forum” for the recordings of Piano Concertos No. 2 and No. 3 by X. Scharwenka ( 1997).
He received many awards and distinctions, including the Golden Cross of Merit (1972), the City of Wrocław Award (1974), Order of Polonia Restituta, the Knight’s Cross (1979), Order of Polonia Restituta, the Officer’s Cross (1986), Kulturpreis Schlesien des Landes Niedersachsen (1996), Order of Polonia Restituta, the Commander’s Cross (1996), Order of Polonia Restituta, the Commander’s Cross with Star (2000), Gold Medal of the Austrian Association of Maria Thron (2004), Gold Medal ‘Gloria Artis’ (2006) and “Diamentowa Batuta” awarded by the Polskie Radio (2011). In 1998, he received an honorary doctorate from the Academy of Music in Wroclaw.
The artist is also devoted to social work – he has been active in many organisations, associations and foundations, including the Management Board of the International Chopin Foundation, founding member of the Polish Society of Contemporary Music, founding member of the Polish Culture Foundation, member of the Honorary Committee of the S. Moniuszko International Competition and president of the International Foundation “Wratislavia Cantans.”
Privately, he is a painting enthusiast and a collector of conductor’s batons. His historically and artistically valuable collection has been exhibited in Poland and abroad, including in Wrocław (at the Museum of Medallic Art), in Krakow (National Museum) and in Lübeck (Schlezwig Holstein Festival).
Literature: M. Kosińska, Tadeusz Strugała, Polskie Centrum Informacji Muzycznej, Związek Kompozytorów Polskich, January 2002 (update: November 2009, December 2014), https:// culture.pl/pl/tworca/tadeusz-strugala; www.strugala.com; Tadeusz Strugała [entry] https:// amuz.wroc.pl/tadeusz-strugala-1998-296; in addition, biographical notes posted on the websites of Polish music centres.
