My Take
Szymanowski is one of those composers I genuinely wish more people had on their radar, because his story is fascinating and his music rewards every minute you give it. Born in 1882 in what's now Ukraine into a Polish artistic family, he came up in that rich late-Romantic hothouse and eventually found his own voice by absorbing impressionism, orientalism, and ancient Greek mythology before pivoting hard into Polish folk music in his final years. Symphony No. 3 "Song of the Night" is achingly gorgeous, and his violin works are some of the most sensual things written in the 20th century. He also ran the Warsaw Conservatory through brutal political headwinds. He died at 54 in 1937, just before the world fell apart — a loss that still feels genuinely unfair given where he was heading.
Overview
Karol Maciej Szymanowski (Polish pronunciation: [ˈkarɔl ˈmat͡ɕɛj ʂɨmaˈnɔfskʲi]; 3 October 1882 – 29 March 1937) was a Polish composer, pianist and writer. He was a member of the modernist Young Poland movement that flourished in the late 19th and early 20th century.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Karol Szymanowski
- Name (Japanese)
- カロル・シマノフスキ
- Reading
- かろる・しまのふすき
- Born
- October 3, 1882 – March 29, 1937
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Libra / Horse
- Origin
- Tymoshivka, Cherkasy Oblast, Ukraine
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- composer / music educator / university teacher / pianist / author
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- Order of St. Sava
- Golden Laurel of the Polish Academy of Literature
- Gold Cross of Merit
- Officer of the Order of Polonia Restituta
- Commander of the Order of Polonia Restituta
- Grand Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta
- Order of the White Eagle
- commander of the Order of the Crown of Italy
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | 3 Paganini Caprices | — | |
| Notable work | Symphony No. 3 | — |
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.