Photo: George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress) / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
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.
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
- Occupation
- composer / music educator / university teacher / pianist / author
2. Background
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
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | 3 Paganini Caprices | — | |
| Notable work | Symphony No. 3 | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Karol Szymanowski born?
October 3, 1882 – March 29, 1937.
Where is Karol Szymanowski from?
Karol Szymanowski is from Tymoshivka, Cherkasy Oblast, Ukraine.
What does Karol Szymanowski do?
Karol Szymanowski works as composer, music educator, university teacher, pianist, author.
What is Karol Szymanowski known for?
Notable works include 3 Paganini Caprices, Symphony No. 3.
Composer — see all → · Music educator — see all → · More people from Ukraine →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.