Zarzycki, Alexander

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Zarzycki, Alexander

Zarzycki, Alexander, Polish pianist and composer; b. Lemberg, Feb. 21, 1834; d. Warsaw, Nov. 1, 1895. He studied piano with Rudolf Viole in Berlin and composition with N. Reber and K. Reinecke in Paris. He began his career in his homeland in 1856 and subsequently gave brilliant concerts in Germany, Austria, and England. He was director of the Warsaw Music Soc. (1871-75). From 1879 to 1888 he was director of the Warsaw Music Inst. He wrote effective piano pieces (nocturnes, mazurkas, waltzes, etc.) as well as a Piano Concerto, Grande Polonaise for Piano with Orch., Introduction et Cracovienne for Violin and Orch., Suite polonaise for Orch., Mazourka in G major for Violin, with Orch. (very popular), and 2 albums of songs.

—Nicholas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire