Grzegorz Nowak (born 15 August 1951, Poznań) is a Polish conductor. He has served as music director of the Polish National Opera, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, the SWR Radio Orchestra in Kaiserslautern, Germany), and Sinfonia Helvetica and festival Musique and Amitié in Switzerland. He is the Principal Associate Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London.

Biography

Born in Poznań, Poland, he began his international conducting career by winning the first prize at the Ernest Ansermet Conducting Competition in Geneva. He also won the Grand Prix Patek Philippe, Rolex Prize, Swiss Prize, American Patronage Prize and the Europäische Förderpreis für Musik as the European Musician of the Year. Nowak was honoured with the Distinguished Teacher Award during his tenure as Professor at the BGSU University in Ohio, and the title of "Honorary Professor" was bestowed upon him by the University of Alberta.

After studying conducting, composition and violin at the Music Academy in Poznań, Nowak was awarded a doctorate fellowship at the Eastman School of Music. He honed his skills at Tanglewood on a Serge Koussevitzky Fellowship with such masters as Leonard Bernstein, Seiji Ozawa, Erich Leinsdorf and Igor Markevitch, before assisting Kurt Masur with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.

In Europe Nowak has worked as a conductor with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre Lamoureaux in Paris, Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, RAI orchestras in Milan, Rome and Turin, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in Geneva, Tonhalle Orchestra in Zürich, National Orchestra of Belgium, Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, National Orchestra of Spain and the Gulbenkian Orchestra in Lisbon. He has also conducted many times in Scandinavia, performing with the philharmonic and radio orchestras of Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki and Copenhagen.

In North America, Nowak has conducted the Montreal Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Carmel Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic orchestras and the Xalapa Symphony in Mexico. He has also earned critical acclaim for his performances in the Far East and elsewhere with the Philharmonic and Yomiuri Orchestras in Tokyo, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Taipei Philharmonic in Taiwan and the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra.

Nowak has conducted operatic productions in Italy, Monte Carlo, Switzerland, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom, Sweden, the United States and Canada, including works by Mozart (The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, Il Seraglio, Così fan Tutte, The Magic Flute), Rossini (The Barber of Seville, Semiramide), Beethoven (Fidelio), Bizet (Carmen), Borodin (Prince Igor), Moniuszko (Halka, Haunted Manor), Verdi (Otello, Don Carlos and the Polish première of Simon Boccanegra) and Puccini (Madam Butterfly, La bohème, Turandot and Tosca – including a tour with Welsh National Opera). His production of Debussy's Le Martyre de Saint Sébastien was broadcast live from Rome on the Eurovision television network. He received rave reviews at the 2006 Internationale Maifestspiele Wiesbaden for conducting Giordano's Andrea Chénier, a co-production of the Polish National Opera with Plácido Domingo and the National Opera in Washington.

His recordings have been highly acclaimed by the press and public alike, winning many awards. Diapason in Paris praised his KOS CD with Martha Argerich and Sinfonia Varsovia as 'indispensable... un must',[1] and the second edition of this recording won the Fryderyk Award. The Polish Symphonic Music of the 19th Century recording with Sinfonia Varsovia won the CD of the Year Award, a nomination for the Fryderyk Award and the Bronze Bell Award in Singapore. The American Record Guide praised Nowak's Gallo label CD of Frank Martin Violin Concerto with Piotr Milewski and the Biel Symphony as 'by far the best'.[2] Chopin's piano concerti with Janusz Olejniczak and Sinfonia Varsovia won the Fryderyk and CD of the Year awards, and his CD with Stanislaw Drzewiecki and Sinfonia Varsovia was also nominated for the Fryderyk Award. His Haenssler-classic disc with Anja Silja won two Classical Internet Awards, and his recording of Czerny Symphonies No. 2 and 6 (world premiere recording) received critical acclaim around the world. His CBC record with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and Amanda Forsyth won the Juno Award, the CD-Accord recording with Joanna Kozłowska and the Poznań Philharmonic was hailed as 'superb' and Gramophone Magazine praised his ASV recording with the London Symphony Orchestra as 'outstanding'.[3]

Nowak has performed alongside soloists, including pianists Vladimir Ashkenazy, Angela Hewitt and Anton Kuerti. He has performed many times with Krystian Zimerman, including tours in Switzerland, Italy and Spain. He has accompanied violinists Nigel Kennedy, Adam Taubitz, Joseph Silverstein and Pinchas Zukerman, among others. Nowak has worked with several cellists, including Ofra Harnoy and Mstislav Rostropovich. He has collaborated with singers, including Ben Heppner, Marilyn Horne, Gwyneth Jones, Kathleen Battle, Ewa Podles and the Swingle Singers.

Discography

Year Orchestra Works Soloists, Prizes Label
2017 Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Mieczysław Karłowicz: Returning Waves
Mieczysław Karłowicz: Eternal Songs
Mieczysław Karłowicz: Lithuanian Rhapsody		 RPO SP 52 Archived 26 September 2017 at the Wayback Machine
2007 Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3 'Scottish'
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4 'Italian'		 RPO SP 011
1985 London Symphony Orchestra Bartók: Dance Suite
Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé		 ASV CD DCA 1794
2006 London Symphony Orchestra Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé Union Square Music USMCD011
1993 Sinfonia Varsovia Rossini: L'Italiana in Algeri
Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4 'Italian'		 Martha Argerich KOS CD S1-002K
2000 Sinfonia Varsovia Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1
Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2		 Martha Argerich
Arthur Rubinstein
Fryderyk Award
 CD-Accord ACD 080
2004 SWR Rundfunkorchester Kaiserslautern Weill: The Seven Deadly Sins
Weill: Quodlibet		 Anja Silja
Julius Pfeifer, Alexander Yudenkov, Bernhard Hartmann, Thorsten Müller
Classical Internet Award
French Classical Internet Award		 CLASSIC CD 93.109
2006 SWR Rundfunkorchester Kaiserslautern Czerny: Symphony No. 2 op. 781 'Grande Symphony'
Czerny: Symphony No. 6 in G minor		 world premiere recording CLASSIC CD 93.169
1995 Sinfonia Varsovia Kurpinski – Two Huts (Dwie Chatki)
Dobrzyński – Monbar
Moniuszko – The Fairy Tale (Bajka)
Zelenski – In the Tatra Mountains (W Tatrach)
Noskowski – The Steppes (Step)		 CD of the Year
Bronze Bell Award (Singapore)
Fryderyk Nomination		 CD Accord-PolyGram ACD 019
1995 Sinfonia Varsovia Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1
Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2		 Janusz Olejniczak
CD of the Year
Fryderyk Award		 CD-Accord-PolyGram-Rhône-Poulenc ACD 013
2005 Poznań Philharmonic Puccini:
•Si, mi chiamano Mimi – La bohème (Mimi)
•Donde lieta usci al tuo grida d’amore – La bohème (Mimi)
•Un bel di, vedremo – Madama Butterfly (Butterfly)
•Tu…Piccolo Oddio – Madama Butterfly (Butterfly)
•Signore ascolta – Turandot (Liu)
•Tu che di gel sei cinta – Turandot (Liu)
•Vissi d’arte – Tosca (Tosca)
•O moi babbino caro – Gianni Schicchi (Lauretta)
Verdi:
•Pace moi Dio – La forza del destino (Leonora)
•Era piu calmo?… Emilia, te ne prego… Piangea cantando… Ave Maria – Otello (Desdemona)		 Joanna Kozłowska CD Accord ACD 135-2
2005 Sinfonia Helvetica and
Deutsches Kammerorchester		 Dvořák:
• Cello Concerto in B-minor, Op. 104
• Polonaise A-Dur, B. 94
• Silent Woods, Op. 68, No. 5
• Rondo g-moll, Op. 94		 Wen-Sinn Yang ARTS 47638-2
1998 Edmonton Symphony Orchestra Malcolm Forsyth:
•Electra Rising
•Valley of a Thousand Hills
•Tre Vie		 Amanda Forsyth, violoncello
Bill Street, saxophone
Juno Award		 CBC SMCD 5180
1990 Biel Symphony Orchestra Martin – Violin Concerto
Baer – Violin Concerto
Meier – Trames I-IV		 Piotr Milewski, violin Gallo Records CD-582
1996 Sinfonia Varsovia Wieniawski – Violin Concerto No. 1
Wieniawski – Violin Concerto No. 2		 Piotr Plawner
Bartek Niziol
Fryderyk Nomination		 CD Accord – PolyGram ACD 024-2 / 456 087-2
2007 Orchestre de Bretagne Tchaikovski – Piano Concerto No. 1
Chopin – Piano Concerto No. 2		 Laure Favre-Kahn TRANSART LIVE TR 151
2005 Poznań Philharmonic Mozart:
•Don Giovanni – Champagne Aria
•The Marriage of Figaro – Aria of Count 'Hai già vinta la causa!'

Verdi:
•Traviata – Aria of Germont 'Di Provenza li Mar'
•Rigoletto – Aria of Rigoletto 'Cortigiani'
Borodin: Prince Igor – Aria of Igor
Tchaikovsky
•Eugene Onegin – Aria of Oniegin
•Yolande – Aria of Robert
•The Queen of Spades – Aria of Jeletzky
Bizet: Carmen – Aria of Torreador
Wagner: Tannhäuser – Song of Wolfram

 Wojtek Drabowicz DUX 0494
1995 Warsaw National Philharmonic J.S. Bach
•Piano Concerto BWV 1052 in D Minor
•Piano Concerto BWV 1054 in D Major
•Piano Concerto BWV 1056 in F Minor		 Piotr Folkert Arti PD 3001
2007 SWR Rundfunkorchester Kaiserslautern Weill – Quodlibet hänssler CLASSIC
2001 Sinfonia Varsovia Moniuszko – Mazurka from opera Haunted Manor Platinum CD DUX 0334A05100 92
1992 Gävle Symphony Malmlöf-Forssling – Shanti, shanti Anita Soldh Bluebell ABCD 069
2001 Sinfonia Varsovia Moniuszko – Bajka
Chopin – Piano Concerto No. 2
Noskowski – The Steppes		 Janusz Olejniczak CD Accord ACD 019-2 SE
2001 London Symphony Orchestra Ravel – Daphnis et Chloé ASV Quicksilva ASQ 6126
1991 London Symphony Orchestra Wieniawski – Violin Concerto No. 1
Saint-Saëns – Violin Concerto No. 3		 Takashi Shimizu Platz-Nippon Columbia PLCC-550
1995 Sinfonia Helvetica Mussorgsky/Gorchakov – Pictures at an Exhibition
Prokofiev – Romeo & Juliet (selections G. Nowak)		 Sonoris SCD 5158
2000 Sinfonia Varsovia Chopin – Piano Concerto No. 1 Stanislaw Drzewiecki
Fryderyk Nomination
Golden CD		 CD Accord ACD 019-2 SE
1992 Sinfonia Helvetica Poulenc – Sinfonietta
Ravel – Le Tombeau de Couperin,
Prokofiev – Classical Symphony		 Sonoris SCD 5152
1993 Sinfonia Helvetica Stravinsky – Firebird (1919)
Liszt – Les Préludes
Borodin – In the Steppes of Central Asia
Rossini – Wilhelm Tell Overture		 Sonoris SCD 5153
2000 Edmonton Symphony Orchestra Smetana – Ma Vlast (My Homeland, original 1874-75 version)
Janáček – Moravian Dances		 MCE 5001
1999 Sinfonia Helvetica Schumann
•Piano Concerto
•Cello Concerto		 Nelson Goerner, piano
Wen-Sinn Yang, violoncello		 SCD 5162
2003 SWR Rundfunkorchester Kaiserslautern Leoncavallo – Der Bajazzo: Glockenchor
Weber – Der Freischütz:
•Ouvertüre
•Chor der Jäger
•Chor der Brautjungfern
Nicolai – Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor:
•Ouvertüre
•Mondchor
Smetana – Die verkaufte Braut:
•Tanz der Komödianten
•Eingangschor
Mascagni – Cavalleria rusticana: Vorspiel und Chor der Landleute
Wagner – Der fliegende Holländer:
•Matrosenchor
•Chor der Spinnerinnen
Verdi – Nabucco: Gefangenchor 'Va pensiero'
Bizet – Carmen:
•Vorspiel
•Chor der Zigarettenarbeiterinnen
Gounod – Margarethe: Chor der Soldaten
Donizetti – Don Pasquale: Dienerchor
Verdi – Der Troubadour: Zigeunerchor		 Staatschor der Republik Lettland 'Latvija' Bodensee-Festival BSF 03/1-2
2003 SWR Rundfunkorchester Kaiserslautern Kodály – Tänze aus Galánta hänssler CLASSIC
2003 SWR Rundfunkorchester Kaiserslautern Hindemith – Tuttifäntchen BBC MUSIC VOL. 12 NO. 4
1998 SWR Rundfunkorchester Kaiserslautern Chopin – Andante Spianato und Grande Polonaise Es-Dur op. 22
Karol Szymanowski – Lied der Roxana aus der Oper 'König Roger'
Karol Szymanowski – Ballett 'Harnasie' – Tanz der Bergbauern
Lutosławski – Kleine Suite für Orchester: Fujarka, Tanz		 Ewa Kupiec Bodensee-Festival BSF 98/1-2
2004 Sinfonia Varsovia Wieniawski – Violin Concerto No. 2 Bartek Niziol TMHW 1001
1992 Sinfonia Helvetica Rossini – Overture La scala di Seta
Tchaikovsky – Rococo Variations
Mozart – Die Entführung: 'Wer ein Liebchen hat gefunden'
Mozart – Le Nozze di Figaro: 'Se vuol ballare'
Mozart – Die Zauberflöte: 'In diesen heil'gen Hallen'
Debussy – Danse sacrée et profane
J.S. Bach – Concerto for 2 Violins
Mozart – 'Exsultate, Jubilate'		 Juliana Gondek, soprano
Marie-Pierre Langlamet, harp
Yuzuko Horigome & Barbara Gorzynska, violins
Marek Gasztecki, bass
Leonid Gorokhov, violoncello		 Sonoris SCD 101
1993 Sinfonia Helvetica Rossini – Overture L'Italiana in Algeri
Mozart – Die Entführung us dem Serail 'Solche hergelauf'ne Laffen' (Osmin)
Mozart – Don Giovanni 'Catalogue Aria' (Leporello)
Vivaldi – Concerto for 4 violins in B-minor
Bellini – Aria 'Oh! quante volte' from 'I Capuleti e I Montecchi'
Mozart – Symphonia Concertante		 Hideko Kobayashi, viola
Naoko Okada, soprano
Natalia Morozova, Jacek Klimkiewicz, Marek Kowalski, Krzysztof Wegrzyn, Robert Zimansky – violins		 Sonoris SCD 103
1994 Sinfonia Helvetica Rossini – Overture Wilhelm Tell
J.S.Bach – Brandenburg Concerto No. 4
Vivaldi – Concerto for 4 Violins
Mozart – La Clemenza di Tito: 'Parto, Parto'
Dvořák – Polonaise
Mozart – Die Zauberflütte 'O Isis und Osiris'
Verdi – Simon Boccanegra: 'Il Lacerato Spirito'
Wieniawski – Faust Fantasy		 Helene Schneiderman, mezzo-soprano
Marek Gasztecki, bass
Wen-Sinn Yang, violoncello
Krzysztof Baranowski, Piotr Milewski, Bartlomiej Niziol, Krzysztof Plawner, Jan Stanienda – violins		 Sonoris SCD 105
1995 Sinfonia Helvetica Bizet – Carmen: Habanera
Bizet – Carmen: Seguidilla
Glazunov – Violin Concerto in A Minor, Op. 82
Tchaikowsky – Eugene Onegin: Aria of Prinz Gremin
Verdi – Don Carlos: Aria of Philip
Wagner – Tristan und Isolde: Prelude & Lovedeath		 Helene Schneiderman, mezzo-soprano
Marek Gasztecki, bass
Piotr Milewski, violin		 Sonoris SCD 107
1996 Sinfonia Helvetica Rossini – Il Barbiere di Siviglia Overture
Vivaldi – 4 Seasons: Winter
Mozart – "Ch'io mi scordi di te?"
Fauré – Flute Fantasy
J.S. Bach – Andante from Suite for solo violin
Saint-Saëns – Havanaise
Richard Strauss – Serenade op. 11
Rossini – Cenerentola Overture		 Pierre Amoyal, Bartlomiej Niziol, Jan Stanienda – violins
Jane Irwin, mezzo-soprano
Stphane Réty, flute		 Sonoris SCD 108
1998 Sinfonia Helvetica Vivaldi – Concerto pour 2 violons en la mineur
Janáček – Sonate pour violon et piano
Saint-Saëns – Morceau de Concert
Sarasate – Navarra
Rachmaninov – Piano Concerto No. 2, op. 18		 piano: Pascal Rogé, François Killian
violins: Akiko Tanaka, Marek Kowalski, Jan Stanienda, Radosław Szulc
Hervé Joulain, French horn		 Sonoris SCD 109
1999 Sinfonia Helvetica Mozart – The Impresario Overture, K. 486
J.S. Bach – Concerto for oboe and violin, BWV 1060
Vivaldi – Concerto for two violoncellos in G Minor
Mozart – Horn Concerto No. 3 in E flat Major, K. 447
Bottesini – Grand Duo Concertante		 Bartek Niziol & Radosław Szulc, violin
Birgit Welpmann, oboe
Lidia Grzanka-Urbaniak & Stefan Rieckhoff, violoncellos
Piotr Stefaniak, contrabass
Hervé Joulain, co		 Sonoris SCD 110
1996 Sinfonia Varsovia Wieniawski – Violin Concerto No. 1 in F sharp Minor
Wieniawski – Violin Concerto No. 2 in D Minor		 Piotr Plawner & Bartek Niziol Henryk Wieniawski Society
1994 Sinfonia Helvetica
&
Deutsches Kammerorchester		 Dvořák:
•Cello Concerto in B-minor, Op. 104
• Polonaise A-Dur, B. 94
•Silent Woods, Op. 68, No. 5
•Rondo g-moll, Op. 94		 Wen-Sinn Yang Sonoris SCD 5154
1996 POZNAN PHILHARMONIC Lalo – Spanish Symphony
Wieniawski – Violin Concerto No. 1		 Akiko Tanaka
Reiko Otan		 TMHW 1996-2
1984 Biel Symphony Orchestra Haydn – Symphony No. 92 'Oxford' Suisa MH CD 75.2
1986 Biel Symphony Orchestra Shostakovich – Cello Concerto No. 1 Wen-Sinn Yang Suisa MH CD 77.2
1987 Biel Symphony Orchestra Martin – Ballade for Viola & Orchestra
Haug – Trumpet Concerto		 Ole Edvard Antonsen, trumpet
Hong-Mei Xiao, viola		 Suisa MH CD 70.2
2001 Hammerhead Consort Orff – Carmina Burana Aleksandra Kurzak
Marek Gasztecki
Calgary Girls Choir		 Suisa MH CD 70.2
1984 Biel Symphony Orchestra Martin – Athalie Overture
Haydn – Symphonie No. 92 'Oxford'		 Suisa MH SE-8
1983 Bowling Green Philharmonia Francesconi – Viaggiatore Insonne Access S-10

    References

    1. ↑ Diapason Magazine, Paris, November 1999
    2. ↑ "College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) - University of Cincinnati". Archived from the original on 20 February 2006.
    3. ↑ Gramophone magazine, London, 1985, "outstanding … In every way this matches and even outshines the superb account which Sir Georg Solti recorded with the Chicago Orchestra on Decca … the vitality of the piece is superbly caught with the LSO even crisper in articulation than the Chicago players."

    Baker, D.T. "Edmonton Symphony History". Edmonton Symphony Orchestra website. Archived from the original on 20 December 2008.

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