Ferenc Liszt Society in Poland (TiFL),
founded in Wroclaw on 2 March 1989, is a nationwide association with the aim of popularising
music with the main stress laid on the output and the person of Ferenc Liszt himself as well as his connections with
Polish culture. TiFL conducts artistic, didactic and popular scientific activities, emphasizing different ways of
promoting talented youngsters (concerts, competitions, grants, courses, publications, records for the radio and television).
Founding of the Society was initiated by Izabela Bojkowska (then: Vice-Manager of Theater, Music and Stage Department
at the Ministry of Art and Culture in Warsaw) and Juliusz Adamowski-a pianist, music activist, and teacher at the Music
Academy in Wrocław.
Concerts. In 891 concerts
held so far, above 500 performers from 29 countries
took part (some of them played many times),
including 277 pianists, 38 other soloists, 15 performers
of chamber music, 6 conductors, 6 actors, Witold Lutoslawski" Philharmonic Orchestra and "Harmonology" Orchestra in Wroclaw, and the National Opera Choir from Warsaw. Apart from outstanding artists with international fame
(such as Zsuzsa Elekes, István Lantos, Victor Merzhanov,
Karol Radziwonowicz, Janusz Olejniczak), about 240 young
artists, including 150 Poles, performed at the concerts.
Being accompanied by 12 lecturers and 3 interpreters,
they performed around sixsten hundred pieces of about
a hundred thirty composers ranging from Baroque to the contemporary
music (including about a hundred compositions of F.
Liszt, over 80 ones of F. Chopin and almost 40 pieces
of I.J. Paderewski), playing in 65 concert halls (48
of them in Poland, the rest abroad - in Budapest, Györ,
Moscow and St Petersburg). Since December 1989, we have
been carrying into effect a series of monthly "Liszt
Evenings" always accompanied by a specially chosen and
prepared foreword, and since November 1992 - concerts
for disabled people (112 of them held so far).
Competitions. We have organized 4 international (1999, 2002, 2005, 2008 - where applied 177 pianists from 28 countries) and 4 nationwide F. Liszt piano competitions (1991, 1993, 1995, 1997 with 63 participants). The prize-winners, beside one year's high grants, had the opportunity to take part in dozen or so concerts in Poland as well as abroad. The international competitions turned out to be on a very high artistic level and they could be next to Wratislavia Cantans to render Wroclaw famous at the international music field and become a partner for the F. Chopin Competition in Warsaw.
Courses. Since 1993, we have organised international master piano courses in Wroclaw - the event already renown in professional music circles. 494 pianists from 26 countries took part in them. Professors were the most outstanding artists-pedagogues: Halina Czerny-Stefanska (Krakow, Poland), Andrzej Jasinski (Katowice, Poland), István Lantos (Budapest, Hungary), Lee Kum Sing (Vancouver, Canada), Victor Merzhanov (Moscow, Russia), Alexei Orlovetsky (St Petersburg, Russia). Apart from hundreds of interesting open classes, there were 64 concerts of the course participants in various venues (e.g. Philharmonic Hall in Wroclaw, Silesian Castle in Brzeg, Chopin Manor House in Duszniki Zdrój). Some of our participants have achieved considerable artistic successes.
We have also organised 15 nationwide piano courses with
about 1000 participants (teachers and students from
over 70 Music Schools led by Alexei Orlovetsky).
Pianos. Thanks to us, Wroclaw has been enriched with 4 grand-pianos, including the new fully professional Steinway, bought in 1995 with the contribution of The Foundation of Polish-German Co-operation. We also made our contribution in providing few concert halls with grand-pianos that fulfill requirements of professional musical activity.
Publications. We have published two issues of "Zeszyty Lisztowskie" (scientific publications about Liszt), 12 Information Bulletins in Polish, English and German, brochures of all courses and competitions, programme booklets of international competitions, and programmes of all concerts.
CDs and DVDs. Along with Petrus Facta et Creata label we have released 3 CDs – two from the series "Popular Piano Pieces" (including recordings from the 2nd and 3rd editions of the International F. Liszt Piano Competition and from "Liszt Evenings") and "3rd International F. Liszt Piano Competition in Wroclaw".
Thanks to the help from the Liszt-Kodály Society of Spain, there appeared the first DVD with a concert from the " Liszt Evening" series (recital of Spanish pianist Carlos Gallardo, 21st April 2006)
The official website www.liszt.art.pl comprises of nearly 90 pages informing and documenting in three languages (Polish, English and German) all forms of our activity. We are working on technical and graphic modernisation of our website, which we plan to complete in the first half of the current year
The Patron of the Society - Ferenc Liszt, a Hungarian pianist and composer, one of the greatest virtuosi in the history of music, had a great knowledge of Polish history and culture. He was acquainted with Fryderyk Chopin, Polish writers: Adam Mickiewicz, Juliusz Slowacki, Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz, C.K. Norwid, outstanding violinists Karol Lipinski and Henryk Wieniawski, a famous painter Juliusz Kossak and a sculptor Cyprian Godebski.
Liszt partonized a great many Polish artists, who, largely thanks to his help, achieved their position. He was a worldwide admired interpreter and propagator of F. Chopin's output and the author of the first book about our distinguished musician. About 20 compositions of Liszt were inspired by Polish history and music.
The Seat of the Society is in Wroclaw, the city where in 1843 Liszt gave nine concerts, conducted an opera spectacle for the first time, and gained enormous popularity. Then, he also performed in Nysa and Brzeg, places where "Liszt Evenings" are held each month. In 1859, F. Liszt performed again as a composer and conductor in Wroclaw. After World War II, Wroclaw became an important centre of musicological study of Liszt.
TiFL is composed of around 170 members from 4 countries. The Society, having no office workers, bases mainly on free of charge contribution of its members, financial help from the authorities of different levels, from many institutions, firms and private sponsors. Juliusz Adamowski has incessantly been its President since the founding in 1989.
Photographic coverage of the Socity's activity: Marek Grotowski, Marek Koch, Tadeusz Szwed, Maciej Szwed (most photos).
Permanent Sponsors: foreign exchange office "CENT" (1989-94), and Grazyna and Andrzej Krzywik (1997-2004).
The foundation of TiFL in Poland in 1989 largely contributed to the founding of F. Chopin Society in Hungary a few months later.
HONORARY MEMBERS OF TiFL
Izabela Bojkowska |
Alexei Orlovetsky |
Victor Merzhanov |
Stefan Placek |
MANAGEMENT
OF THE SOCIETY elected on 24th February 2008.
BOARD
| President: |
|
Juliusz Adamowski - pianist, educator,and
music activist (Wroclaw) |
| Vice Presidents: |
|
Barbara Duber - ophtalmologist (Brzeg)
Zbigniew Faryniarz - pianist, adjunct professor
at the Music Academy (Wroclaw) |
| Treasurer: |
|
Janusz Oleszczuk - engineer (Brzeg) |
| Secretary: |
|
Andrzej Czyż - construction technician (Brzeg) |
| Members: |
|
Michal Blaszczyk - student at Music Academy (Wroclaw)
Pawel Kozerski - art historian, museum director
(Brzeg)
Danuta Mroczek-Szlezer - pianist, professor at
the Music Academy (Krakow)
Aleksandra Rzewuska - pharmacologist (Trzebnica) |
REVISORY COMISSION
| Chairperson: |
|
Jadwiga Oleszczuk - economist (Brzeg) |
| Vice-Chairperson: |
|
Malgorzata Ochmann-Bednarek - engineer (Brzeg) |
| Member: |
|
Bożena Szczesna - owner of flower shop chain (Brzeg) |
ARBITRATION BY FELLOW WORKES
| Chairperson: |
|
Zdzislaw Bednarek - physician (Brzeg) |
| Vice-Chairperson: |
|
Maciej Kujawski - architect (Wroclaw) |
| Member: |
|
Eugeniusz Sasiadek - wocalist, professor at the Music Academy(Wroclaw) |
MANAGEMENT
OF THE SOCIETY(21.10.2001 - 24.02.2008)
BOARD
| President: |
|
Juliusz Adamowski - pianist, educator,and
music activist (Wroclaw) |
| Vice Presidents: |
|
Barbara Duber - ophtalmologist (Brzeg)
Zbigniew Faryniarz - pianist, adjunct professor
at the Music Academy (Wroclaw) |
| Treasurer: |
|
Janusz Oleszczuk - engineer (Brzeg) |
| Secretary: |
|
Maciej Kujawski - architect (Wroclaw) |
| Members: |
|
Zdzislaw Leskiewicz - engineer (Brzeg)
Danuta Mroczek-Szlezer - pianist, professor at
the Music Academy (Krakow)
Aleksandra Rzewuska - pharmacologist (Trzebnica) |
REVISORY COMISSION
| Chairperson: |
|
Jerzy Ferber - physician (Wroclaw) |
| Vice-Chairperson: |
|
Dorota Niepogodzińska-Borowiec - pianist,
educator (Wroclaw) |
| Member: |
|
Pawel Kozerski - art historian, museum director
(Brzeg) |
ARBITRATION BY FELLOW WORKES
| Chairperson: |
|
Zdzislaw Bednarek - physician (Brzeg) |
| Vice-Chairperson: |
|
Janina Broniewska - music educator and music
activist (Wroclaw) |
| Member: |
|
Adolf Trznadel - music educator (Wroclaw) |
