Międzynarodowy Konkurs Muzyki Polskiej
im. Stanisława Moniuszki
w Rzeszowie

(16 September 1800 ? 27 August 1865) composer and pianist, born in Koryciska near Radom, died in Warsaw. He receivedfirstlessons of music from hisgodfather, a chapel master in a Cistercianabbey, and laterplayed the horn in the parishchurch ensemble in Radom and in the cathedral ensemble in Sandomierz. His completedhisformalmusiceducationat the conservatory of music in Warsaw with Józef Elsner (composition), Václav VilémWürfel (piano) and M. Winen (clarinet). He excelledduringhisconservatorystudies: he was praised by histeachers for his learning efforts and hisperformances in concertsorganised by the school. The studiesalsogavehimanopportunity to meet Chopin ? theyremainedclosefriends for manysubsequentyears. Historically, theirfriendshipresulted in the factthat Nowakowski was the first performer of Chopin?sBerceuse in D flat major. In hismatureartistic life, Nowakowski maderepeatedtours of Germany and France, where he successfullypresentedhimself as a composer and a pianist; one of the accolades he was given was membership of the SociétéAcadémique des Enfantsd?Apollon.

Nowakowski was alsoactive as a teacher. He startedteaching piano as a teenage boy, when he gavelessons to staroste (districtgovernor) Józef Karczewski in Ciepielów near Zwoleń. In hislater life, he taught piano at the Alexander Institute in Warsaw and, from 1861, held the position of professorat the Institute of Music in Warsaw. Duringhismatureteachingcareer, he was considered one of the most eminentteachersworking in Warsaw. He was alsoinvolved in designing the WarsawConservatory, worked for the publishinghouse G. Gebethner i Spółka, collaborated with the musicmagazine Ruch Muzyczny and becameanhonorarymember of the Musical Society in Lwów (nowLviv in Ukraine).

Nowakowski?screativeoutputcomprisesboth grand symphonicforms and short small-scalepieces. His orchestralworksincludesymphonies, overtures, concertos and variations. His chambermusicisrepresented by piano quintets and trios, string quartets and duets. He wrote a large body of solo piano works (about 200), such as polonaises, mazurkas, waltzes, contredanses, nocturnes, marches, rondos, variations and etudes. Nowakowski alsowrote solo and choralsongs, orchestraltranscriptions of works by othercomposers and a piano handbook, Szkoła na fortepian według cenniejszych autorów z dodaniem ćwiczeń własnego układu.

The composer?sworksarewritten in the earlyRomantic musical language, very popular amongst the Warsawcircles of the day. He freelyemploysfolktunes and nationalmelodies, has a predilection for the style brillant and strives to consolidatehisworks in theirformal layout. A number of hiscompositionswereclearlyintended for a salon performance (they do not pose a lot of technicalhurdles), but he alsowrotebrilliantlyvirtuosicpieces.

Source: Negrey Maciej, Nowakowski Józef, in: Encyklopedia muzyczna PWM, Dziębowska Elżbieta (ed.), vol. 7, Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne, Kraków 2002, pp. 115-116, selected and edited by Antoni Szymański.