prof. dr hab. Mieczysław Gawroński

Mieczysław Gawroński – conductor and academic teacher. He started his professional career in 1966 playing as a percussionist in the Wrocław Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra and studying percussion at the Instrumental Faculty of the State Higher School of Music in Wrocław, which he graduated form in 1970. In the same year he began his conducting studies with Tomasz Strugała, obtaining a diploma in 1975. In the years 1974–1976 he was the music director of the Wrocław Pantomime Theatre founded by Henryk Tomaszewski. In 1976 he returned to the Wrocław Philharmonic as a soloist and assistant conductor, and then in the years 1980–1996 as a second conductor. From 1993 to 1998 he held the post of the artistic director of the Kalisz Philharmonic. He conducted numerous concerts in Poland and abroad, including performances at major music festivals (for example at the Warsaw Autumn Festival, Wratislavia Cantans, International Chopin Piano Festival in Duszniki-Zdrój, Festival of Polish Contemporary Music in Wrocław, and many others).

In 1971 he began his teaching activity working as a percussion teacher at the Secondary Music School in Wałbrzych. From 1975 to 1993 he gave percussion and conducting classes at the Secondary Comprehensive Music School in Wrocław, where he also conducted the school’s symphony and chamber orchestras. In 1990 he was employed as a member of the Faculty of Composition, Conducting, Music Theory and Music Therapy at the Academy of Music in Wrocław, where he taught conducting-related classes (such as score reading, introduction to conducting, conducting at the Faculty of Music Education). In 1993 he obtained a doctoral degree and in 1995 – a post-doctoral (habilitation) degree granted by the Academy of Music in Cracow, which resulted in the opening of the conducting class that he has been teaching ever since. From 1991 to 2004 he also conducted the Academy’s student symphony orchestra.

From 1997 to 2007 he lectured at the Institute (currently the Faculty) of Pedagogy and Fine Arts in Kalisz – a branch of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (from 1999 holding the post of an associate professor). At both schools he supervised several dozen Master’s theses (including over 10 conducting graduates at the Academy of Music), and in 2007 he also supervised a PhD dissertation in conducting. In 2010 he was granted the title of the Professor of Musical Arts by the President of Poland. He repeatedly served as a reviewer of artistic achievements, doctoral dissertations and post-doctoral (habilitation) proceedings at the Academies of Music in Cracow and Poznań. He reviewed over 100 Bachelor’s and Master’s theses at both schools. He has served in various academic capacities (such as Senate Member of the Academy of Music, Head of the Academy and Faculty Election Committee, member of the Electoral College). From 2011 to 2020 he held the post of the Dean of the Faculty of Composition, Conducting, Music Theory and Music Therapy at the Academy of Music in Wrocław.

In recognition of his achievements in the fields of teaching and art, Mieczysław Gawroński received numerous awards, including the Minister of Education Award, Wrocław Board of Education Award, Award of the Rector of the Academy of Music in Wrocław, Silver Cross of Merit, Commission of National Education Medal, Badge of Merit to Polish Culture, and others.