Zdzisław Piernik (; born 10 November 1937) is a Polish virtuoso tuba player.
Biography Zdzisław Piernik graduated from the Warsaw Academy of Music in the class of . After being awarded at the 1970 National Festival of Young Musicians in Gdańsk he began his career as a soloist. Shortly afterwards he acquire success at recitals in the country and abroad, at festivals and holiday courses in Bayreuth, Witten, Darmstadt, Bourges, Stockholm, Los Angeles.
Piernik was the first tubist in Poland to implement flageolets, glissandos, frullatos and chords into his playing. He also began sonoristic experiments with prepared tuba. He is the inventor of the original preparation, remodelling the instrument to sound far from its natural tone.
Piernik worked closely with many composers demonstrating them the capabilities of the tuba, natural and prepared. As a soloist Piernik has taken part in hundreds of symphonic and chamber concerts, with extremely varied repertoire, starting from classical with his own transcriptions, ending with the newest acquisitions of contemporary music and his own compositions. His concerts, recordings and broadcasts for Polish Radio and television popularized playing on the tuba.
Piernik is designated as Lifetime Achievement Honorees of International Tuba Euphonium Association.
Piernik is still active, playing concerts and giving lectures.
More important works Classical Repertoire Luigi Boccherini: Minuet from String Quintet in E major, Op. 11, No. 5 Franz Schubert: Serenade Robert Schumann: Traumerei Antonín Dvořák: Humoreske Henry Eccles: Sonata in G minor Ignacy Jan Paderewski: Minuet Modest Mussorgsky: Cattle ("Pictures at an Exhibition") Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Rondo in E-flat major for Horn, K. 371 Camille Saint-Saëns: Morceau de Concert Op. 94, III. Allegro non-troppo Camille Saint-Saëns: Elephant, Swan (Carnival of the Animals)
Contemporary Repertoire Andrzej Dobrowolski: Music for Solo Tuba (1972) Elżbieta Sikora: Il Viaggio 1 (1975) Witold Szalonek: Piernikiana per Tuba Sola (1977) : Vox per uno strumento ad ottone (1977) Andrzej Krzanowski: Sonata for Solo Tuba (1978) Krzysztof Penderecki: Capriccio per tuba / Scherzzo alla polacca (1980) Bogusław Schaeffer: Projekt für Tuba und Tonband Roman W. Zajączek: Tema cantabile con piernicazioni Zdzisław Piernik: Dialogue für Tuba und Tonband
More important discography Zdzisław Piernik – Tuba (LP) Polskie Nagrania SX 1210, 1975 Zdzisław Piernik – Piernik plays Sikora, Schäffer, Borkowski, Zajaczek, Piernik (LP) Intersound / ProViva ISPV 102, 1980 Zdzisław Piernik – Tuba (Polish Contemporary Music series) (LP) Polskie Nagrania SX 1806, 1982 Zdzisław Piernik, Michał Górczyński – Energa One (CD) Kariatyda, 2002 Zdzisław Piernik, Piotr Zabrodzki – Namanga (CD) Vivo Records, 2008
Notes
References Intersound ProViva collection in Sonoton catalogue. Jan Ptaszyn Wroblewski: Sprzedawcy Glonow (LP, Polish Jazz Vol. 90 Deluxe, 1973) S.P.P.T. Chałturnik: Chałturnik (LP, Polish Jazz Extended, Vol. 95, 1974) Zdzisław Piernik: Tuba (LP, Polskie Nagrania SX 1210, 1975) Zdzisław Piernik: Piernik plays... (LP, Intersound ISPV 102, 1980) Zdzisław Piernik: Tuba (LP, Polskie Nagrania SX 1806, 1982)
Występ na
Występ podczas ogólnopolskiej konferencji: Andrzej Dobrowolski "Rozumienie muzyki: Muzyka Czystej Formy” (4/6.12.2015, UMFC) [w:]
z utworem Vox for any solo wind instrument (1977) nominowany do nagrody w kategorii Album Roku Muzyka Współczesna. Boguslaw Schäffer: Project for Tuba and Tape (1980) na płycie: Bogusław Schaeffer: Minimal Art. na tubę preparowaną i fortepian (1977), Proietto na tubę preparowaną z towarzyszeniem taśmy (1970), Trio na tubę preparowaną, saksofon sopranowy i fortepian (2000) na koncercie podczas XXXV OFTMF „Kontrapunkt” , Szczecin, 2000. [dostęp 2016-04-25].
Elżbieta Sikora: Il Viaggio 1 (1975) [in:] Witold Szalonek: Piernikiana na tubę solo (1977) na płycie:
Bibliography
External links John Griffiths. Zdzisław Piernik Biography in Tuba Euphonium Legends, Windsong Press. Zdzisław Piernik in The National Film Archive Digital Repository (Polish, English) Zdzisław Piernik in Polish Film Internet Database (Polish) Zdzisław Piernik in Polish Music Information Centre (Polish) Zdzisław Piernik in Culture.pl (Polish, English)