Andrzej Panufnik

Andrzej Panufnik
Panufink, early 1990s
Born	(1914-09-24)24 September 1914 Warsaw
Died	27 October 1991(1991-10-27) (aged 77) Twickenham, London
Occupations	Composer conductor

Sir Andrzej Panufnik (pronounced: [ˈand͡ʐɛj paˈnufnik]; born 24 September 1914 – died 27 October 1991) was a Polish composer and conductor. He became established as one of the leading Polish composers, and as a conductor he was instrumental in the re-establishment of the Warsaw Philharmonic orchestra after World War II. He also served as Principal Conductor of the Kraków Philharmonic Orchestra.

After his increasing frustration with the extra-musical demands made on him by the country's regime, he defected to the United Kingdom in 1954, and took up British citizenship. In 1957, he was appointed chief conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, a post he relinquished after two years to devote all his time to composition. In 1984, he became an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music^[1] and in 1991 the composer received a British knighthood for his services to music.^[2]