Felix Borowski

Felix Borowski (1872–1956) was a British/American composer and teacher. Felix Borowski was of Polish descent but was born in the English village of Burton-in-Kendal, Westmorland. He was educated in London and at the Cologne Conservatory. He then taught the piano and the violin for a while in Aberdeen, Scotland. At this time Borowski had begun to publish smaller compositions for piano and violin. Somewhat later his compositions won strong commendation from composers such as Edvard Grieg, Theodor Leschetizky, Sauer and other renowned masters. In 1896, Borowski moved to the USA to become Director of the Chicago Musical College. His connection with this musical college continued until 1925 when he resigned to devote himself to private teaching and to composition. During his working life in the U.S.A. he was a composer, teacher, and newspaper critic in Chicago. He was the programme annotator for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1908-1956, and the CSO holds a collection of his original compositions as well as arrangements by him of the works of others. In 1917, he was elected as an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music fraternity. One of his compositions for piano and violin Adoration was recorded in 1913 and became very popular. Borowski wrote three large-scale and romantic Sonatas for the organ (published 1904, 1906 and 1924), and his compositions for orchestra include a poem Semiramis and 3 symphonies.