Konstanty Gorski

Konstanty Gorski (1859–1924) was a Polish composer, violinist, organist and music teacher. Gorski began attending school in Grodno and continued at the First Philological Gymnasium in Wilno. He obtained his musical education at the Musical Institute in Warsaw (then under the direction of Apolinary Kątski) and at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. In 1881, he graduated from the great Hungarian violinist and pedagogue Leopold Auer class and received large silver medal and “free artist” status. Next year he spent studying composition and instrumentation in class of famous Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. In year 1890 after eight-years-trip over Russia and Georgia – through Penza, Saratov and Tiflis (Tbilisi nowadays) Konstanty Gorski arrived to Ukrainian city of Kharkov to stay there for 29 years. He spent those years teaching youth in Kharkov Musical Secondary School, performing public work (he was one of the “Polish House” culture organization founders), working as conductor of symphonic orchestra and Polish and Church Chorus that was created due to his efforts, and staying beloved by publicity violinist and highly valued by other composers performer of their musical compositions (and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky treated him with deep respect saying that Gorski was the greatest one to execute his violin concert D-dur). Political and economical changes in Russian Imperia, mainly October Revolution in 1917, had a great influence on the Gorski's fortune. Foreseeing approaching civil war and having no possibility of continuing his work in Kharkov, Gorski took his family and returned to Poland that had achieved freedom. At first, he settled in Warsaw, where he then worked as taper in cinemas “Colosseum” and “Wodewil,” and after Warsaw he went to Poznan and achieved position of the Great Theatre concertmaster, and held it till the end of life. His opera “Margier” was shown in Poznań Opera in 1927. Other compositions of Gorski also were executed during the interwar period, e.g. a Missa Solemnis in E-flat major, symphonic poem Vicious Circle and Organ Fantasy f-moll.