Fitelberg (Feitelberg) Grzegorz (Grigory) (18 October 1879, Dvinsk, Vitebsk Governorate — 10 June 1953, Katowice, Poland) — Polish conductor, violinist, and composer.
Grzegorz Fitelberg was the son of a conductor of Russian military orchestras. Having chosen Poland as his homeland, he adopted the name Grzegorz. He composed his first musical work at the age of 12.
From 1891 to 1896, he studied violin and composition at the Music Institute in Warsaw under Stanislaw Barcewicz, and composition under Zygmunt Noskowski.
In 1896, he made his debut as a composer, receiving first prize in Leipzig for his First Sonata for violin and piano. In 1901, he was awarded the Zamoyski Prize for a piano trio in F minor (for violin, cello, and piano).
From 1896, he played in the orchestra of the Grand Theatre (“Teatr Wielki”) in Warsaw, and from 1901 in the newly founded Warsaw Symphony Orchestra. In 1904, he made his debut as a conductor with this orchestra.
Grzegorz Fitelberg was one of the founders of the group Young Poland (Młoda Polska), which included Karol Szymanowski, Ludomir Rozycki, Apolinary Szeluto, and from 1907 Mieczyslaw Karlowicz.
From 1911, he toured across Europe. Between 1914 and 1921, he lived in Russia, conducting symphonic concerts in Petrograd and opera performances at the Mariinsky Theatre. In 1920, he conducted the orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre.
From 1921 to 1924, he conducted productions of the Ballets Russes in Paris and London, and in 1923–1924 conducted at the Warsaw Philharmonic and Teatr Wielki.
From 1927 to 1930, he taught conducting at the Warsaw Conservatory. Between 1931 and 1938, he toured Russia, Mexico, and South America.
He founded the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra (early 20th century) and conducted it until the outbreak of World War II. With this orchestra, the renowned pianist Arthur Rubinstein frequently performed.
From 1939 to 1947, he lived in the United States and Portugal, performing with major orchestras. From 1947 to 1953, he directed the Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice. He was awarded the honorary title “Ambassador of Polish Music” for promoting Polish culture abroad.
He gave concerts as a conductor in Riga:
May 1910 (Marienhof, Horn Garden),
1913 (summer season in Dubbeln [Jurmala], with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra),
June 1923 (several concerts in Jūrmala),
September 1923 and January 1925 (symphonic concerts at the Latvian National Opera).
He was the author of musical works in a neo-Romantic style, including two symphonies (1905–1907), Polish Rhapsody (1913), the symphonic poem Song of the Falcon, a sonata for violin and piano and other chamber and orchestral works.
He also completed several symphonic works of Mieczyslaw Karlowicz and Karol Szymanowski after their deaths.
He composed music for the film Janko the Musician directed by Ryszard Ordynski.
He was awarded the State Prize of the Polish People’s Republic in 1951.
His son from his first marriage, Jerzy Fitelberg, also became a composer (died in the USA in 1951).
Literature:
Segodnya Vecherom, 1923, Nos. 154, 214; 1925, No. 4)
I. Rutkovsky, A Great Conductor Born in Daugavpils («Великий дирижёр, родившийся в Даугавпилсе»), Seychas newspaper , 21 Oct 2004