# Walter Buczynski > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Walter_Buczynski > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Walter_Buczynski.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Buczynski > Source revision: 1356931206 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Canadian musician}} {{Use Canadian English|date=February 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Walter Buczynski | image = | alt = | caption = | background = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1933|12|17}} | birth_place = [Toronto](/source/Toronto), [Ontario](/source/Ontario), Canada | death_date = | death_place = | origin = | genre = [Contemporary classical music](/source/Contemporary_classical_music) | associated_acts = | occupation = Composer, teacher, pianist | years_active = | label = | website = }} '''Walter Joseph Buczynski''' (born 17 December 1933) is a [Canadian](/source/Canadians) [composer](/source/composer), [teacher](/source/teacher), and [pianist](/source/pianist). Born in [Toronto](/source/Toronto), Buczynski earned an Associate diploma from the [Royal Conservatory of Music](/source/Royal_Conservatory_of_Music) in 1951 and a Licentiate in 1953.{{cite encyclopedia |title = Walter Buczynski |last = Schulman |first = Michael |last2 = Nygaard King |first2 = Betty |last3 = Beckwith |first3 = John |encyclopedia = The Canadian Encyclopedia |url = https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/walter-buczynski-emc |orig-date = 2007-07-08 |date = 2013-12-16 |publisher = Historica Canada}} While there he studied music composition with [Godfrey Ridout](/source/Godfrey_Ridout) and piano with [Earle Moss](/source/Earle_Moss). He studied under [Darius Milhaud](/source/Darius_Milhaud) and [Charles Jones](/source/Charles_Jones_(composer)) at the [Aspen Music Festival and School](/source/Aspen_Music_Festival_and_School) in 1955. He pursued further studies in piano with [Rosina Lhévinne](/source/Rosina_Lh%C3%A9vinne) in [New York](/source/New_York_City) in 1958–1959. He received grants from the [Polish government](/source/Government_of_Poland) that enabled him to study with [Zbigniew Drzewiecki](/source/Zbigniew_Drzewiecki) in [Warsaw](/source/Warsaw) in 1959 and 1961.{{cite book |last = Such |first = Peter |chapter = Walter Buczynski |title = Soundprints: Contemporary Composers |chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/soundprintsconte0000such/page/102/mode/2up |chapter-url-access = registration |date = 1972 |publisher = Clarke, Irwin |pages = 102-25}} Likewise, grants from the [Canada Council](/source/Canada_Council) made it possible for him to study under [Nadia Boulanger](/source/Nadia_Boulanger) in [Paris](/source/Paris) in 1960 and 1962.{{Cite news |last=Littler |first=William |date=2014-01-24 |title=Walter Buczynski: Canadian composing icon hits 80 |url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/walter-buczynski-canadian-composing-icon-hits-80/article_1d182202-c929-5f09-aa26-5ed91ed9d93c.html |access-date=2026-05-26 |work=Toronto Star}} In 1951 and 1952 Buczynski was awarded second prizes at the [Composers, Authors and Publishers Association of Canada](/source/Composers%2C_Authors_and_Publishers_Association_of_Canada) composition competition, going on to win first prize there in 1954 with his [Piano Trio](/source/Piano_Trio). In 1955 he won the [Fromm Foundation Award](/source/Paul_Fromm_(philanthropist)) with his Suite for Woodwind Quintet. That same year he made his debut as a concert pianist with the [Toronto Symphony Orchestra](/source/Toronto_Symphony_Orchestra) playing [Chopin's](/source/Chopin) [F minor Concerto](/source/Piano_Concerto_No._2_(Chopin)). Buczynski went on to have an active concert career during the 1960s and early 1970s, giving recitals in major concert venues throughout Canada and in New York, Paris, and Warsaw. His concerts often featured his own work and pieces by other contemporary Canadian composers in addition to traditional repertoire. He appeared on [CBC Radio](/source/CBC_Radio) and made a number of solo recordings. He later curtailed his performance schedule to focus on teaching and compositional work. In 1962 Buczynski joined the piano and music theory faculty at the Royal Conservatory of Music. He left in 1969 to join the faculty of the [University of Toronto](/source/University_of_Toronto), where he taught piano and composition until his retirement in 1999.{{Cite web |title=Walter Buczynski |url=https://music.utoronto.ca/person/walter-buczynski |access-date=2026-05-26 |website=University of Toronto. Faculty of Music}}{{Cite news |date=1999 |title=Retiring Faculty - Walter Buczynski |url=https://faculty100.music.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Noteworthy-Summer-1999.pdf |access-date=2026-05-27 |work=Noteworthy |publisher=University of Toronto. Faculty of Music}} Among his notable pupils were [John Burge](/source/John_Burge), [Mychael Danna](/source/Mychael_Danna),{{Cite book |last=Mera |first=Miguel |title=Mychael Danna's The Ice Storm: A Film Score Guide |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |year=2007 |chapter=Mychael Danna's Musical Background |pages = 1-15}} and [Timothy Sullivan](/source/Timothy_Sullivan_(composer)). Buczynski served as president of the [Canadian League of Composers](/source/Canadian_League_of_Composers) in 1974–1975 and is an associate of the [Canadian Music Centre](/source/Canadian_Music_Centre). He is the recipient of honours including the [Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal](/source/Queen_Elizabeth_II_Silver_Jubilee_Medal) (1977) and the [Gloria Artis Medal](/source/Gloria_Artis_Medal_for_Merit_to_Culture) (2008) from the Polish government.{{Cite web |title=Polish Spirit Exhibition: 61 Canadians of Polish Heritage {September 26, 2009) |url=https://www.federacjapolek.ca/raporty/2009_polish_spirit_en.html |access-date=2026-05-29 |website=Polish Canadian Women's Federation}} ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== {{Archival records|title=Walter Buczynski fonds|inventory_number= OTUFM 31|description_URL=https://discoverarchives.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/buczynski-walter-1933 |location = University of Toronto Music Library |dates = 1945-2019}} * [https://music.utoronto.ca/person/walter-buczynski Walter Buczynski] Faculty of Music, University of Toronto * [https://collections.cmccanada.org/final/Portal/Composer-Showcase.aspx?component=AAIL&record=9011e88a-651b-48e2-9c2a-7d469ebb21fe Walter Buczynski] [Canadian Music Centre](/source/Canadian_Music_Centre) * [https://www.discogs.com/artist/1517791-Walter-Buczynski Walter Buczynski] discography at Discogs {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Buczynski, Walter}} Category:1933 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century Canadian classical composers Category:20th-century Canadian male composers Category:Aspen Music Festival and School alumni Category:Canadian classical pianists Category:Canadian male classical pianists Category:Canadian opera composers Category:Musicians from Toronto Category:The Royal Conservatory of Music alumni Category:Academic staff of The Royal Conservatory of Music Category:Academic staff of the University of Toronto Faculty of Music Category:Pupils of Darius Milhaud --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Walter Buczynski](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Buczynski) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Buczynski?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.