Biography

Abel Korzeniowski was born in Cracow, Poland. In 1996 graduated the instrumental studies (specialization: cello), and then in 2000 graduated with merit from the composition class of Krzysztof Penderecki at the Music Academy in Cracow. At the same Academy, in the years 1999–2000, he was an assistant at the Department of Composition, Conducting and Musical Theory. His compositions were performed at the most important festivals in Poland, Germany, Slovakia, Moldavia, Ukraine and Belarus. He also composed music for numerous drama plays and films – features, documentaries and shorts.

In 1998 he received the Creative Scholarship of the President of Cracow in the category of music composition. Two years later, at the 25th Polish Feature Film Festival in Gdynia he received the “Golden Lions” – individual award for the musical score to the film “Big Animal”.

In 2001 he was nominated by “Film” monthly to their “Golden Duck Award” for extraordinary achievement in film music. At the same time “Cinema” monthly included him on their list of top Polish film music composers. Also in 2001 his symphonic composition “Hypnosis” had its premiere in Berlin (the orchestra was Sinfonietta Cracovia, conducted by Krzysztof Penderecki), which was broadcast live by Deutsche Radio.

In 2002 he received “Ludwik Award” (a theatre award from the city of Cracow) for the score to “Kafka”, and also “Jancio Wodnik Award” at Prowincjonalia Film Festival, for his score for the feature film “An Angel in Cracow”. According to “Kino” monthly, his music for the controversial documentary “Evolution” (the film was awarded the prestigious “Golden Gate Award” at the 45th Film Festival in San Francisco) was “an achievement of an entirely original kind”.

In 2004 he created a new score for Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis”. A monumental 147-minute composition for an 90-piece orchestra, 60 choir and 2 solo voices ambitiously re-interpreting the silent movie from 1927.

In 2005, during the 14th Golden Knight International Film Festival in Russia, he received “Golden Knight Award” for best composer, for music for the film “Tomorrow’s Weather”.

In 2006, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his career in Hollywood productions.

Awards

  • 2005, Golden Knight Award (Zolotoi Vityaz) for best composer at the 14th Golden Knight International Film Festival in Chelyabinsk, Russia (for music for “Tomorrow’s weather”).
    Each year, the festival takes place in a different city of Russia. During the entire history of Zolotoi Vityaz, directors, actors, screenplay writers and critics from 55 countries participated in the festival.
    During its 14th edition, about 300 cinematographers from 31 countries presented more than 200 movies.
  • 2002, Jancio Wodnik Award for best music for film (“An angel in Cracow”) of the Prowincjonalia Film Festival in Wrzesnia, Poland – nationally recognized film festival with 12-year history.
  • 2002, Ludwik Award for best music for theater play (“Kafka”) in Cracow, Poland.
    Ludwiks are prestigious awards of Cracow theater community, founded in 1996 to recognize and honour excellence and outstanding artistic achievements of the year.
  • 2001, Golden Ducks Award Nominee for best film composer.
    Golden Ducks of “Film” monthly are the oldest Polish film awards, annual from 1956.
  • 2000, Golden Lions Award for best music for film (“Big Animal”) of the 25th Polish Film Festival in Gdynia, which is the most important and prestigious film festival in Poland. Each year, showing both main stream film and TV production as well as independent movies. It is the main event for the whole film industry in Poland, co-organised by the Polish Ministry of Culture and the Association of Polish Filmmakers.

Published Music

  • TOMORROW’S WEATHER, ITI Film Studio, 2003
  • AN ANGEL IN CRACOW, Sony Music Poland, 2002
  • BIG ANIMAL, Sony Music Poland, 2000