FAREWELL TO…

Wanda Wiłkomirska Born 1929 Violinist

Wanda Wi komirska (seen on the left in 1967) enjoyed a formidable career, performing regularly as a soloist with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and with conductors such as Leonard Bernstein and Zubin Mehta and earning praise for her technical brilliance and passionate and innovative interpretations.

The Polish violinist learned the instrument from her father Alfred at the age of five and went on to form the Wi komirska Trio with her sister Marian on piano and brother Kazimierz on cello – they continued to perform together regularly.

She made two appearances at the BBC Proms – once in 1967 with the Polish Symphony Orchestra and again in 1983, after her defection from Poland, with the National Youth Orchestra. Although her repertoire was international and diverse, she specialised in Polish contemporary works, famously working alongside the composers Penderecki and Gra yna Bacewicz. She moved to Australia in later life and taught at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Piet Kee Born 1927 Organist and composer

A formidable organist, Piet Kee was renowned particularly for his improvisational skills, having won first prize at the Haarlem International Improvisation Competition three years running during the 1950s. After studying organ, piano and composition at the Amsterdam Conservatory, Kee went on to hold organist posts at both St Laurens church in Alkmaar and St Bavo church in Haarlem, the latter being home of one of the world’s most famous Baroque instruments. A respected teacher, Kee taught for over two decades at Amsterdam’s Music Lyceum and Sweelinck Conservatory. He also recorded widely for the Chandos label, particularly the music of Baroque composers including JS Bach, Buxtehude and Sweelinck. He was also a respected composer in his own right, writing largely, though not exclusively, for the organ. One of his most ambitious pieces was his Haarlem Concerto for organ and orchestra, which was premiered by Thomas Trotter in 2006. Kee received many awards over his long and distinguished career including, in 1988, an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Organists.