A three-day festival devoted to Krzysztof Komeda’s film music is held in Warsaw.  

The programme includes the concerts ‘European Stars for Komeda’ with the participation of the Swedish pianist Bobo Stenson and ‘Polish Stars – Komeda and Inspirations’ featuring the saxophonist Zbigniew Namyslowski who played together with Komeda in the 1960s. There are also animated films with Komeda’s soundtracks, an exhibition of posters to Polański’s films with Komeda’s music, a photo exhibition and a documentary film about Komeda’s life and artistic career.  

Krzysztof Komeda (real name Krzysztof Trzcinski) was born in 1931 in Poznan.  A child prodigy, he was admitted to the piano class of city’s Conservatory at the age of eight. After the war he developed a career as a jazz pianist and composer. He also completed medical studies and for some time worked as a physician.

In December 1968, while in Los Angeles to work on the soundtrack to Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby, Komeda had a tragic accident which led to a haematoma of the brain. He was transported to Poland and died in a Warsaw hospital on 23 April 1969, aged 38.  Komeda’s credits also include Polanski’s Knife in the Water.   (mk)