| Biography | Sigismund Stojowski, Polish pianist, composer and teacher (b. 14 May 1869 in Strzelce; d. 5 November 1946 in New York), born Zygmunt Denis Antoni Jordan de Stojowski.
After studying composition with Wladyslaw Zelenski (18371921) in Krakow he made his debut as a concert pianist in the city at the age of 17, before enrolling at the Paris Conservatory to study piano with Louis Diémer and composition with Léo Delibes. He toured western Europe before moving to the United States in 1906, where he was head of the piano department at the New York Institute of Musical Art until 1912. His last years were spent organizing concerts and writing and lecturing on piano technique.
Tchaikovsky first met Stojkowski in Paris on 30 March 1889 [N.S.] when he was invited to have lunch at Diémer's house. He thought highly of the young Pole's talent as a composer and had a number of his works in his library at Klin (one of them bearing a dedication by Stojowski dated 1891). When Tchaikovsky arrived in London on 29 May 1893 [N.S.], Stojowski, who happened to be on tour there, offered to assist him at rehearsals for the British première of the Symphony No. 4, which was conducted by Tchaikovsky at the St. James's Hall on 1 June [N.S.]. A few days later, Tchaikovsky presented Stojowski with a copy of the full score of the Fourth Symphony bearing the following inscription: "à mon cher jeune ami Sigismond Stojovsky souvenir affectueux P. Tchaikovsky 9 Juin 1893 Londres" and containing many annotations.. Shortly before his death Tchaikovsky wrote to Stojowski to tell him that he had decided to include his Suite for Orchestra, Op. 9, in the programme of the concert he was going to conduct in Saint Petersburg on 15/27 January 1894 |