Faculty of Composition, Interpretation and Music Education


Faculty of Composition, Interpretation and Music Education is one of the top arts faculties in our country. In the years 2013-2017, it was the highest-rated music faculty in Poland (outstanding scientific category A+) and was in the elite group of less than 4% of units rated in that category out of nearly a thousand scientific units in total that were subject to the parametric evaluation as regards their scientific and research activities. In the last parametric evaluation (2017), the Faculty maintained its high position and was again classified in scientific category A+.

The Faculty was established in 2004 as a result of a merger of two organisational units of the Academy of Music in Kraków: the Faculty of Composition, Conducting and Music Theory (I) and the Faculty of Music Education, Choral Conducting and Church Music (IV). Regina Chłopicka, PhD, Professor of AM, became its first Dean (2004-2005). For the subsequent two terms (2005-2008 and 2008-2012), that office was held by Professor Rafał Jacek Delekta, PhD. He was followed by Professor Wojciech Widłak, PhD, who served as Dean of the Faculty between 2012 and 2020. In 2020, Agnieszka Draus, PhD, took over as Dean of the Composition, Interpretation and Music Education Faculty.

In its present form, the Faculty of Composition, Interpretation and Music Education continues the rich tradition of:

– Krakow school of composition known and valued in the world thanks to, among others, the outstanding artist Professor Dr h.c. mult. Krzysztof Penderecki and Professor Bogusław Schaeffer (1929-2019) as well as the graduates of their classes,

– Krakow theoretical school centred around Professor Dr h.c. mult. Mieczysław Tomaszewski, PhD (1921-2019) and several generations of his students,

– Krakow concept of music education originating from the tradition of the composer and choral scholar Professor Stanisław Wiechowicz (1893-1963) and Assistant Professor Adam Rieger (1909-1998).

It was here, in the city of Karol Wojtyła – Saint John Paul II, that a unique programme of study in church music was introduced in 2008 and has been run jointly by the Academy of Music in Kraków and the Pontifical University of John Paul II; the Religious Music Department of Faculty I is part of the Interuniversity Institute of Church Music co-created by the two institutions.

The Faculty of Composition, Interpretation and Music Education is constantly developing in line with the needs of the process of education of qualified artists-musicians in undergraduate (bachelor’s degree) and graduate (master’s degree) programmes, as well as in post-graduate programmes.  The academic teachers of the Faculty take part in the training of new scientific and artistic staff through the doctoral school and promotion proceedings in the extramural mode.

In the academic year 2019/2020, a competitive course entitled The New Model of Music Teacher Education at the Academy of Music in Kraków was launched within the Artistic Education in the Field of Music programme of study, which was awarded first place in the ranking of 28 Polish universities participating in the competition of the Operational Programme Knowledge Education Development 2014-2020, co-financed from the European Social Fund. The project is carried out with the support of the National Centre for Research and Development.

Faculty I offers full-time bachelor’s and master’s programmes in the following fields:

Composition and theory of music
speciality: composition
speciality: theory of music

Conducting

Artistic Education in the Field of Music

the available specialties in the bachelor’s degree programme:

  • leading vocal and vocal-instrumental ensembles
  • conducting wind bands
  • artistic education
  • rhythmics

the available specialties in the master’s degree programme:

  • leading vocal and vocal-instrumental ensembles
  • conducting wind bands
  • teaching music theory classes
  • rhythmics

Faculty I also offers a postgraduate programme in Music Therapy.