prof. dr hab. Irena Poniatowska

In 1957–1962 she studied musicology at the University of Warsaw. Since 1965 she has been associated with the Institute of Musicology, University of Warsaw, where she has gone through all stages of her university career: assistant lecturer (1968), assistant professor (1970), docent (1984), associate professor (1991) and full professor (1996). In 1970 she obtained a doctoral degree on the basis of a thesis entitled “Beethoven piano texture” and written under the supervision of Prof. Józef Michał Chomiński. In 1983 – post-doctoral degree on the basis of the thesis “Piano music and piano playing in the nineteenth century”. In 1974–79 she served as deputy director and in 1988–2003 head of the General History of Music Unit of the Institute of Musicology, University of Warsaw. In addition, in 1986–1990 she was deputy dean for student affairs of the Faculty of History, University of Warsaw, and in 1993–1999 deputy dean for finances and research.

She has given numerous guest lectures at other Polish universities, academies of music (including a post-graduate course at the Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw), scholarly societies, University of the Third Age, Polish Children’s Fund courses, as well as abroad, including places like Mainz, Paris (Sorbonne), la Châtre, Kyiv and New Delhi.

Since 2001 she has chaired the Programme Committee of the Fryderyk Chopin Institute in Warsaw.