Dean Robert A. Cutietta, left, and Bogdan Zdrojewski on front of pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski monument.
Photo/Dietmar Quistorf
Arriving with his assistant and accompanied by Paulina Kapuścińska, Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Los Angeles, Małgorzata Cup, Consul for Culture, Roman Czarny, former Consul for Culture, and film director Krzysztof Jankowski, Minister Zdrojewski toured the campus and met with Dr. Robert Cutietta, Dean of the Thornton School of Music.
During a brief afternoon ceremony inside Dean Cutietta’s office, Minister Zdrojewski decorated the Dean with the Gloria Artis gold medal. This highly prestigious award recognizes the most outstanding individuals for their contributions to Polish culture and is usually bestowed upon the recipient upon the initiative of the Minister of Culture or other high government officials.
In his remarks to Dean Cutietta, Minister Zdrojewski summarized the long-standing relationship of the Thornton School of Music and the Polish Music Center at USC and the Dean’s leading role in promoting Polish music and culture in Southern California. Dean Cutietta thanked the Minister for this very meaningful award and describing his advocacy of Polish music and cooperation with the Polish Music Center as “the right thing to do.” In a special note, USC Provost C. L. Max Nikias congratulated Dean Cutietta and Thornton School of Music “on this magnificent and much-deserved honor,” adding that “everyone at USC enthusiastically applauds you!”
Following the decoration ceremony, the Dean and Minister Zdrojewski stepped outside the Music School Building for a photo opportunity next to the monument of Ignacy Jan Paderewski. Paderewski—one of the most important pianists in the history of music—was also a statesman and a humanitarian and his accomplishments in the fields of music and diplomacy were recognized by USC with an honorary doctorate in February of 1923. Paderewski’s monument at USC was unveiled by the PMC at a special ceremony in October 2007, during which Provost Nikias, Dean Cutietta, and Poland’s Ambassador to the United States, Janusz Reiter, participated, alongside Consul Kapuścińska and numerous members of Polish community in Los Angeles.
The PMC’s manuscript collection.
The PMC’s manuscript collection housed in the Special Collections Department in Doheny Library was the next stop on the Minister’s USC itinerary. Manuscripts of compositions by leading contemporary Polish composers were on display, including several major orchestral works by Witold Lutosławski, Krzysztof Penderecki, and Krzysztof Meyer. Scores by Grażyna Bacewicz, whose centenary celebration was recently commemorated with a concert in USC’s Newman Recital Hall, were also laid out for the Minister’s viewing. Melinda Hayes, Head of Special Collections, prepared the exhibit for the Minister and welcomed him upon his arrival in the second floor Special Collections area. Representing the Dean of Libraries as well as the University cabinet on this important occasion were Emily E. Jordan, Deputy Director of Advancement, USC Libraries, and John D. McIntyre, Library Development Research Analyst.
The Polish Music Center in Stonier Hall was the last stop on the Minister’s USC visit. Krysta Close, PMC Manager and Librarian, welcomed the Minister to the suite of rooms occupied by the Center. Director Marek Zebrowski introduced the Minister and his entourage to the library, highlighting the collection of manuscripts by Henry Vars and Zygmunt Stojowski, as well as photographs, personal items, correspondence and concert programs of Ignacy Jan Paderewski. This recent donation of Paderewski memorabilia is known as the Paso Robles Collection, assembled by a long-time resident of Paso Robles and Paderewski fan, Mr. Hy Blythe.
Dean Robert A. Cutietta and Bogdan Zdrojewski
During a wide-ranging discussion with the Minister over tea and coffee, a variety of initiatives and future PMC-related projects were presented. Minister Zdrojewski encouraged the PMC to apply for Ministry grants to fund the Center’s book series. Issues related to cataloguing the precious and rare items held in the PMC Library and making them available via the internet to scholars around the world were also discussed in depth. Minister Zdrojewski’s suggestions as to who in Poland’s National Archives could assist in this long-term project were most helpful and will undoubtedly serve as a strong initial step in developing professional ties with appropriate institutions and archives in Poland.
At the conclusion of his visit, the Minister presented the Center with a 12-CD set of recordings of all of Frederic Chopin’s compositions, performed by various Polish artists. In addition, the PMC library received two volumes of limited edition facsimiles of Chopin’s manuscripts, including his Etudes Op. 10 and Mazurkas, Op. 33, recently published under the Minister’s aegis. Another fascinating gift from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, a book about Krzysztof Penderecki and a recording of his most famous works (St. Luke’s Passion, Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima, String Quartet No. 1, Psalms of David, and Dimensions of Time and Silence) topped up the large gift bag that Minister Zdrojewski had brought with him from Poland to the USC campus.
Although the Minister had visited the United States on numerous occasions, calling on New York and Chicago among others in the past, this was his first visit in Los Angeles. Having met with representatives of the Polish community at the opening of the 10th Polish Film Festival in Los Angeles and after touring the USC campus, the Minister expressed his interest in returning to the West Coast in the future. An avid and accomplished photographer, the Minister delighted in taking photos throughout his visit in the Southern California. He will be warmly welcomed should he decide to visit our campus again.
Photo: “Dietmar Quistorf/University of Southern California.”
http://uscnews.usc.edu:80/arts/polands_culture_minister_honors_music_dean.html