New biography Seeking the Infinite explores life of Conductor Laureate Stanislaw Skrowaczewski

Comprehensive new biography Seeking the Infinite: The Musical Life of Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, by Frederick E. Harris, Jr., spans more than 90 years of music history, exploring the life of Skrowaczewski, who was music director of the Minnesota Orchestra from 1960 to 1979 and has subsequently served as conductor laureate.

(November 28, 2011) Learning full orchestral scores at age four, composing by age seven, conducting a professional orchestra at thirteen, eventually fleeing his native Poland in a hush of secrecy, and becoming an American classical-music sensation as music director of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra—so began the artistic ascent of conductor-composer Stanislaw Skrowaczewski.

Much more than a fascinating life saga, the comprehensive new biography Seeking the Infinite: The Musical Life of Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, by Frederick E. Harris, Jr., is an epic work spanning more than 90 years of music history. It reveals little-known facets of concert life and the changing landscape of the professional orchestra while illuminating Skrowaczewski’s artistic philosophy, creative genius, and his ties to many of the 20th century’s most eminent musical figures. This maestro has guest conducted every major orchestra in the U.S., Europe, and Japan, and created dozens of orchestral compositions. He has held celebrated directorships with the Minnesota Orchestra (formerly Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra) and the Kraków and  Katowice Philharmonics, and was principal conductor of England’s Hallé Orchestra and Japan’s Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra. A beacon for new music, Skrowaczewski also is considered one of the world’s foremost interpreters of the works of Anton Bruckner.

The book’s author, Dr. Harris, is music director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Wind Ensemble and Festival Jazz Ensemble. He was inspired to undertake Seeking the Infinite after interviewing Skrowaczewski while working on his Ph.D. dissertation about the ways in which a conductor conveys musical feeling. Nine years of meticulous research and 230 interviews have gone into this monumental work.

Throughout the book Harris portrays Skrowaczewski as a man of keen intellect, wit, sensitivity, and integrity. His Old World courtliness, natural reserve, and never-ending quest for perfection have endeared him to many musicians and disaffected others. Decades before it became fashionable, he embraced organic foods, vigorous exercise, and a passion for the outdoors. Skrowaczewski’s family life provides some of the book’s most moving and charming aspects. Krystyna Skrowaczewski, who died August 26, 2011, was her husband’s true partner and the family’s bedrock.

The book is both a compelling read with popular appeal and a treasure trove of scholarly resources with its comprehensive list of Skrowaczewski’s compositions, transcriptions, and arrangements; full discography; life chronology; and a list of awards and honors. It also includes a full history of the Minnesota Orchestra, including details on how he championed the creation of Orchestra Hall, and a comparative history of Manchester’s Hallé Orchestra. Pulitzer Prize-winner Gunther Schuller wrote the book’s foreword.

Seeking the Infinite reveals why Stanislaw Skrowaczewski is among the most important—yet underappreciated—musicians of our time.

Published by CreateSpace, Seeking the Infinite: The Musical Life of Stanisław Skrowaczewski is now available at www.seekingtheinfinite.com and amazon.com.

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