Witold Lutosławski was born and studied in Warsaw, winning a distinguished international reputation particularly from the 1950s onwards. He became a leading composer among a group of creative artists of outstanding ability, remarkable in his handling of forms and textures of great originality.

Orchestral and Vocal Music
The genius of Lutosławski was evident from his 1938 Symphonic Variations. The years after the war brought a return to more conventional national modes of composition, heard in his Little Suite and Concerto for Orchestra. Later works have allowed a more experimental approach on a broader palette, such as his Funeral Music of 1958, his Second Symphony, and the Prelude and Fugue for 13 string instruments. Characteristic works for voice and orchestra include Paroles tissés for tenor and chamber orchestra, and Three Poems by Henri Michaux for 20 voices and orchestra.