Walter Buczynski

Biography

Walter Joseph Buczynski (born December 17, 1933) is a Canadian composer, teacher, and pianist. Born in Toronto, Buczynski earned an Associate diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music in 1951 and a Licentiate in 1953, studying music composition with Godfrey Ridout and piano with Earle Moss. He studied under Darius Milhaud and Charles Jones at the Aspen Music Festival and School in 1955, and pursued further studies in piano with Rosina Lhévinne in New York from 1958 to 1959. He received grants from the Polish government to study with Zbigniew Drzewiecki in Warsaw in 1959 and 1961, and from the Canada Council to study under Nadia Boulanger in Paris in 1960 and 1962. Buczynski was awarded second prizes at the Composers, Authors and Publishers Association of Canada composition competition in 1951 and 1952, and won first prize in 1954 with his Piano Trio. He made his concert debut with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in 1955.

Highlights

• Graduated from the Royal Conservatory of Music in 1951 and 1953.
• Studied with Darius Milhaud and Nadia Boulanger.
• First prize at the Composers, Authors and Publishers Association of Canada competition in 1954 with his Piano Trio.
• Debuted as a concert pianist with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in 1955.

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