Composer Penderecki’s State Funeral
Planned for March 2022

Composer Penderecki’s state funeral planned for March 2022
The state funeral of renowned Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki is to take place on March 29, 2022, the second anniversary of his death. The postponement was caused by the continuing coronavirus pandemic and his widow Elżbieta Penderecka’s state of health. An urn containing the composer’s ashes has been temporarily deposited at St Florian’s church in Kraków. Until his death, Penderecki, whose legacy included orchestral, choral, operatic and chamber compositions, was regarded by many as the world’s greatest living composer. He first gained international prominence in 1961, when his work Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima won a UNESCO prize. His long list of Polish and foreign honors includes the Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s highest distinction, as well as. several Grammy awards. 

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article appeared in the News Updates from Poland but the date was wrong. It should have read March 2022 – not March 2020.