Richard Zielinski’s Work in Poland, Austria and the USA

Richard Zielinski is an American conductor with a Polish heritage of which he is very proud. His great-grandparents, Mikołaj Zielinski and Rose Krawczyk immigrated from Poznan to the United States in the late 1800’s and settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Richard has always had a fascination with Poland and its music. This was further realized in 1989 when, as a graduate student at the University of Illinois, he first met Jan Szyrocki, who was in the United States as a visiting professor to lecture on Polish choral music.  The two forged a strong bond and Jan encouraged Richard to write his doctoral thesis on Polish composer, Karol Szymanowski’s vocal-instrumental music. The thesis not only gained Richard the title of Doctor, but also won the Kosciuszko Foundation Prize in New York and the Wanda Wilk (owski) Prize in Polish Research which enabled him to visit Poland to continue his conducting studies.  During 1992 and 1993, Richard traveled to Poland to study oratorio and a cappella music with Jan, as well as study the works of Szymanowski under Prof. Stefan Marczyk and symphonic works under Prof. Henryk Czyz from Warsaw.

 From 2003-2005, Richard served as Artistic Director and Chief Conductor for CHAPS - Chor Akademicki Politechniki Szczecinskiej im prof. Jana Szyrockiego (Szczecin Technical University Choir), one of Poland’s preeminent choral ensembles founded over 60 years ago by the late Jan Szyrocki.   Richard was also appointed Artistic Director and Chief Conductor for In Terra Pax (an international choral academy) and the International Festival of Choral Song, both in Międzyzdroje, Poland.  Zielinski has guest conducted the Legnica Chamber Orchestra, Szczecin Philharmonic Orchestra, Gorzów Philharmonic, Zielona Góra Philharmonic, Cappella Istropolitano Chamber Orchestra (Bratislava, Slovakia), Florida Orchestra (USA), Tampa Symphony (USA), Wrocław Philharmonic Choir, Haydn Konservatorium Orchestra (Austria), and the Shenyang Conservatory Orchestra (China).

For the past 40 years, Richard Zielinski has conducted orchestras, choruses and stage productions throughout Europe, Asia, and North America and has conducted performances of  Bach's Mass in B-Minor and Passion According to St. John, Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, Symphony No. 9, Choral Fantasy, Meeresstille und Glückliche Fahrt, Bernstein's Chichester Psalms and Missa Brevis, Dello Joio's To Saint Cecilia, Dvorak's Requiem, Einhorn's Voices of Light, Szymanowski’s Stabat Mater, Faure's Requiem, Handel's Messiah, Haydn's Die Schoepfung, Die Jahreszeiten,  Die sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuze, Kodaly's Te Deum, Larson's Seven Ghosts, Gorecki’s, Beatus Vir, Mozart's Requiem, Orff's Carmina Burana, Rutter's Gloria, Shore's Lord of the Rings Symphony, Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Verdi's Requiem, Walton's Belshazzar's Feast, and as well as innumerable holiday and seasonal concerts. In 2005, he founded and continues to conduct the Zielinski Singers and continues to tour Poland with this ensemble. In 2012 founded the professional chamber orchestra, the Norman Philharmonic, which is celebrating their 14th season under his leadership. Richard currently serves as Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the 50th Classical Music Festival located at the Esterhazy Palace in Eisenstadt, Austria.