Kowalski, Max, 1882-1956

Max Kowalski was born in Kowal, Poland on August 10, 1882. A year later he moved to Germany, where he was educated; in addition to his musical studies (composition with Bernhard Sekles and singing with Alexander Heinemann), he earned a law degree from the University of Marburg. As a singer-composer, Kowalski naturally specialized in the composition of Lieder. Under the Nazi regime, he was imprisoned in Buchenwald, but he was released in 1939. He then moved to England, where he remained until his death in London on June 4, 1956.

Polish-born composer.

Max Kowalski was born in Kawal (Poland) in 1882. His family moved to Germany a year after he was born. He studied law in Marburg and worked as a lawyer specializing in copyright law in Frankfurt am Main. In addition, he studied singing and composition with Bernhard Sekles and published his first work, a musical version of Albert Guirraud's Pierrot Lunaire, in 1913. He continued to compose and and published until 1934. In 1938, he was forced to give up his law practice and was imprisoned in the Buchenwald concentration camp. Upon his relase in 1939, he immigrated to London, where he first worked as a piano-tuner and synagogue singer, before he established himself as a singing teacher. He continued to compose, but none of his later songs were published. He died in 1956.