He will lead Sinfonia Varsovia in the Stravinsky piece and the Warsaw Philharmonic in the Sibelius work—two ensembles that have played a key role in his career.
The programme, which also marks the 70th anniversary of Maksymiuk’s artistic debut, includes Maurice Ravel’s Trois Chansons for a cappella choir, performed by the Warsaw Philharmonic Choir, and Wojciech Kilar’s Exodus, conducted by the orchestra’s music director, Krzysztof Urbański.
A versatile musician, Maksymiuk studied in Warsaw, earning diplomas in piano, composition and conducting.
In 1961, he won first prize at the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Piano Competition in Bydgoszcz, north-central Poland, but soon turned his focus to conducting.
In 1972, he founded the Polish Chamber Orchestra, which performed at venues including New York's Carnegie Hall, Vienna’s Wiener Konzerthaus and London’s Royal Albert Hall.
His British debut helped launch his international career and was followed by a series of recordings for the EMI label.
He served as principal conductor of the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in the southern city of Katowice from 1975 to 1977, and later as chief conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in Glasgow from 1983 to 1991.
The BBC later named him Conductor Laureate in recognition of his work with the ensemble.
Maksymiuk has worked with major orchestras worldwide, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestre National de France.
His discography includes more than 100 recordings for labels such as EMI, Hyperion and Naxos, some of which have received Gramophone Awards and Poland's Fryderyk music prize.
He also holds an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. His compositions include symphonic and ballet music, chamber works, songs and film scores.
(mk/gs)