Abel Korzeniowski

Korzeniowski was born in Kraków. He had contact with music from early childhood: his mother Barbara plays the cello and both his brothers Antoni and Andrzej are musicians. He graduated from the Academy of Music in Kraków majoring in cello and composer studies under the supervision of Krzysztof Penderecki.

He won acclaim as the composer of music for films and theatre plays. In 2000, he received his first major individual prize – Golden Lions for Best Film Score at the Gdynia Film Festival for his music to Jerzy Stuhr’s Duże Zwierzę (The Big Animal).

Korzeniowski is a composer of film scores for several Polish films: Big Animal, Tomorrow's Weather, An Angel in Krakow, as well as Hollywood productions: Battle for Terra, Pu-239, Tickling Leo, A Single Man and W.E..

He composed the music for the adaptation of François Villon's 15th century work Le Testament. The play was first performed in Toruń in 2002 and was directed by Marta Stebnicka. In 2004, he composed film score for the silent film Metropolis by Fritz Lang for the purpose of a major Polish film festival New Horizons Film Festival. The film was shown with music performed live in Cieszyn in 2004.

He won a San Diego Film Critics Society Award in 2009 for the Best score in A Single Man and was nominated for a 2009 Golden Globe in the best original score category for the same film. In 2012, he was nominated for Best Original Score for the film W.E., at the 69th Golden Globe Awards.

In 2012, Korzeniowski arranged Patricia Kaas’s album, Kaas chante Piaf, which was recorded as a tribute to Edith Piaf.

Since 2017, Abel Korzeniowski has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

• The Watchers (2024)
• Emily (2022)
• Till (2022)
• The Courier (2020)
• The Nun (2018)
• Nocturnal Animals (2016)
• A Grain of Truth (2014)
• Penny Dreadful (2014–16) (television series)
• Romeo & Juliet (2013)
• Escape from Tomorrow (2013)
• Kaas chante Piaf (2012)
• W.E. (2012)
• Copernicus' Star (2011)
• A Single Man (2009)
• Tickling Leo (2009)
• Confessions of a Go-Go Girl (2008)
• What We Take from Each Other (2008)
• Battle for Terra (2007)
• Pu-239 (2007)
• Metropolis (new score 2004)
• Tomorrow's Weather (2003)
• An Angel in Cracow (2002)
• The Big Animal (2000)

Awards

• 2015 British Academy Television Craft Awards (BAFTA) for Best Original Television Music – Penny Dreadful
• 2013 International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) for Film Composer of the Year – Romeo and Juliet, Escape from Tomorrow
• 2013 International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) for Best Original Score for a Drama Film – Romeo and Juliet
• 2013 International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) for Film Score of the Year – Romeo and Juliet
• 2011 CUE Awards 2011 Best Dramatic Score and Best Cue on Soundtrack – W.E. ("Dance for Me, Wallis").
• 2010 World Soundtrack Award 2010 Public Choice and Discovery Of The Year – A Single Man
• 2010 The International Cinephile Society 2010 (ICS) for Best Original Score – A Single Man
• 2010 AFT Awards 2010 for Best Original Score – A Single Man
• 2009 International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) for Best Original Score for a Drama Film – A Single Man
• 2009 San Diego Film Critics Society 2009 for Best Score – A Single Man
• 2005 Golden Knight Award 2005 for Best Composer – Tomorrow's Weather
• 2002 Jancio Wodnik Award 2002 for Best Music – An Angel in Cracow
• 2002 Ludwik Award 2002 for Best Music for Theater Play – Kafka

Nominations

• 2016 Anthony Asquith Award for Best Original Score for the film – Nocturnal Animals
• 2015 IFMCA Award Nominations 2014 for Best Original Score for a Television Series – Penny Dreadful
• 2011 Golden Globe Nominations 2012 for Best Original Score – W.E.
• 2011 IFMCA Award Nominations 2011 for Best Original Score for a Drama Film – W.E.
• 2010 World Soundtrack Academy 2010 for Best Original Film Score of the Year – A Single Man
• 2009 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score - A Single Man
• 2001 Golden Ducks Award 2001 for Best Film Composer
• 2000 Golden Lions Award 2000 for Best Music for Film – The Big Animal