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Stefan Kozinski Obituary

Stefan Brock Kozinski

AGE: 61 • Wilmington

Internationally-acclaimed composer, conductor and musician, Stefan Brock Kozinski, a native of Wilmington, DE, died December 11, 2014 in Bremen, Germany of a heart attack. He was 61.

Born in Wilmington, Mr. Kozinski resided in many places throughout his music career including Chadds Ford, New York City, Spokane, WA and Germany. At the time of his death, Mr. Kozinski was living in Bremen where he had been solo coach of the Theater der Freien Hansestadt Bremen since August 2008. He was a member of the faculty of the University of the Arts in Berlin in the winter semester of 2007 - 2008, was on the music staff of Anhaltischen Theater Dessau from 2001 to 2007 and was a professor at the University of Music and Theater in Hannover, Germany and music director of its opera school for the 1999-2000 season. A 1970 graduate of the Tower Hill School in Wilmington, Mr. Kozinski earned an undergraduate degree from Princeton University in New Jersey and a graduate degree from the Julliard School of Music in New York City.



He began his piano studies at age 4 with Aileen Brugman of Wilmington and was soon playing and composing for nearly every instrument in the orchestra. Mr. Kozinski was nine when he won the Philadelphia Orchestra's Children's Composition Contest with his "Suite No. 1". Mr. Kozinski studied with French composer and conductor Nadia Boulanger who described him as "one of the most gifted musicians I have met." Composers Aaron Copland and Elliott Carter presented Mr. Kozinski with the Lili Boulanger Award for Composition in 1974. He also studied with composers Marcel Dupre, Vincent Persichetti, Peter Herman Adler, Erich Leinsdorf and Robert Casadesus.

Mr. Kozinski created more than 60 arrangements and orchestrations for full orchestra, big band and solo organ as well as operatic reductions. He set to music five poems written by his brother, David P. Kozinski , for a song cycle titled "Afterlife of Memory", sung by contralto Daniela Kappel at concerts in Dessau and Bremen. His reduced score for Daniel Catan's "Il Postino" premiered on the East Coast with the Center City Opera Theater at the Prince Music Theater in Philadelphia in May 2012. He both played keyboard and conducted the orchestra in his reduced score version of Humperdinck's "Hansel and Gretel" for the Delaware Dance Company. His compositions have been performed by many organizations including the U.S. Marine Band, New England Ragtime Ensemble, University of Delaware Resident String Quartet and Radio-Philharmonie Hannover where his orchestrations of Civil War-era spirituals for the Harlem Spiritual Ensemble premiered in 1994. His SymFunnies concerts for children have broken box office records in the United States and Canada. Mr. Kozinski's compositions, published by E.C. Schirmer and Margun Music, are now part of the Moldenhauer Archives at the Library of Congress and the Kozinski Archives.

Mr. Kozinski performed on organ and piano and conducted in venues around the world starting at age 13 when he conducted the Wilmington Symphony, now the Delaware Symphony, playing his "Elegy for Orchestra". Mr. Kozinski conducted Die Fledermaus, Madame Butterfly and The Magic Flute among other productions for OperaDelaware. He conducted many other orchestras in the United States, Germany, the Czech Republic and Canada and was associate conductor of the Spokane Symphony and Sandpoint Music Festival from 1985 to 1995. He was pianist and conductor for Ivan Jacobs' "Phantom of the Opera" in several countries and was music director of the New York International Tour of George Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess" from 1997 until 2006.

"I can't think of anyone who plays Gershwin's music more feelingly and more beautifully," said composer Gunther Schuller of Mr. Kozinski.

Mr. Kozinski was frequently featured as a piano soloist including with the Boston Pops under Arthur Fielder and with the New York City Ballet at Lincoln Center. He played some of the grandest organs in the world including the 10,100-pipe Aeolian organ at the Longwood Gardens Conservatory in Kennett Square, PA, the 6,027-pipe Walcker Great Organ at Methuen Memorial Music Hall in Massachusetts and, at age 18, one of the organs at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. Included in his first organ recording, "The Grand German Organ Tradition", produced by Schuller, Mr. Kozinski performed the challenging "Symphonic Fantasy and Fugue" composed by Max Reger in 1901 and recorded only once before in history. During his last visit to the United States in August, Mr. Kozinski was arranger, pianist and musical director for a multi-media production of Schubert's "Die Winterreise" with baritone Ulrich Hartung in New York City.

Mr. Kozinski twice received the Dr. Eugene Szatkowski award from the Americans of Polish Descent Cultural Society of Delaware for his musical achievements. He was a former member of Christ Church in Greenville, DE where he played the organ for the children's choir and for some church services. When he was a teenager, Mr. Kozinski was the subject of a bust by Wilmington sculptor Charles Parks titled "A Young Artist".

He was the son of the late David B. and Eleanor Brock Kozinski and the nephew of the late Amelie "Mimi" Kozinski, all musicians who mentored him. He was also the nephew of the late Mario and Mary Trezza and the late Betty and Harold Rummel and the grandson of the late Stefania and Bronislaw Kozinski and the late William A. and Hazel Brock.

Mr. Kozinski is survived by his brother, David P. Kozinski of Wilmington; his sister-in-law, Patti Allis Mengers of Wilmington; his former wife and beloved partner, Francena Chalfant of Chadds Ford; his longtime companion, Daniela Kappel of Hamburg, Germany; his godmother and benefactor, Linda Prickett of Greenville; and his goddaughter, Mia Vogel of Lake Forest Park, WA.

A Memorial Service will be held at 3 p.m. on December 28, 2014 at Christ Church Christiana Hundred, 505 E. Buck Road, Greenville, DE. Musicians are encouraged to bring their instruments to play at the reception in the parish hall immediately following the service.

In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to The Kozinski Archives, 126 Ridge Road, Chadds Ford, PA 19317.

For online condolences

please visit,

CHANDLER FUNERAL

HOMES & CREMATORY

chandlerfuneralhome.com

302.478.7100

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The News Journal on Dec. 21, 2014.

Memories and Condolences
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May 18, 2017

I knew Stefan when I was a member of the Brooklyn Opera Society, I was also in the choir at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Chelsea, where he sometimes played the organ for us. May he rest in peace, and may God's perpetual light shine upon him.

Michael Drwiega

January 20, 2015

It was a great honor to have known him while at the Weil's brownstone house in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, 1979-81. May he rest in peace.

C & F Czech

December 24, 2014

Met Stefan at Patti Allis & David's wedding. A very tall man.His mane of unruly hair immediately caught one's eye; but, once he looked your way you were caught by his animated person & then this booming voice.Stefan filled a room with his "being"...& he was continually smiling, moving around to include those around him in the conversation. No one was excluded & the room had an intense full of life feeling.That was the room & space everyone wanted to be in. Stefan will be greatly missed by his sibling as no one carries the "history" of our life from childhood on into adulthood like a sibling.Our deepest sympathy David & to your lovely wife Patti Allis.

Wendy Leslie

December 23, 2014

Though I only knew Stephan in 5th -8th grades at Tower Hill, and though I had no idea at the time of the breadth of his skill, I knew he was one person who knew music. I also remember his playing many, many instruments. I remember his energetic will and his passion for music - and am amazed to learn how far his talent extended. I wish I had followed his career more closely. What a true gift he was....

Clifford Ribner

December 23, 2014

Stefan's passing, particularly at such a young age, is a genuine tragedy. I remember him fondly from Tower Hill. RIP

Barbara Govatos

December 21, 2014

A marvelous mind and talent gone too soon. Deepest sympathy to Stefan's family and friends,

Susan Klein Fink

December 21, 2014

As a classmate at Harlan Elementary School I have fond memories of Stefan's love and amazing musical talents as a youngster. Rest in peace .. Stefan The world has lost a great musician and talent!!
Susan Klein Fink

December 21, 2014

I'm so sorry, and my heart goes out to Stefan's family and friends. He was always kind to me back at Tower Hill, where he showed prodigious talent.

Craig Everhart, Pittsburgh PA

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