Tadeusz Kassern
Encyclopedia
Tadeusz Zygfryd Kassern was a Polish
composer.
Born in Lvov
, he studied at the conservatory of the Polish Music Society in Lviv
and later at the conservatory in Poznań
. In 1931 he escaped from Nazism
to Paris
and later to the United States
. Kassern had been serving as a cultural attaché
in New York
to the Polish government. In 1948 when Kassern learned of the communist takeover in Poland, he resigned his position, renounced his Polish citizenship and applied for US asylum. Kassern's application for asylum was denied due to missing a deadline set for asylum seekers; depressed, he attempted suicide unsuccessfully. Kassern died of cancer in 1957.
Among Kassern's well known students was the Italian-born American composer Dalmazio Santini
(1923-2001).
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
composer.
Born in Lvov
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
, he studied at the conservatory of the Polish Music Society in Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
and later at the conservatory in Poznań
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
. In 1931 he escaped from Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and later to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Kassern had been serving as a cultural attaché
Cultural attaché
A cultural attaché is a diplomat with special responsibility for promoting the culture of his or her homeland. The position has been used as an official cover for intelligence agents. Historically, the post has often been filled by writers and artists, giving them a steady income, allowing them to...
in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to the Polish government. In 1948 when Kassern learned of the communist takeover in Poland, he resigned his position, renounced his Polish citizenship and applied for US asylum. Kassern's application for asylum was denied due to missing a deadline set for asylum seekers; depressed, he attempted suicide unsuccessfully. Kassern died of cancer in 1957.
Among Kassern's well known students was the Italian-born American composer Dalmazio Santini
Dalmazio Santini
Dalmazio Santini was an Italian-born U.S. composer.Born in Capestrano, in the Abruzzo province of Italy, Santini immigrated to the United States at the age of 14, where he attended public schools in White Plains, New York. He was inducted into the U.S...
(1923-2001).