Felix Borowski

Who was Felix Borowski?

Felix Borowski was a British/American composer and teacher.

Felix Borowski was of Polish descent but was born in the English village of Burton-in-Kendal, Westmorland. His father, who was quite a musician, was of distinguished Polish stock. His mother was English and very accomplished in music. His father gave him his first instruction on the piano as well as on the violin . He was educated in London and at the Cologne Conservatory. He then taught the piano and the violin for a while in Aberdeen, Scotland. At this time Borowski had begun to publish smaller compositions for piano and violin. Somewhat later his compositions won strong commendation from composers such as Edvard Grieg, Theodor Leschetizky, Sauer and other renowned masters.

In 1896 Borowski moved to the USA to become Director of the Chicago Musical College. His connection with this musical college continued until 1925 when he resigned to devote himself to private teaching and to composition. During his working life in the U.S.A. he was a composer, teacher, and newspaper critic in Chicago. He was the programme annotator for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1908-1956, and the CSO holds a collection of his original compositions as well as arrangements by him of the works of others. In 1917, he was elected as an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music fraternity.