On Paweł Kochański’s date of birth

Anna Barbara

Abstract

Paweł Kochański, one of the greatest virtuoso violinists of the early twentieth century, still awaits a biography, despite the fact that his life is a fascinating subject to explore, as is revealed by research into his legacy as a composer.

Up to now, 1887 has been accepted as the year of Kochański’s birth. However, the author’s preliminary research in paris and Brussels revealed a document which allows that dating to be corrected: a registration card confrming the young violinist’s enrolment at the Brussels conservatory, which clearly gives 1884 as the year of his birth. The new finding is backed by information found in letters written to emil Młynarski, Kochański’s guardian and protector, by his wife Anna and by Kochański himself, edited by Elżbieta Szczepańska-Lange. The letters reveal that in September 1903 Paweł Kochański was already nineteen years old, which explains why he was rejected by the Paris Conservatory, where a decree issued in 1892 established an age limit of eighteen for the violin class. Applying for admission to the Brussels Conservatory, Kochański probably used as proof of his identity the same document as in Paris, most probably his passport or birth certifcate.

Although Paweł Kochański’s original birth certifcate is unlikely to be found, the document presented here offers legitimate justifcation for changing the musician’s accepted date of birth.