Leo Kowalski
Leo Kowalski (born April 14, 1911 in Cologne ; † 1984 there ) was a composer and pianist . He became known as a "radio pianist", a genre that no longer exists today.
Leo Kowalski, whose father was a Polish violinist (his mother was from Cologne), was so talented at the piano that he got a free place at the music college after graduating from high school. At the same time, he started playing on the radio for the newly founded Westdeutsche Rundfunk AG (WERAG) from 1931 , as radio music at that time was still largely played live .
Even after the Second World War , Leo Kowalski received the position as resident pianist, first at NWDR , then at WDR . From 1947 until his retirement in 1976 he could be heard on the station almost every day. He accompanied the morning gymnastics and played jazz on programs such as The Happy Sunday Afternoon. From 1967 he improvised transitions between the music tracks now played from the tape and accompanied the event information on WDR 2 .
Kowalski also accompanied chanson singers such as Ursula Herking and Iska Geri . He had great success as a composer with the singer and lyricist Willy Schneider . Occasionally he served the organ in Cologne churches on a temporary basis.
A street in Cologne-Lövenich is named after him.
Web links
- Obituary on the WDR website
- Photo by Leo Kowalski and report from his wife Irmgard
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Kowalski, Leo |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German pianist and composer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 14, 1911 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Cologne |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1984 |
| Place of death | Cologne |