Mikołaj Zieleński, Zelenscius

an organist and a composer

Born in Warka around 1550, Mikołaj Zieleński was an organist and a composer at the turn of the Renaissance and Baroque. He graduated in music in Rome, Italy under the watchful ear of Fr. Wojciech Baranowski.

In 1608, Fr. Baranowski became Archbishop of Gniezno and Primate of Poland, and Zieleński was hired by the Płock chapter as an organist, a court composer, and music director of the Primate’s Chapel in Łowicz.

In 1611, two of his collections entitled “Offertoria totius anni” and “Communiones totius anni“ were published in Venice, Italy. They included 113 musical pieces: offertories, communions, antiphons, psalms, responsories, motets, songs, and instrumental fantasies.

Mikołaj Zieleński died around 1616. His complete works were recorded by the Collegium Zieleński ensemble in the years 2009–2011 (6 CDs, Opera Omnia). The ensemble’s founder and conductor is Stanisław Gałoński.