This is the greatest day of my life – said Jerzy Maksymiuk, a conductor, composer and pianist awarded with the Order of the White Eagle. As he emphasized, even though music is an abstract art, it works in a “physical” and “emotional” way.
During the ceremony at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, President Andrzej Duda awarded prof. Jadwiga Puzynina – linguist and literature researcher – and Jerzy Maksymiuk – conductor, composer and pianist.
“Thank you very much, this is the greatest day of my life,” Maksymiuk said. As he emphasized, the fact that he was awarded the highest state distinction is “recognition” and “noticing”, but above all “an indication that there is something as beautiful as art”.
“When we play a piece (…), the composer gives us his imagination, his inner world, much wider than ourselves. We become part of his world, his sensitivity, his wisdom,” said the conductor. As he emphasized, even though music is abstract, it works in a “physical” and “emotional” way.
Pointing out that he had gone from “Janek the Musician” to a laureate of the Order of the White Eagle, Maksymiuk emphasized that he was happy and thanked him very much for this distinction.
