Stanisław Moniuszko

Stanisław Moniuszko (May 5, 1819 in Ubiel, near Minsk – June 4, 1872 in Warsaw, Congress Poland) was a Polish composer, conductor and teacher. He is generally called the father of Polish national opera.
Biography.
Youth.
Moniuszko was born in Ubiel (Minsk district in modern Belarus) to a Polish-Armenian noble family of landowners. He showed an early ability in music, and began private piano lessons with August Freyer in 1827. Moniuszko began to formally study composition in Berlin with Karl Friedrich Rungenhagen, who also taught him in choral conducting. While in Berlin, he had an unexpected early success when he set three songs to the words of the Polish national poet, Adam Mickiewicz.
After three years in Berlin, he returned to Poland in 1840 to marry Aleksandra Müller. He got a job as an organist in Vilnius and also worked as a private piano tutor. The Moniuszkos had ten children.
Around 1840, he began to compose strongly, writing his first operas and several other stage works, as well as sacred music and secular cantatas. 
During his lifetime Moniuszko traveled many times to St. Petersburg where his concerts were very well received. He was the mentor of César Cui. 
Maturity.
In 1848 in Vilnius, he staged and conducted the first performance of his opera "Halka". After the triumph of his new four-act version of "Halka" at Warsaw on 1 January 1858, he toured France. It was soon later staged in Prague, Moscow and St. Petersburg, where it met with great success. 
On 1 August 1858 he was made conductor of the Polish Opera in the Grand Theatre in Warsaw. In 1864, Moniuszko started lecturing at the Music Institute in Warsaw, where he also directed a choir. His disciples included, among others, Zygmunt Noskowski and Henryk Jarecki.
Stanisław Moniuszko died on 4 June 1872 in Warsaw of a sudden heart attack. He was buried in Powązki Cemetery. 
Works.
Vocal.
Songs.
"More than 300, listing the most popular:"
Recordings.
Due to the current obscurity of Moniuszko outside Poland, this list more or less represents a complete discography.