Robert Muczynski was born on March 19, 1929, in Chicago, Illinois. He studied piano with Walter Knupfer and composition with Alexander Tcherepnin at DePaul University, earning his Bachelor of Music (1950) and Master of Music degrees (1952). Muczynski made his Carnegie Hall debut in 1958 performing a program of his own compositions for piano. He taught at several institutions, including the University of Arizona, where he served as composer-in-residence until his retirement in 1988. Notable works include "Sonata for Flute and Piano" (Op. 14, 1960/1961) and "Time Pieces for Clarinet and Piano" (1983/1984). His compositions were performed by orchestras such as the Chicago Symphony and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Muczynski's final composition was Desperate Measures (Paganini Variations) for piano in 1996. He died from leukemia on May 25, 2010, in Tucson, Arizona.
