Polish composer, music critic, scholar (Polish philology), b. Aug. 28, 1951 in Wrocław. In 1971-74 he studied composition with Ryszard Bukowski at the State Higher School of Music in Wrocław, subsequently – in 1975-78 – with Henryk Mikołaj Górecki at the State Higher School of Music in Katowice. Simultaneously he studied Polish philology at Wrocław University (1969-74). Since 1973 he has been on the faculty in the Institute of Polish Philology at Wrocław University. In 1979-80 he taught Polish at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, Department of Germanic and Slavic Languages. In 1982 he received a doctor's degree in philology.
Rafał Augustyn has held the following scholarships: Stichting Eduard von Beinum, Foundation Acanthes, MacDowell Foundation, Salzburg Seminar (twice), Stiftung Kulturfonds. He has won several competitions for composers. In 1972 he received 1st prize in the "Jazz on the Oder" Festival for Rozmowa [Conversation] for big band, in 1973 – an honorable mention in the International Organ Competition in Szczecin for Laudes for organ (1973), in 1979 – 2nd prize in the Young Composers' Competition of the Polish Composers' Union for Atlantyda I [Atlantis I] for large orchestra (1979).
His compositions have frequently been performed at the “Warsaw Autumn” and other Polish festivals, as well as in numerous European countries, in America and the Far East. In 2001, on the initiative of Christine Pryn, a series of concerts entitled “Rafał Augustyn and Denmark” was organised in the latter country with musicians from “Nordlys” ensemble.
As a music critic, he has also published reviews in music and literary press as well as appearing on the Polish Radio and Television. In 1984-94, together with Marek Pijarowski, he was director of the "Musica Polonica Nova" Festival of Polish Contemporary Music in Wrocław. In 1980-98 he was a member of the Repertoire Committee of the "Warsaw Autumn" International Festival of Contemporary Music. He was co-founder of the "Brevis" Music Publishers.