John C. Landowski was born in Poland on May 24, 1879, the son of a blacksmith and army trumpeter. His parents brought him to the United States when he was eight months old, and he was raised in Milwaukee. Landowski attended St. Hedwig's Grade School, and graduated in 1900 from Marquette College. That same year he became organist for St. Adalbert's Church in South Milwaukee. Following that position, Landowski spent a short time in Manistee, Michigan, and Joliet, Illinois, and at 24 years of age, he became the organist at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Manitowoc, where he also taught school. There he met his wife, Rose Mrotek, whom he married two years later.
In 1907 Landowski accepted a position as choir director and organist at St. Vincent de Paul's Church in Milwaukee, which he held until 1921. In 1921 he began as organist at St. Hyacinth's Church, where he remained until shortly before his death in 1961. In addition to playing the organ seven days a week at church, Landowski was an organizer of the Milwaukee Polish Opera Club. In 1920, Rev. Michael Domachowski of St. Vincent de Paul's Church decided to promote a musical group for the benefit of Polish young people; Rev. Domachowski chose Landowski to organize the Opera Club from choirs all over Milwaukee.
The Polish Opera Club presented an opera about once a year, under the direction of Landowski and noted Milwaukee actor Anthony J. Lukaszewski. The first production, The Bohemian Girl, was presented in 1920, initially as a parish benefit and later at the Pabst Theater. In 1921, the Opera Club presented Martha, followed by Il Trovatore (in Polish) in 1922, and in 1923 by the Polish national opera Halka, by Stanislaus Moniuszko. The Milwaukee group was the first in the United States to produce Halka in its entirety; and before rehearsals could begin, Landowski had to rewrite nearly 4,000 pages of music. Halka was the first of the Opera Club's productions to be performed in Chicago as well as in Milwaukee, and it was also the most successful endeavor of all. Following nearly a year of preparations, the Opera Club in cooperation with the American Motion Picture Company of Detroit began filming a full-length motion picture version of Halka. Most of the original Opera Club cast appeared in the film, with the exception of the leading role, which was played by Theresa Nowak, a Detroit actress, rather than Rose Saskowski, apparently because Saskowski's nose did not appear to advantage on film. Among the other major actors were Anthony Lukaszewski and Jozef Kosciuk.
During the next few years the Opera Club once again presented Martha, and subsequently, the Last Waltz (1925) and Masked Ball 1927), the first production in English. A guest artist, Albert Rappaport of the Chicago Civic Opera, was featured in Masked Ball. Although the first few productions in Milwaukee were financially successful, those following Halka were not, and rising expenses and deficits caused the Opera Club to disband in 1928.
Landowski continued his interest in light opera by working with other organizations. Under his direction, the choir at St. Hyacinth's Church presented When the Moon Rises in 1941 and Erminie in 1946. He continued to train, direct, and work with choirs for light operas until the early 1950's.
John Landowski died in 1961 at the age of 82. He was survived by his widow, a son, Anthony, and three daughters. Cecilia Geordie, Rita Spruce, and the donor of the collection, Florence Landowski.
