Mieczysław Karłowicz was a notable Polish composer and conductor, born on December 11, 1876, in Vishnyeva, Vilna Governorate, then part of the Russian Empire (now Belarus). He hailed from a noble family and was the son of Jan Karłowicz, a Polish linguist and musician. Karłowicz's early life was marked by his study of the violin, although he later shifted his focus to composition due to health issues. He studied under prominent teachers in Warsaw and Berlin, including Zygmunt Noskowski and Heinrich Urban.

Karłowicz's music is characterized by its late Romantic style, heavily influenced by composers like Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Richard Wagner. His works include a Symphony in E minor (Rebirth, Op. 7), a Violin Concerto in A major (Op. 8), and several tone poems such as The Returning Waves and Eternal Songs. He also composed songs for voice and piano, setting texts by poets like Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer.

Despite his relatively short life, Karłowicz made significant contributions to Polish music, being a key figure in the "Young Poland" movement, which sought to blend modernist tendencies with national traditions. His music often reflects themes of melancholy and resignation, drawing on pantheistic and philosophical influences.

Karłowicz spent his later years in Zakopane, where he indulged in his passion for photography and mountain climbing. Tragically, he died in an avalanche while skiing in the Tatra Mountains on February 8, 1909, at the age of 32. His legacy is honored by the Szczecin Philharmonic, which bears his name.