Born in Debica (Poland) in 1933, Penderecki began his musical training by studying composition under Franciszek Skolyszewski. He completed his studies in 1958 at the Crakow Conservatory, but maintained links with it, first as lecturer and then as its director in 1972. Between 1966 and 1968 he also gave classes in Essen's Volkwang Hochschule für Musik, in Germany, as well as teaching at Yale University between 1972 and 1978. He launched his career as a conductor in 1972, and has since conducted the world's leading orchestras.

He made his international debut in 1959 at Warsaw's Autumn Festival with his composition "Strophen", which was one of three works that earned him first prize at the National Competition for Young Composers, along with "Psalms of David" and "Emanations". He composed one of his most widely recognised works, "Threnody for the victims of Hiroshima", that same year, and was awarded the UNESCO Prize for it. Over the following years he made enormously successful public presentations of several of his works, including his major work, "St. Luke's Passion", which was commissioned to celebrate Munster Cathedral's 700th anniversary, in Germany, and which was given its public début in 1966. "The devils of Loudun" (1969) was his first opera, and this was followed by oratorios such as the one that he composed in 1970 for the UN, "Cosmogony", "Te deum" (1980), "Cello Concerto No.2" - played for the first time in 1983 by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and Mstislav Rostropovich - "Benedicamus Domino" (1992) and "The Seven Gates of Jerusalem", which culminated the celebration of the city's three thousand years of history.

He is doctor honoris causa at several universities, and has been awarded numerous distinctions, including several Grammys and the award for the best composer at the Midem Festival of Cannes (2000).