Polish pianist, composer and pedagogue Jan Ekier passed away on August 15, 2014. Below is more information from the external news service of Polish Radio: Prominent Polish pianist and composer Jan Ekier has died in Warsaw, just two weeks before his 101st birthday. Ekier was known primarily for his outstanding interpretations of Chopin’s music and…Continue Reading Jan Ekier Obituary
From the On Polish Music blog by Adrian Thomas: News has just come in of the death of the Polish composer and teacher, Włodzimierz Kotoński. He was 89. Along with Jan Krenz (b.1926) and Bogusław Schaeffer (b.1929), Kotoński was the last major surviving Polish composer born before 1930. He was renowned as a composition teacher…Continue Reading In Memoriam: Włodzimierz Kotoński
On the occasion of the jubilee of Andrzej Panufnik’s 100th birthday anniversary, the Fryderyk Chopin Music University’s Chair of Music Theory is organizing the International Conference in Art and Science entitled ‘Andrzej Panufnik and his vision of music’ on September 24–26, 2014, in conjunction with the Institute of Musicology at Warsaw University and the Polish Composers’…Continue Reading ‘Andrzej Panufnik And His Vision Of Music’: Art & Science Conference
Last year, the entire world celebrated Witold Lutosławski’s centenary. As soon as the calendar had turned to 2014, the centennial celebrations shifted to another major figure in Polish music. While Lutosławski and his music have always been known far and wide, Andrzej Panufnik has remained on the peripheries of Polish musical life for many decades….Continue Reading Centenary Celebrations Continue
The 56th International ‘Warsaw Autumn’ Festival of Contemporary Music [Warszawska Jesień] will be held in various venues throughout Warsaw from September 19-27, 2014. Created in 1956 and running annually with only two exceptions since its beginning, Warsaw Autumn is a festival with a long tradition and is a true witness to music history. It is…Continue Reading Premieres At Warsaw Autumn
Concerto of Song Offerings for piano solo, choir and orchestra is the title of Eugeniusz Knapik‘s new work, which the composer is preparing for the grand opening of the new home of the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra (NOSPR) in Katowice. The premiere of this piece was recently announced for the October 1st opening gala,…Continue Reading Zimerman Premieres Knapik Work at Opening of NOSPR Hall
Vienna’s Salzburg Festival—one of the world’s most prestigious festivals dedicated to classical vocal music—experienced quite a shock when, due to an acute infection of the bladder and respiratory tract and a very high fever, world renown Spanish singer Plácido Domingo was forced to withdraw from the performances of Il trovatore on August 18, 21 and 24, 2014. Best…Continue Reading Ruciński Replaces Domingo At Salzburg Festival
Comprised of three concerts organized by the Witold Lutosławski Society and the Warsaw National Philharmonic, the Music in Wartime Warsaw [Muzyka w okupowanej Warszawie] series will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II and the 70th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising. Held on September 12-14, these concerts are devoted to showcasing…Continue Reading Music In Wartime Warsaw
Miami-based Chopin Foundation of the U.S. announces the Ninth National Chopin Piano Competition and the 2014-15 Concert Season Schedule. Held in Miami every five years, the Competition attracts the best American pianists (ages 17 – 30) to compete for $160,000 in cash prizes during a week-long Chopin extravaganza. The Chopin for All Free Concert Series…Continue Reading Polish Music In Florida: 2014-2015
Most recently seen in California at the 2013 Paderewski Festival in Paso Robles, Wiesław Dabrowski’s film Paderewski: The Man of Action, Success and Fame has been nominated for the Main Competition at the 2014 Documentary Film Festival in Miami. The film will be screened during the Festival on September 12 at the Willow Theatre in…Continue Reading Paderewski: Man Of Action… At Miami Doc Film Festival