Polish Radio celebrated its 90th anniversary with a gala event at the National Opera in Warsaw on April 21. During the evening, Jacek Kaspszyk, the Artistic Director of Warsaw Philharmonic was presented with the Diamond Baton Award, one of the most important professional accolades given by the Polish Radio. Maestro Kaspszyk was praised for “being one of the most important conductors of the times who for decades has collaborated with the Polish Radio” and the Diamond Baton Award for given “in recognition of his conducting career together with gratitude for his devotion to public broadcasting, to which he has contributed a truly astonishing amount of studio and concert recordings.”
The other Polish Radio awards that night included the Diamond Microphone Awards, given to Danuta Szaflarska and to the Kraków Trumpet Corps, who sound the famous call motive every hour round the clock from the tower of St. Mary’s Basilica on the Old Market Square in Kraków.
The multimedia entertainment for the evening included performances by the Warsaw Philharmonic under Maestro Kaspszyk and Alexander Liebreicht. The soloists included Philippe Giusiano—finalist in the 13th International Chopin Piano Competition, the Zakopower and AudioFeels ensembles, as well as the combined choir of the Grand Theatre and National Opera together with dancers of the Polish National Ballet. Representing her husband, Poland’s President, First Lady Anna Komorowska was the honored guest for this memorable evening.
[Sources: filharmonia.pl, polskieradio.pl]