Ignacy Jan Paderewski longed to establish a music school for young people in Paso Robles, California—his beloved American retreat—and the Paderewski Festival Cultural Exchange Program seeks to foster that dream. In November 2008, the Cultural Exchange was initiated by a Sister Cities agreement between Paso Robles and Tarnów, Poland, where Paderewski and his wife honeymooned…Continue Reading Paderewski Festival Youth Cultural Exchange
Held annually in November, the Paderewski Festival is a four-day musical festival on California’s Central Coast. Celebrating the rich heritage of Paso Robles and its most famous resident, Ignacy Jan Paderewski—virtuoso pianist, composer, international politician, local landowner, grower and winemaker—the Festival hosts concert and master classes by world renowned musicians, exhibits, lectures and film screenings,…Continue Reading 2015 Paderewski Festival: Preview
On May 12, 2015, a box containing correspondence from the family of Roman Ryterband was delivered to the PMC. Carefully maintained by Clarissa and Astrid Ryterband, the composer’s widow and daughter, and meticulously organized and delivered by Diana Eisele, his other daughter, these letters represent exchanges between Ryterband and his family and friends from the…Continue Reading Ryterband Collection Continues To Expand
Meyer Premiere In NY On July 23, 2015, the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts in New York will present “Guitar in the Garden: Łukasz Kuropaczewski.” During this concert, Polish guitarist Łukasz Kuropaczewski will perform the world premiere of the new solo guitar work Triptych by Krzysztof Meyer. This is Kuropaczewski’s second Guitar in…Continue Reading Meyer Premieres
The opera Czarodziejska Góra [The Magic Mountain] was given its world premiere on June 26, 2015 at the Malta Festival in Poznań, Poland. This opera is a joint work of four creators: composer Paweł Mykietyn, director and actor Andrzej Chyra, playwright Małgorzata Sikorska-Miszczuk and visual artist Mirosław Bałka. The libretto is based on the famous…Continue Reading Premiere of Magic Mountain
The jubilee series of events entitled “Program Triptych” was held from June 18-20, 2015 in celebration of 70 years of the Polish Composers’ Union [ZKP]. The first concert on June 18 was held in the Royal Castle in Warsaw. It featured the premieres of two new compositions by Krzysztof Knittel: Znaki [Signs] for electronic media…Continue Reading Premieres At Triptych – Celebrating ZKP 70th Anniversary
The 6th Musica Electronica Nova (MEN) Festival was held on May 15-23, 2015, under the subtitle “Elecktro-Vision,” in Wrocław. This Festival was an exciting chance to hear new works by Polish composers. The following compositions were given their world premiere during the 2015 MEN Festival: Franciszek Araszkiewicz (b. 1986): Minutki I for cello quartet, electronics…Continue Reading Premieres at Musica Electronica Nova Festival
The Pracownia muzyki tradycyjnej [Traditional Music Laboratory] of the Institute of Music and Dance in Warsaw was founded on June 17, 2015, during the conference Przekaz międzypokoleniowy w kulturze tradycyjnej i rola państwa w tym zakresie [Transgenerational transmission in traditional culture and the role of the state in this area] at the Ethnographic Museum in…Continue Reading IMiT Establishes Traditional Music Laboratory
Glissando magazine explores the creative, cultural and political space surrounding contemporary, alternative, and avant-garde music. Now in its tenth year, Glissando seeks to create an international network of contemporary music theorists, journalists, performers and composers from Eastern Europe to expand its contemporary music forum. The latest issue of Glissando explores soundscape—the acoustic environment, the world…Continue Reading Latest Issue of Glissando: Soundscape
Contemporary works by several young Polish composers have been posted to Youtube. These links feature recordings plus musical scores, to facilitate learning and performance of these excellent pieces. Krzysztof Wołek — Un Claro del Tiempo Cezary Duchnowski — Parallels Agata Zubel — Cascando Tymoteusz Witczak – Cztery Jesienne Haiku Mateusz Ryczek – 28 days of…Continue Reading New Polish Music on Youtube