Warsaw Autumn 2017: Premieres

The iconic festival of contemporary music, Warszawska Jesień [Warsaw Autumn], celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. Held in various venues around Warsaw from September 15-23, 2017 during several concerts per day, this year’s programs will examine and illustrate the phenomenon of the avant-garde. Works by the composers who were part of the original avant-garde will be juxtaposed with the composers whose works came about in the decades following the first Warsaw Autumn Festival, held sixty years ago.

Leading Polish and foreign ensembles will be heard during this year’s Festival, including the National Polish Radio Orchestra directed by Alexander Leibrecht, the National Philharmonic with Jacek Kaspszyk, Experimentalstudio des SWR from Freiburg, the EWCM Orchestra led by Rüdiger Bohn, as well as the Tempo Reale from Florence, Les Percusions de Strassbourg, and Nostri Temporis.

During concerts with such titles as the “Musica Electronica Antiqua et Nova – Electronic Marathon,” and “electro|impro night – concert of Polish Composers’ Union – Youth Circle,” world premieres of works by Polish composers will be performed. These premieres are listed below (click on the dates of each premiere for more details:

  • Sept 15, Warsaw Philharmonic Chamber Hall: Dominik Karski – In Search of Certainty
    Performers: Diotima Quartet
  • Sept 16, Sculpture Park in Królikarnia: Tadeusz Wielecki (right) – Dźwięczypsoty [Sound Pranks] (Warsaw Autumn and Society of Authors ZAiKS commission)
    Performers: Bartłomiej Ostapczuk – mime, Maurycy Idzikowski – trumpet, Filip Mazur – trumpet, Tomasz Dworakowski – trombone, Michał Tomaszczyk – trombone, Tadeusz Wielecki – direction
  • Sept 16, ATM Studio: Studio CH&K – for Piotr and PHONOS EK MECHANES – Układy względnie odosobnione [Relatively Isolated Systems]
    Performers: Marek Chołoniewski and Krzysztof Knittel – electronic media; Aleksander Janicki – video; Cezary Duchnowski – keyboards, computer; Paweł Hendrich – electric guitar, computer; Sławomir Kupczak -violin, computer; Paweł Romańczuk – sound constructions
  • Sept 16, Fryderyk Chopin University of Music: Monika Szpyrka – zero-waste tip 1: don’t waste your music; Izabela Smelczyńska & Mateusz Śmigasiewicz – Euphonia Pseudolarix: SEA ANEMONE; Andrzej Karałow & Jerzy Przeździecki – Blueprint #4; Żaneta Rydzewska – Torrent; Piotr Bednarczyk – FREQ; and Paweł Malinowski – C’mon join to joyride
    Performers: Krzysztof Augustyn, Piotr Bednarczyk, Julian Gołosz, Jędrzej Jarocki, Radosław Jarocki, Andrzej Karałow, Jerzy Przeździecki, Teoniki Rożynek, Pablo Sánchez-Escariche Gasch, Izabela Smelczyńska, and Mateusz Śmigasiewicz
  • Sept 17,Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art: ERdada. A Tale about Eugeniusz Rudnik(Warsaw Autumn commission)
    Natalia Babińska – direction, Martyna Kander – costume and stage design, Ewa Krasucka – photography, video editing and production
  • Sept 17, Fryderyk Chopin University of Music: Tadeusz Wielecki – Dźwięczę, więc jestem [I Sound Therefore I Am]; Michał Moc – A-cordeON; and Cezary Duchnowski – cROSSFAdE 2
    Performers: Twogether Duo & Duo Van Vliet
  • Sept 18, PWM Edition: Dariusz Przybylski – Dawn; Jan Oleszkowicz – Ściany płaczu [Wailing Wall] (KOTEL);Weronika Ratusińska-Zamuszko (left) – Trio for Viola, Cello and Piano; and Edward Sielicki – Mazurkas for Piano Quartet 
    Performers: Lech Bałaban – viola,  Jan Bałaban – violin, Agnieszka Bałaban – cello, Krzysztof Sowiński – piano
  • Sept 18, Warsaw Philharmonic Chamber Hall: Jacek Sotomski – Thanks, Leszek
    Performers: Spółdzielnia Muzyczna Contemporary Ensemble, Piotr Peszat – electronics, Mateusz Rusowicz – conductor
  • Sept 19, Fryderyk Chopin University of Music: Adam Diesner – Coloriage; Tomasz Szczepanik – io; Ryszard Lubieniecki – Isorhythmic composition no. 2
    Performers: TRIO LAYERS: Ryszard Lubieniecki – accordion, Zofia Ilnicka – flute/alto flute, and Jakub Wosik –violin; Aleksandra Bednarczyk, Anna Chmielińska, Olga Chwaszczewska, Dominik Frankiewicz, Anna Sułkowska, Tamara Kurkiewicz, Jakub Muras, Mateusz Rajkowski, Pablo Sánchez-Escariche Gasch, Mateusz Stankiewicz, Przemysław Wojciechowski; Remigiusz Czechowicz, Jakub Niedźwiedź, Jędrzej Luciński and Jeremiasz Hendzel sound projection
  • Sept 20, Lutosławski Polish Radio Concert Studio: Andrzej Kwieciński (right) – super [P|PE(s)]
    Performers: Joanna Freszel – soprano, Michele Marelli – clarinet, Ashot Sarkissjan – violin, Orkiestra Muzyki Nowej, VRC Choir, Instrumental ensemble: Adam Bonk, Wojciech Herzyk, Jarema Jarosiński, Rafał Kozyra; Tamara Kurkiewicz and Krzysztof Niezgoda – percussion, Dorota Adamczak – piano, Szymon Bywalec – conductor
  • Sept 21, barStudio: Artur Zagajewski – Modulor; Jan Duszyński – Green Grass, yeah!(Warsaw Autumn and Society of Authors ZAiKS commissions)
    Performers: Piotr Domagalski, Łukasz Owczynnikow, Tomasz Januchta, and Ksawery Wójciński – double bass, Eneasz Kubit – quartertone accordion
  • Sept 22, SPATiF Club: Szymon Stanisław Strzelec – ˈswiːt ˌspɒt and Wojciech Błażejczyk – Angels of Peace(Warsaw Autumn and Society of Authors ZAiKS commissions)
    Ensemble Nostri Temporis: Maxim Kolomiiets – oboe/English horn, Artem Shestovskyi – clarinet/bass clarinet, Sergiy Loginov – horn, Nazarii Stets – double bass, Bohdan Sehin – artistic director
  • Sept 22, Fryderyk Chopin University of Music: Aleksandra Kaca – Motion blur; Teoniki Rożynek –The most satisfying music; Żaneta Rydzewska – Folla II; Rafał Ryterski – di/am/sy/od
    Performers: Mateusz Rajkowski – bass clarinet, Bernard Łasecki – contrabassoon, Dawid Rydz –accordion, Radosław Jarocki – viola, Aleksander Wnuk and Michał Jedynak – percussion, Remigiusz Czechowicz, Jędrzej Luciński, Jeremiasz Hendzel, Przemysław Kunda and Ignacy Przech – sound projection
  • Sept 23, Austrian Cultural Forum: Adam Diesneri – Prayer
    Maciej Kacprzak – accordion
  • Sept 23, Warsaw Philharmonic Hall: Piotr Tabakiernik – Symphonic Piece ** (Warsaw Autumn and Society of Authors ZAiKS commission)
    Warsaw Philharmonic, Jacek Kaspszyk – conductor

This year’s Festival program also includes several premieres of sound installations and projects by Polish artists, held at the following locations:

Further program details can be found at: www.warszawska-jesien.art.pl. Learn more about this year’s centenary of Polish avant garde at culture.pl.

[Sources: polmic.pl, zamowieniakompozytorskie.pl, warszawska-jesien.art.pl]