This year, the Fryderyk Music Awards (the Polish equivalent of the Grammys in the US) have changed the formula by opening up the the Awards Gala for the classical music category to the public. This year’s gala took place at the headquarters of the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra (NOSPR) in Katowice, whose excellent acoustics created the perfect conditions to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Fryderyk Awards.
The biggest winners of the night were musicians associated with the Witold Lutosławski National Forum of Music (NFM) in Wrocław, who were honored with three statuettes in the following categories: Choral, Oratorio and Opera; Early Music; and Contemporary Music. Janusz Wawrowski’s album “Hidden Violin” was recognized as the best album of a solo recital, and the Silesian Quartet received the statuette for the most outstanding recording of Polish music. The Golden Fryderyk Awards for lifetime artistic achievements went to: Jacek Kaspszyk – world-famous Polish conductor and artistic director of the National Philharmonic in Warsaw, and Wanda Warska – jazz singer, composer and poet.
The full list of classical music winners in all 8 categories were:
Album of the Year: Choral, Oratorio and Opera
Stanisław Moniuszko – Widma [Phantoms] (NFM/CD Accord): NFM choir, Wrocław Baroque Orchestra, Andrzej Kosendiak – cond., Jarosław Bręk, Aleksandra Kubas-Kruk, Mariusz Bonaszewski, Paweł Janyst. Composer: Stanisław Moniuszko
Album of the Year: Early Music
Marcin Mielczewski vol. II (NFM/CD Accord): Wrocław Baroque Ensemble, Andrzej Kosendiak – cond. Composer: Marcin Mielczewski
Album of the Year: Chamber Music
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi – Stabat Mater, Paweł Łukaszewski – Luctus Mariae (Chopin University Press). Anna Mikołajczyk-Niewiedział, Wanda Franek, Zbigniew Pilch, Radosław Kamieniarz, Piotr Chrupek, Jarosław Thiel, Janusz Musiał, Marta Niedźwiecka. Composer: Giovanni Battista Pergolesi; Paweł Łukaszewski
Album of the Year: Solo Recital
Hidden Violin (Warner Music Poland). Janusz Wawrowski (violin), Jose Gallardo (piano). Composer: Henryk Wieniawski, Grażyna Bacewicz, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Ludomir Różycki, Mieczysław Karłowicz, Witold Lutosławski, Karol Szymanowski
Album of the Year: Symphonic and Concert Music
Błażewicz, Łukaszewski, Czarnecki – Polish contemporary concertos (DUX Records): Marcin Dylla, Paweł Gusnar, Jakub Jakowicz, Tomasz Strahl, Chamber Philharmonic Witold Lutosławski in Łomża, Jan Miłosz Zarzycki – cond. Composer: Marcin Błażewicz, Paweł Łukaszewski, Sławomir Czarnecki
Album of the Year Contemporary Music
Supernova (NFM/CD Accord): Atom String Quartet, NFM Orchestra Leopoldinum, Christian Danowicz – cond. Composer: Hanna Kulenty-Majoor, Mateusz Smoczyński, Dawid Lubowicz, Michał Zaborski, Krzysztof Lenczowski
Best Polish Album Recorded Abroad
Krystian Zimerman – Leonard Bernstein: Symphony No. 2 “The Age of Anxiety” (Deutsche Grammophon / Universal Music Polska). Krystian Zimerman (piano), Berliner Philharmoniker, Simon Rattle – cond. Composer: Leonard Bernstein
Most Outstanding Recording of Polish Music
Silesian Quartet and Friends – Grażyna Bacewicz: Piano Quintets, Quartet for 4 violins, Quartet for 4 cellos (CHANDOS). Silesian Quartet, Wojciech Świtała, Krzysztof Lasoń, Małgorzata Wasiucionek, Polish Cello Quartet. Composer: Grażyna Bacewicz
[Source: zpav.pl]