Composer and musicologist Jan Węcowski died in Warsaw on 11 February 2021, at the age of 89. Since 1964, he was a member of the Polish Composers’ Union (ZKP) and in 1973-1975 he was president of the ZKP’s Warsaw Branch. He was a long-term lecturer at the Fryderyk Chopin Academy Music in Warsaw and the editor-in-chief of…Continue Reading Jan Węcowski Obituary
“Usually hidden behind their sounds, giving the floor to the performers of their works, during the Festival of Premieres composers are in the center of attention. Celebrating their creativity and courage to confront us with habits, to provoke, challenge and surprise us” – emphasizes Ewa Bogusz-Moor. In 2021, the Festival of Premieres will be…Continue Reading 9th Festival of Premieres “Polish Modern Music” Program
Michał Balas, a student of the Grażyna and Kiejstut Bacewicz Academy of Music in Łódź, is the winner of the 1st Polish National Dominik Połoński Cello Competition, which ended on 28 March 2021. The young cellist delighted the jurors with his sincerity, great virtuosity and playing finesse. Michał Balas received the title of “Cello Individuality 2021” as…Continue Reading Michał Balas has received the title of “Cello Individuality 2021”
The International Conference “Trombone in the 20th and 21st Century Polish Music – Inspirations and Perspectives“ will take place at the Academy of Music in Łódź on 9-10 April 2021. All lectures, concerts, and master classes with foreign guests will be held online; the recordings will be made available on the Academy’s YouTube channel. The conference was…Continue Reading “Trombone in the 20th and 21st Century Polish Music” Conference
On 25 April 2021 at 7.00 p.m. the world premiere of Krzesimir Dębski‘s Job—an opera based on Karol Wojtyła’s drama—will be held online through the YouTube channel of the Polish Royal Opera. “I myself wrote a new drama with Greek form, Christian spirit, eternal content […]. A drama about suffering: Job”. This is how the…Continue Reading Online Premiere of “Job” by Krzesimir Dębski, text by Karol Wojtyła
The Jazztopad Festival, in partnership with Polish Cultural Institute New York, continues The Great Improvisation series online live-streamed from the National Forum of Music (NFM) in Wrocław, Poland. The series presents various faces of jazz—from bold avant-garde and daring improvisation through to the mainstream. The ideal acoustics of the NFM halls provide a perfect environment…Continue Reading Jazztopad ‘Great Improvisation’ Series Livestream Continues
The Easter Chamber Music Festival is a new initiative which will be included in the artistic calendar of Zielona Góra, Poland. Since the festival was canceled in 2020, this year it will take place “in spite of the pandemic” on 27-30 March 2021. The link between the first and subsequent editions are people from Zielona…Continue Reading Easter Chamber Festival & Płonka Premiere
The latest book published by PWM Edition—Danuta Gwizdalanka’s Uwodziciel – Rzecz o Karolu Szymanowskim [The Seducer – A thing about Karol Szymanowski] —will appear in bookstores on 29 March 2021. This new biography of Karol Szymanowski will make readers blush. Danuta Gwizdalanka, who recently appeared in the Polish Music Center’s 2020 Paderewski Lecture (available for viewing on…Continue Reading “The Seducer. A thing about Karol Szymanowski” by Danuta Gwizdalanka
A concert to commemorate the first anniversary of the death of Prof. Krzysztof Penderecki will take place under the honorary patronage of Prof. Piotr Gliński – Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Culture, National Heritage and Sport on 29 March 2021 at 7:00 p.m. at the European Centre for Music in Lusławice. 29 March 2021 marks the first anniversary…Continue Reading Concert on the First Anniversary of Penderecki’s Death
This year’s World Music Days festival, organized by the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM), will take place over the course of eight days in late September 2021 in Shanghai and Nanning, China. The Polish Section of ISCM has selected 6 pieces to recommend for presentation during the 2021 World Music Days. The jury consisting…Continue Reading ISCM World Music Days 2021 – results of the Polish national stage