Beloved by Los Angeles audiences, the Cracow Duo returns to USC on March 10. Comprised of cellist Jan Kalinowski and pianist Marek Szlezer, the duo will perform an evocative collection of some of their favorite pieces, gathered from over 20 years of performing as an ensemble. Entitled “From Polonaise to Tango,” the program will range from Chopin’s beloved Introduction and Polonaise to inspired tangos by Argentinian composers Piazolla and Bragato. Also on the program are Aleksander Tansman’s 1936 Fantaisie for Cello and Piano and Sergei Rachmaninov’s Vocalise, Op. 34 no. 14. This concert will be part of their US tour, taking place from March 1-15 and supported by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, the Polish Cultural Institute – New York, the Polish Consulate General in L.A. and the USC Polish Music Center.
Sunday, March 10 | 3:30PM
Cracow Duo: From Polonaise to Tango
USC Ramo Recital Hall
820 W 34th St, Los Angeles, CA (map)
Admission: FREE, no RSVP required
Campus Parking: $4/hr or $20/day (Royal Street Parking Structure) – Must Enter Through McClintock Gate
According to The Strad Magazine, “Kalinowski and Szlezer, friends since childhood, have a wonderfully natural rapport and there is an arresting quality to their playing that gives life to the music.” They studied together in Poland and Paris and began to perform as the Cracow Duo in 2001. Their concerts and recordings have received the highest critical acclaim around the world, with reviews on Polish National Radio, Slovenski Rozhlas, and Suddeutsche Rundfunk, and in magazines and websites such as ClassiqueInfo, Classical Music Review, Res Musica, American Record Guide, Ruch Muzyczny, Twoja Muza, and Gramophone.
The Cracow Duo has performed in such prestigious venues as the Seoul Arts Center, Alfred Newman Hall and LACMA in Los Angeles, Carnegie Hall in New York, Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico, Salle Cortot in Paris, St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London, and Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Their extended concert tours have promoted Polish music throughout Europe, Middle East, Central and East Asia, and North and South America.
Cellist Jan Kalinowski and pianist Marek Szlezer share a special commitment to music written by rarely performed Polish composers, including Laks, Majerski, Rożycki, Stojowski, Szymanowski, and Tansman. They also champion contemporary music and regularly present world premieres of new works by Polish and foreign composers.
Since 2009, the Cracow Duo has recorded and released several albums, including Tansman (DUX; 2009); Chopin-Chamber Works (DUX; 2010); Baczyński (Warner-Poland; 2013); Dedications-New Music for the Cracow Duo (DUX 2014); Penderecki-Chamber Works (DUX; 2014); real life song—Joanna Freszel (DUX; 2015); Memories (DUX; 2016); Polish Music Experience (Warner Classics; 2018); and Classics and Discoveries (DUX; 2021). Their recordings have received numerous awards and distinctions, including the Gramophone Editor’s Choice Award and the Polish Music Lovers Award of Polish Radio 3, as well as nominations for the Fryderyk Prize presented by the Polish Recording Academy. In 2019 they received the ‘Outstanding Achievement for the best duo performance in Classical Music’ from Global Music Awards.
