The 2024 Paderewski Festival in Paso Robles will be held October 31 – November 3, when events will extend down into neighboring San Luis Obispo for a symphonic Gala experience. Tickets for this year’s history-making events and exciting artists, as well as exclusive passes that include access to all concerts, are on sale now!
Perks of the “Patron” and “Friends of Paderewski” passes include: a luxury gift bag featuring local wine and amenities, tickets to ALL CONCERTS including the Gala, and exclusive wine tastings and transportation to events outside of Paso Robles (Patron-level only).
Travelers to this popular destination are also encouraged to make their hotel reservations today! Visit www.paderewskifest.com for details and recommendations.
A Gala to Remember
For the first time in Festival history, the November 2 Gala Concert will feature a collaboration with the San Luis Obispo Symphony The orchestra will be joined by Music Director Maestro Andrew Sewell and Polish-Canadian soloist Janina Fiałkowska, performing Paderewski’s Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 17. Other works on the program include Mozart’s Magic Flute Overture and Mussorgsky’s celebrated Pictures at an Exhibition in Ravel’s brilliant orchestration.
Individual tickets for the marquee Saturday night Gala Concert are available at pacslo.evenue.net.
Thursday Events
The Festival opens on Thursday, October 31 at the Park Ballroom in downtown Paso Robles with the performance by violinist Seina Matsuoka and pianist Yuto Kiguchi, winners of several chamber music competitions in Europe and internationally known as the AKA Duo. Their program will include sonatas by Beethoven and Paderewski as well as shorter works by Witold Lutosławski and Miłosz Magin.
This concert is presented in collaboration with the Polish Cultural Institute New York and National Institute of Music and Dance, with co-sponsorship from Poland’s Ministry of Culture.
Friday Events
On Friday, Nov. 1, Festival Gala pianist Janina Fiałkowska will give a 4 p.m. FREE master class at Davidson Center, Room 218, Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo.
Also on Friday at 7 p.m., the Festival presents Bandonegro at the Park Ballroom in downtown Paso Robles. This energetic ensemble from Poland—comprised of piano, violin, accordion, and bass—will perform fiery and wistful Argentine and Polish tangos.
Saturday Events
On Saturday, Nov. 2 at 11 a.m. there will be a private wine tasting with hors d’oeuvres at the historic Epoch Estate Wines in Templeton. This event will feature a lively talk with Epoch’s resident historian and is reserved for Festival Patron Passholders only.
The Festival fan-favorite Winners’ Recital of the annual Youth Piano Competition takes place on Saturday, Nov. 2, at 3 p.m. at the Park Ballroom in downtown Paso Robles, highlighting young artists ages 10-18 from Paso Robles and the surrounding counties.
On Saturday evening, Festival-goers will experience a new venue at the Performing Arts Center at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, starting with a pre-concert talk at 6:30 p.m. in the Concert Hall. Then at 7:30 p.m., the SLO Symphony Orchestra will perform the Gala Concert featuring Mozart’s Overture and the Festival-first performance of Paderewski’s virtuoso Piano Concerto with soloist Janina Fiałkowska. Maestro Andrew Sewell will lead the orchestra throughout the concert and cap this historic collaboration with Mussorgsky’s undisputed orchestral firework, Pictures at an Exhibition.
Sunday Events
The 2024 Paderewski Festival in Paso Robles returns to the Park Ballroom in downtown Paso Robles on Sunday, Nov. 3 at 11 a.m., for the closing event—a matinee recital by two young Polish pianists, Dymitr Szostak (15) and Józef Wesołowski (14). They will present a program of solo piano music by Bach, Chopin, Paderewski, Szymanowski and Gershwin under the auspices of the Festival-sponsored Youth Cultural Exchange Program. Since 2009, selected winners of the Youth Piano Competition in Paso Robles have traveled to Poland and, in alternate years, winners of various piano competitions in Poland visit and perform in California.
The Exchange Concert will be preceded at 9 a.m. by a Brunch for Patrons and Friends of Paderewski pass holders only, featuring sumptuous local foods and wines and a chance to meet our visiting Exchange participants.
Our generous 2024 Paderewski Festival sponsors include: Park Ballroom, Epoch Estate Wines, SLO County Office of Education, Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Los Angeles, Cass Winery, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Poland), National Institute of Music and Dance (Poland), POLAM Credit Union, Polish Cultural Institute New York, SLO Community Grants and Travel Paso.
