Anna Czajka is a world-renowned preservation specialist at the Archive Conservation Laboratory of the Archiwum Główne Akt Dawnych [Central Archives of Historical Records, or AGAD]. Czajka is a longtime colleague of the PMC as well. She has been a crucial participant in the 10+ year collaboration between the PMC and the Head Office of the…Continue Reading Anna Czajka Awarded for Cultural Heritage Preservation
On June 15, the Orchestra of New Music, conducted by Szymon Bywalec, presented a thought-provoking program titled “Borders of Cultural Identity” at NOSPR in Katowice. The concert featured Polish premieres of works by Nikolet Burzyńska, Monika Szpyrka, Cristian Lolea, and Raven Chacon, each exploring themes of community, belonging, and identity through contemporary sound. Monika Szpyrka’s…Continue Reading New Music Reflected on Cultural Identity at NOSPR
This year’s edition of the Paderewski Festival in Paso Robles is the twentieth since it was restarted as a single concert at Cass Winery in 2006, at the initiative of the USC Polish Music Center. The Festival has since blossomed into a four-day event, filled with music, wine tastings, tours and other events held in…Continue Reading 2025 Paderewski Festival Preview: Nov. 6-9
On Saturday, June 21, the Jerzy Semkow Polish ‘Sinfonia Iuventus’ Orchestra performed the world premiere of Aleksander Tansman‘s He, she and I ballet music, which was composed in 1946. Entitled “Three Landscapes of Polish Émigré Music – Maciejewski, Tansman, and Wars,” the concert was part of the 3rd edition of the “Sztuka Źle Obecna” [Mis-present…Continue Reading Sinfonia Iuventus Performs Wars, Maciejewski and Tansman World Premiere
On May 10, 2025, San Diego’s Balboa Park became the stage for a truly unconventional opera experience with a new staging of Park Opera by Polish composer Wojtek Blecharz. Set entirely outdoors, the performance invited audiences to explore the park with a map in hand, discovering live music, movement, and visual art installations. First commissioned…Continue Reading Wojtek Blecharz’s “Park Opera” in San Diego
Regarding Word War II During the month of June, the Polish Music Center received several books related to Poland’s history. Dr. Jarosław Rabiński, director of the Centrum Badań nad Historią Polskiego Państwa na Uchodźstwie [Center for historical studies of the Polish Government-in-Exile] at the John Paul II Catholic University in Lublin sent us a large…Continue Reading June 2024 PMC Gifts – Books on Polish History