The USC Polish Music Center presents the Paderewski Lecture-Recital, an annual concert event commemorating pianist, composer and statesman Ignacy Jan Paderewski by spotlighting current achievements in Polish music.
The USC Polish Music Center is home to the world-renowned archival collection of Henryk Wars (aka Henry Vars, 1902-1977), Poland’s foremost film composer of the inter-war era, whose hit tunes of are still familiar to Poles around the world today. The Wars manuscripts at USC were recently honored by UNESCO with the ‘Memory of the World’ designation. If such an international honor were not reason enough to celebrate, this fall also marks the 40th anniversary of the Polish Music Center’s archives, which were inaugurated in 1984 with a stunning gift of 5 manuscripts from one of the world’s leading composers, Witold Lutoslawski. Join us at the USC University Park Campus on Sunday, October 20 for day of original music and film, and escape to the flourishing art scene of 1930s Warsaw. Period attire encouraged!
The afternoon’s celebrations will begin with a 3:30 pm Film Screening of Zapomniana melodia [Forgotten Melody], a 1938 Polish film with score by Wars. Beloved songs from this charming film include Ach, jak przyjemnie! and Już nie zapomnisz mnie, the titular “forgotten melody” which has the power to inspire invention and bring lovers back together. Recently restored by our colleagues at the National Film Archive – Audiovisual Institute in Warsaw, the film will be screened in Polish with English subtitles.
Next, the 40th anniversary season of the USC Polish Music Center will kick off at 5:30pm with a Champagne Reception. Join us at the elegant Moreton Fig restaurant in the center of USC’s campus between the film screening and concert. Together we will enjoy a sumptuous spread and raise a glass to the long and rich history of this unique cultural organization. This event is open only to guests who are 21+ and have purchased a ticket for $50—RSVP now as space is limited!
Finally, the highlight of the evening—a 7:00pm Concert of Works by Henryk Wars, in their original 1930s arrangements. The virtuoso ‘Thornton Art Deco Orchestra’ will take the stage of Newman Recital Hall to perform a selection of Wars’s greatest hits, including such enduring tunes as Czy tutaj mieszka panna Agnieszka?, Ach, jak przyjemnie! and the New York Times foxtrot—one of the first jazz pieces in Poland. The evening will be MC’d by our own Marek Zebrowski, a Henryk Wars scholar and author, who will guide the audience through the sound world of this UNESCO-honored composer.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2024 | UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
2024 Paderewski Lecture-Recital: Celebrating Henryk Wars ~ UNESCO Honors & 40 Years of PMCRSVP is required for all events listed below *
3:30 pm – Film Screening of Zapomniana melodia [ENG Subtitles, 87 min.]
USC Norris Cinema Theatre (map)
Queens Courtyard, 3507 Trousdale Pkwy, Los Angeles, CA 90007
FREE admission, open seating5:30 pm – Champagne Reception
USC Moreton Fig patio (map/info)
3607 Trousdale Pkwy, Los Angeles, CA 90089
$50 per person (21+ only)—space is limited, must RSVP by Oct. 107:00 pm – Concert of Big Band Works by Henryk Wars
USC Newman Recital Hall (map)
700 Childs Way, Los Angeles, CA 90089
FREE admission, open seating
~Campus Parking: $4/hr or $20/day (McCarthy Way Structure: 620 USC McCarthy Way, Los Angeles, CA 90089)
* Access to the University Park Campus is currently restricted to USC students, faculty, staff, and registered guests. Those who RSVP will receive a QR code and additional instructions via email prior to the event.
If you require assistance between venues, or any other accommodations, please call 213-764-4977