2014 Year In Review: January – June

Anniversaries The anniversaries of two great Polish musicians were celebrated in 2014: the centenary of composer Sir Andrzej Panufnik, and the bicentenary of musicologist and composer Oskar Kolberg Several new websites were created for these anniversaries: panufnik.com, www.panufnik.polmic.pl, and www.kolberg2014.org.pl The 10th anniversary edition of the Łańcuch [Chain] XI Witold Lutosławski Festival coincided with the…Continue Reading 2014 Year In Review: January – June

Górecki’s 4th Symphony – US Premiere

Written for orchestra, organ and piano, the Symphony No. 4 of the late Henryk Mikołaj Górecki will be given its US Premiere on January 16-18, 2015 by the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall. As the composer was unable to finish the score in 2010 due to ill health, the final version was…Continue Reading Górecki’s 4th Symphony – US Premiere

Szymański Premiere

On December 17, 2014 in the Studio Theatre in Warsaw, the World Premiere of a new piece for harpsichord by Paweł Szymański was heard. Harpsichordist Małgorzata Sarbak performed Counterpoint Dissociative Disorder (2014), which was commissioned for Sarbak by the LADO Cultural Association and funded by the Institute of Music and Dance with funds from the…Continue Reading Szymański Premiere

FuturOpera Premieres

On November 5-6, 2014, the FuturOpera project was presented at the Warsaw Chamber Opera. The project encompassed three chamber opera creations by contemporary composers of the young generation: Wasserstimmen by Dariusz Przybylski (a criminal opera based on a primaeval Inuit legend), Labirynt Orfeja [Orpheus’ Labyrinth] by Nikolet Burzyńska (a synthesis of selected threads from Greek and Slavic mythology) and Three Tall Tales of Doctor Monsieur Façade by Ryan Latimer (a…Continue Reading FuturOpera Premieres

Artist Update: Kuba Cichocki

Pianist, improviser and composer, Kuba Cichocki was already a highly acclaimed musician in Poland and Europe before he came to New York in 2010. He had played and recorded with some of the greatest musicians of Polish and international music scene, including Michael Urbaniak, Zbigniew Namyslowski, Urszula Dudziak, Aga Zaryan, Zbigniew Wegehaupt, Jerzy Małek, Jaromir Honzak, Grzegorz…Continue Reading Artist Update: Kuba Cichocki

Korzistka Performs Benefit Concert for PMA

The Polish Museum of America and the PMA Library, along with the Chicago Chopin Society, present a recital by pianist Michal Korzistka on Saturday, January 31, 2015, at 5:30 p.m. in the PMA Sabina P. Logisz Great Hall. At the request of the artist, all proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the Polish Museum of America Library’s Rare…Continue Reading Korzistka Performs Benefit Concert for PMA

Upcoming at the Kosciuszko Fdn

Isadora Duncan and Frédéric Chopin: In Artistry of the Soul The Kosciuszko Foundation in collaboration with The Isadora Duncan International Institute presents “Isadora Duncan and Frédéric Chopin: In Artistry of the Soul – A Live Performance of Music and Dance” Directed by Jeanne Bresciani with Carlos Rodriguez, pianist, the performance will be danced by Jeanne Bresciani and the Isadora Duncan International…Continue Reading Upcoming at the Kosciuszko Fdn

Presidential Award for Hundziak

A group of artists whose output is directed to young performers and audiences was recognized by Poland’s President and the First Lady at a December 10 ceremony held in the Presidential Palace in Warsaw. Composer Andrzej Hundziak (b. 1927) was lauded for being “one of a few contemporary composers who has devoted most of his creative efforts…Continue Reading Presidential Award for Hundziak

2014 Nominations: ‘Polityka Passports’

The popular weekly magazine Polityka has announced the 2014 nominations for its annual Passport Award. Candidates for this coveted cultural prize are chosen from the fields of film, literature, popular music, classical music, theatre, and visual arts. The “Passports” recognize talented young people who, with their activities in a given year, exert unquestionable influence on Polish culture and serve…Continue Reading 2014 Nominations: ‘Polityka Passports’