A review by Marek Zebrowski Commemorating the centenary of regaining Poland’s independence, during the second half of November the Polish National Opera Theatre in Warsaw presented a spectacle, “Nasz Chopin/Notre Chopin,” featuring the Polish National Ballet dancing to live performances of Chopin’s Piano Concertos in E and F minor with pianist Krzysztof Jabłoński and Grzegorz…Continue Reading Dancing Chopin
“Stories From The Eastern West” is a new podcast series that reveals hidden history from Central and Eastern Europe in telling little-known stories that changed the world. Intertwining in-depth interviews, rich sound design and original music to build compelling narrative stories, the podcast is considered the flagship digital brand of Poland’s Adam Mickiewicz Institute. Entitled…Continue Reading PMC Director Talks Paderewski in “Stories from the Eastern West”
By Marek Zebrowski Held November 1-4, the 2018 Paderewski Festival in Paso Robles celebrated this year the centenary of Poland’s regained independence with concerts, a world premiere of a musical, and performances by Cultural Exchange Program students from Poland and Ukraine who arrived in California during the last week of October. The music began to…Continue Reading 2018 Paderewski Festival in Paso
In Poland Held under the title “Kontrasty-Niepodległa” [Contrasts-Independence], the 56th Bydgoszcz Music Festival celebrated the centenary of Poland’s regained independence with a wide-ranging presentation of concerts at the Bydgoszcz Philharmonic Hall between September 14 and October 5. A widespread repertoire—representing compositions from the Polish baroque to music by such contemporary masters as Kilar, Lutosławski, Penderecki…Continue Reading PMC Celebrated Poland’s Centenary of Independence in Poland and France
Kinga Augustyn has released a new recording of music by Polish composer Romuald Twardowski, her second orchestral album on Naxos. Augustyn initiated this project two years ago to showcase the work of Twardowski, who is not well known outside Poland. She was joined by the Toruń Symphony Orchestra and Maestro Mariusz Smolij. The album is available for streaming and purchase on Amazon. The…Continue Reading Augustyn Records Twardowski
Held during the first half of December, the 15th Festival of Song [XV Festiwal Pieśni] concluded on Saturday, Dec. 15 with a concert at the historic 18th century Royal Opera House located on the grounds of the Łazienki Palace in Warsaw. Under the direction of Director Krzysztof Kur and Artistic Director Ryszard Cieśla, for its final concert the Festival…Continue Reading 2018 ‘Festival of Song’ in Warsaw
On November 16, during the inauguration of the 2018 “Days of Henryk Mikołaj Górecki” Festival in Katowice, the premiere of Concerto for clarinet and orchestra by Mikołaj Górecki was given. Opening the Festival with a new work by the son of the Festival’s honoree has become a tradition in the 6 years of the Festival’s…Continue Reading Mikołaj Górecki Premiere: Clarinet Concerto
In honor of the 100th anniversary of Polish independence, the Kraków Opera presented the premiere of a new production of Ignacy Jan Paderewski’s only opera, Manru, directed by Laco Adamik. Written over the course of 8 years, as director Laco Adamik says: “[Manru] is worth getting to know, it is one of the most important…Continue Reading Manru at Kraków Opera
PWM’s “100 for 100. Musical decades of freedom” was an undertaking of an unprecedented scale in the country. 100 masterpieces of Polish music from 1918 to today—including works composed by Karol Szymanowski, Witold Lutosławski, Andrzej Panufnik, Grażyna Bacewicz, Krzysztof Penderecki, Kazimierz Serocki, Henryk Mikołaj Górecki, Wojciech Kilar, Zygmunt Krauze, Paweł Mykietyn, Agata Zubel and Eugeniusz…Continue Reading Project “100 for 100. Musical decades of freedom”
Dear Friend of the Polish Music Center, Our annual ritual of sharing what we have accomplished at the PMC in 2018 and asking for your support continues! Unlike other charitable institutions, we send our appeal letters only once a year, knowing that you will consider them carefully and proudly share in what we have been…Continue Reading PMC 2018 Year in Review