Moniuszko Bicentenary Gala at Carnegie Hall

The Polish Government has declared 2019 the Year of Stanisław Moniuszko, who is known as the father of Polish Opera. Celebrations of this bicentennial will be inaugurated in the US with a concert at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York City. The gala will showcase songs and opera arias by the composer as well as…Continue Reading Moniuszko Bicentenary Gala at Carnegie Hall

3rd Chopin in the City Festival

The 3rd Annual Chopin IN the City Festival took place from February 22 – March 1 at various locations throughout Chicago. The prolific line-up of Polish and US musicians included Polish jazz pianist Piotr Orzechowski, Polish accordionist Jarek Bester, Chicago-based Polish singer Grazyna Auguscik, Ukraine-based pianist Marianna Humetska, and the Atom String Quartet. Also included in…Continue Reading 3rd Chopin in the City Festival

Discography – March 2019

A Century of Polish Piano Miniatures – Anna Szałucka I.J. Paderewski: Humoresques de concert, Op. 14: Book 1, “À l’Antique”; K. Szymanowski: 20 Mazurkas, Op. 50 (excerpts); G. Bacewicz: Piano Sonata No. 2; H.M. Górecki: Intermezzo; P. Mykietyn: 4 Preludia; M. Górecki: Piano Sonata; A. Panufnik: Modlitwa [Prayer] (arr. R. Panufnik) Anna Szałucka – piano…Continue Reading Discography – March 2019

ICMA Awards for NFM

The prestigious International Classical Music Awards, or ICMA, have been awarded for 2019 and Polish artists were honored in four of the categories. See below for details on the winning recordings and videos, which featured Polish early music specialist (now living in Switzerland) Agnieszka Budzińska-Bennett, renowned Polish theater director Krzysztof Warlikowski, and two ensembles associated with the…Continue Reading ICMA Awards for NFM

Premieres by Śmigasiewicz and USC Thornton’s Adams at POLIN Music Festival

The second edition of the POLIN Music Festival was held from 15-17 February 2019 in Warsaw. Organized by the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, this year’s theme was “History Between the Sounds.” Featuring such performers as JACK Quartet, Michael Guttman, Linus Roth, Jing Zhao and the Sinfonia Varsovia orchestra under the baton…Continue Reading Premieres by Śmigasiewicz and USC Thornton’s Adams at POLIN Music Festival

Fryderyk Music Awards

This year, the Fryderyk Music Awards (the Polish equivalent of the Grammys in the US) have changed the formula by opening up the the Awards Gala for the classical music category to the public. This year’s gala took place at the headquarters of the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra (NOSPR) in Katowice, whose excellent acoustics created…Continue Reading Fryderyk Music Awards

8th Festival of Premieres “Polish Modern Music”

The Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (NOSPR) invites music lovers to a special event during the last weekend of March: the 8th Festival of Premieres: “Polish Modern Music” in Katowice. From March 29-31, this year’s edition will present the World Premiere performances of nearly 30 works by Polish composers of various generations, from young novices to…Continue Reading 8th Festival of Premieres “Polish Modern Music”

Stanisław Barańczak re-imagines Schubert’s ‘Winterreise’

When Polish bass-baritone Tomasz Konieczny and his pianist Lech Napierała step before their audience at New York’s Kosciuszko Foundation to perform perhaps the most famous song-cycle Winterreise by Franz Schubert they will offer the American premiere of a re-interpretation of the work with text by the Polish poet and translator Stanisław Barańczak. This event is organized in…Continue Reading Stanisław Barańczak re-imagines Schubert’s ‘Winterreise’