On 26 January 2021, for the 28th time, Polityka magazine awarded outstanding artists with their coveted ‘Passports’—one of the most important cultural awards in Poland. Seven winners were selected from among 21 nominations. This year the jury also presented an additional award in a new ‘remote culture’ category. The awards are presented in seven categories:…Continue Reading Polityka’s Passports 2020 Winners
Composer, pianist, arranger, teacher, and music journalist Zbigniew Ciechan passed away on 24 January 2021 at the age of 91. Initially, Ciechan studied at the State Higher School of Music in Poznań and then at the State Higher School of Music in Warsaw, from which he graduated in 1962. He was a student of Witold…Continue Reading In Memoriam Zbigniew Ciechan
The tragic news about the death of Elżbieta Markowska, former director of the Polish Radio – Channel 2 and president of the Witold Lutosławski Society, was announced on 24 January 2021. Elżbieta Markowska graduated in musicology from the University of Warsaw under the supervision of Professor Józef Chomiński. From 1970 she was associated with the…Continue Reading Obituary: Elżbieta Markowska
The Kraków Branch of the Polish Composers’ Union (ZKP) announces 4th Krzysztof Penderecki International Competition for Young Composers. The subject of the competition is a composition for chamber orchestra with a duration of 9 to 12 minutes. Composers from every country, who will be 35 or younger at the moment of its closing, can take…Continue Reading 4th Krzysztof Penderecki International Competition for Young Composers
The Jazztopad Festival, in partnership with Polish Cultural Institute New York, presents The Great Improvisation series online live streamed from the National Forum of Music (NFM) in Wrocław, Poland. The series presents various faces of jazz—from bold avant-garde and daring improvisation through to the mainstream. The ideal acoustics of the NFM halls provide a perfect…Continue Reading Jazztopad ‘Great Improvisation’ series Livestream
Maestro Piotr Gajewski and the US National Philharmonic are streaming their 2020/2021 concert season from their home in The Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda, Maryland. Beginning with the “Beethoven @ 250 Birthday Bash” airing on October 25, 2020, all of the National Philharmonic’s concerts until early May 2021 will be broadcast free of…Continue Reading Maestro Gajewski Online
Among many cultural programs that the Kosciuszko Foundation in New York City carries out, competitions promoting Polish music and commemorating Poland’s most important artists are especially notable. These competitions are held bi-annually or periodically, and below is a list of the most recent. In 2018, the Foundation organized the Marcella Sembrich Voice Competition, commemorating the…Continue Reading 2020 Kosciuszko Fdn Wieniawski Competition Winners
Polish Music Abroad The Art Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences [IS-PAN] just published the third volume in the series, Muzyka polska za granicą [Polish Music Abroad]. The title of the latest volume, American Dream, presents in print the proceeds of the October 2019 conference in Warsaw. Entitled “American dream. Polscy twórcy za oceanem,”…Continue Reading PMC Gifts: January 2021