The program of the 45th Karol Szymanowski Music Days which took place between the 24th and 31st of July in Zakopane was dominated by the patron’s music. This year marks the 140th anniversary of Karol Szymanowski’s birth. Szymanowski’s music is always present in the Festival program, as well as the works of the composer’s contemporaries….Continue Reading 45th Karol Szymanowski Music Days in Zakopane
(L-R): Consul General Jarosław Łasiński, PMC Director Marek Zebrowski, Dianne and Tad Taube, Executive Director Shana Penn of Taube Philanthropies, and Thornton Dean Robert Cutietta.Shown at the California Dreamin’: Taube Celebration at USC on March 26, 2022 In late 2019, the Polish Music Center received a transformational $2 million gift from Dianne and Tad Taube of…Continue Reading Taube PMC Digital Archive has launched!
On July 25 in Cardiff, Wales, the Harplino Duet—Amelia Tokarska (harpist) with Jesse Reis (violinist)— presented an homage to Polish-Jewish composer Roman Ryterband (1914-1979) at the World Harp Congress. This Polish-Brazilian duo was created in 2017 promoting chamber music that combines musical cultures and traditions. Their repertoire includes both classical and South American music. The…Continue Reading Ryterband on the Festival Circuit
July 2022 was another month of several very important donations to the Polish Music Center. Gifts came from various friends and partners and they will enrich our flagship archive, the PMC Manuscript Collection, as well as our score and sound library holdings. From Marta Ptaszyńska Long-time friend of the Polish Music Center and the 2005…Continue Reading Gifts to the PMC: July 2022
The 2022 Paderewski Lecture-Recital celebrates Hanna Kulenty (b. 1961), a brilliant contemporary composer who divides time between her native Poland, the Netherlands and France. With works commissioned and performed by renowned ensembles and musicians throughout Europe, Kulenty’s catalogue ranges from intimate solo explorations of form to large-scale triumphs of ensemble sound. Selections of these works…Continue Reading Save the Date: 2022 Paderewski Lecture-Recital
An Obituary of Stefan Wenta by Marek Zebrowski Stefan Wenta, a world-renowned dancer and choreographer, author, chess master and bibliophile, died in Los Angeles on August 8. He was 92 years old. Dance was his passion and destiny. Although in his rich and eventful life Wenta’s accomplishments spanned many different artistic endeavors, Terpsichore was his…Continue Reading Taking the Last Step
Recognized jazz musicians and all Polish participants of the 16th Henryk Wieniawski International Violin Competition in Poznań took part in this year’s jubilee edition of the Emanacje Music Festival. This year’s Wieniawski Cycle began on the 9th of July at 7:00 p.m. with a recital by Judyta Kluza-Sporniak (violin) and Grzegorz Skrobiński (piano). Additionally, Pianohooligan…Continue Reading 10th ‘Emanacje’ Festival: Wieniawski Cycle and Pianohooligan
This year the Polish Royal Opera hosted its 5th Festival featuring a plethora of Polish music from July 2nd to July 24th. The Festival included twelve performances and concerts. One of the festival’s biggest highlight events was the premiere of Zygmunt Krauze’s The Night of Ravens that took place on the first day of the…Continue Reading 5th Royal Opera Polish Music Festival & Krauze Premiere
The National Institute of Music and Dance (NIMiT) now has recordings available on major streaming platforms such as Spotify. As streaming has become an increasingly popular way to discover music and push artists’ work out to the public, there is no doubt that the presence of the NIMiT on these platforms will contribute to the…Continue Reading NIMiT on Streaming Platforms
Wojciech Kilar was one of Poland’s greatest twentieth century symphonic composers. He studied piano with Władysława Markiewiczówna and composition with Bolesław Szabelski at the State Higher School of Music in Katowice. His compositions range from orchestral pieces and film scores to chamber vocal-piano and instrumental scores and he had great influence on modern classical music….Continue Reading Celebration of Wojciech Kilar’s 90th Birthday