A concert dedicated to the 150th birth anniversary of Zygmunt Stojowski will be held on 23 August 2020 at the Palace on the Isle in Royal Łazienki Park in Warsaw. The concert is part of the series “Jubilees of Polish composers in Royal Łazienki Park” and is organized by the Institute of Music and Dance, with…Continue Reading Concert on the 150th birth anniversary of Zygmunt Stojowski
The celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the Paderewski Centre in Kąśna Dolna on 24-26 July 2020 will feature special events to sum up the achievements of the institution. On 28 February 1990, the Provincial National Council in Tarnów passed a resolution on the creation of an institution for the promotion of musical culture under…Continue Reading 30 Years of the Paderewski Centre in Kąśna Dolna
A master recital by violinist Krzysztof Jakowicz on the occasion of his 80th birthday took place on 28 January at the National Philharmonic. Accompanied by pianist Robert Morawski, Jakowicz performed works by Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Witold Lutosławski, Henri Vieuxtemps, Aleksander Zarzycki and Henryk Wieniawski. For over 200 years, Polish composers have written sonatas for violin…Continue Reading 80th Birthday Recital of Krzysztof Jakowicz
by Marek Zebrowski The year 2019 will mark several important anniversaries for Polish musicians. The most prominent of them, Stanisław Moniuszko, was born 200 years ago, on May 5, 1819. Proclaimed the father of Polish opera, Moniuszko’s legacy will be celebrated with concerts, conferences, and reissues of his music throughout Poland and the world. The…Continue Reading Composers’ Anniversaries
On January 17, the Witold Lutosławski Polish Radio Concert Studio will host a second concert in the “Resounds: New Polish Music” series. The Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra will perform works by Mieczysław Weinberg and Grażyna Bacewicz from the 1940s to show the wider historical context of new Polish music and the changes that have occurred since then. There will be an opportunity to…Continue Reading Resounds: New Polish Music
A total of 22 symphonies, including seven for voice and orchestra, eight operas, 17 string quartets, concertos, sonatas, cantatas, and songs… One cannot stop marvelling at the richness and diversity of Mieczysław Weinberg’s life work. He was a composer “from three worlds”: a Polish artist of Jewish origin, an émigré who settled in the Soviet…Continue Reading 100th Birth Anniversary of Mieczysław Weinberg
2019 marks a double anniversary for Grażyna Bacewicz, who was born 110 years ago on February 5, 1909 in Łódź and died in 50 years ago, on January 17, 1969 in Warsaw. Despite the politically tumultuous time during which she lived and composed, many of her works were awarded top honors and prizes—including the Queen Elizabeth of Belgium…Continue Reading Grażyna Bacewicz Year
Over 200 artists gathered on the stage situated in the Centre for the Meeting of Cultures [Spotkania Kultur] in Lublin to perform Seven Gates of Jerusalem — the monumental work based on the Old Testament texts composed by Krzysztof Penderecki. Relatively rarely performed due to its gigantic performance and logistical requirements, the piece was conducted by the Maestro Penderecki…Continue Reading Seven Gates Of Jerusalem – Lublin
June – December Anniversaries The iconic festival of contemporary music, Warszawska Jesień [Warsaw Autumn], celebrated its 60th anniversary this year. Held in various venues around Warsaw from September 15-23, its programs will examined the phenomenon of the avant-garde, featuring works by the composers of the original avant-garde juxtaposed with the composers of the past sixty years. See more below….Continue Reading 2017 In Review Part 2
Born This Month 3 December 1896 – Bolesław SZABELSKI, composer (d. 1979) 5 December 1899 – Bolesław WOYTOWICZ, composer (d. 1980) 6 December 1933 – Henryk Mikołaj GÓRECKI, composer (d. 2010) 11 December 1876 – Mieczysław KARŁOWICZ, composer (d. 1909, under an avalanche in Tatra mountains) 14 December 1789 – Maria SZYMANOWSKA, composer, virtuosa pianist (d. 1831, of…Continue Reading December Anniversaries