Winners of the 2025 Penderecki Competition for Young Composers

On March 24, 2025, the winners of the 8th International Krzysztof Penderecki Competition for Young Composers, organized by the Kraków Branch of the Polish Composers’ Union (ZKP), were revealed. The competition jury—comprised of Marcel Chyrzyński (chairman), Zbigniew Bargielski, Ivan Buffa (Slovakia), Federico Gardella (Italy), Jeajoon Ryu (South Korea), and Wojciech Widłak, with competition secretary Aleksandra…Continue Reading Winners of the 2025 Penderecki Competition for Young Composers

Wołek Awarded 2025 Guggenheim Fellowship & Other Honors

Krzysztof Wolek and Michael Matsuno 2011 New Generations concert, USC Newman Hall, Los Angeles. Photo: Brian King

Krzysztof Wołek—Polish composer, pedagogue, improviser, and installation artist—has been named a recipient of the 100th edition of the Guggenheim Fellowship. Currently a professor of composition and director of electronic music studies at the University of Louisville, Wołek is one of 198 distinguished individuals selected in various categories of science and contemporary art for this prestigious…Continue Reading Wołek Awarded 2025 Guggenheim Fellowship & Other Honors

Fryderyk Awards 2025 – Classical Music Winners Announced

On Sunday, March 30, the winners of Poland’s most prestigious phonographic awards in classical music were revealed at the hall of NOSPR [National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra] in Katowice, renowned for its exceptional acoustics. The awards were presented across twelve categories, celebrating outstanding achievements in classical music recording. The winners of the in classical music…Continue Reading Fryderyk Awards 2025 – Classical Music Winners Announced

PMC Dir. Zebrowski Honored with W. Celichowski Medal

We are proud to announce that the Director USC Polish Music Center, Marek Zebrowski, has been awarded the prestigious Witold Celichowski Medal in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the promotion of Polish culture abroad, as well as his artistic and scholarly achievements. The medal was awarded by the decision of Agata Sobczyk, Governor of…Continue Reading PMC Dir. Zebrowski Honored with W. Celichowski Medal

2024 Muzyczne Orły Awards

The Muzyczne Orły (Musical Eagles) Awards, organized by the Muzyka do Potęgi Foundation, have become a new celebration of excellence in classical music. This international competition recognizes outstanding achievements across a wide array of musical disciplines, from performance to education, honoring both Polish and international artists. The competition is judged by a distinguished panel of…Continue Reading 2024 Muzyczne Orły Awards

Honors for Chyrzyński & Colleagues

Eminent composer and longtime friend of the Polish Music Center, Marcel Chyrzyński, has had a busy academic year. Honored as the PMC’s Paderewski Lecturer in 2017, his career has been on a non-stop rise ever since. Below are just some of the honors that have been bestowed upon him in recognition of his work as…Continue Reading Honors for Chyrzyński & Colleagues

PMC, Wars & UNESCO: Finis Coronat Opus

UNESCO honors PMC Wars Collection. Dr. Paweł Pietrzyk, prof. Alicja Jagielska-Burduk, and dir. Marek Zebrowski

From left: Dr. Paweł Pietrzyk, prof. Alicja Jagielska-Burduk, and dir. Marek Zebrowski By Marek Zebrowski Those readers who have frequented the PMC Newsletter lately will know that we have been celebrating an important honor recently bestowed by the Polish UNESCO Committee upon the PMC’s Henryk Wars/Henry Vars Manuscript Collection—these articles can be found at “UNESCO…Continue Reading PMC, Wars & UNESCO: Finis Coronat Opus

UNESCO Honors PMC Archives

On June 26 at the Belweder—the Presidential Palace in Warsaw—the 2024 UNESCO Pamięć Świata/Memory of the World ceremony will take place. The palace’s elegant ballroom will be filled to capacity with distinguished guests, among them Marek Zebrowski, representing the USC Polish Music Center and Dennis Mitchell, grandson of Henryk Wars (1902-1977). Poland’s President, Andrzej Duda,…Continue Reading UNESCO Honors PMC Archives

Another Great Honor for Sikora

During the 76th ceremony of the Grands Prix Internationaux du Disque, organized by the French Académie Charles Cros, Polish composer Elżbieta Sikora will receive the Prize of the President of the French Republic for her entire body of work. The award ceremony will take place on March 21, 2024 at the Embassy of the Republic…Continue Reading Another Great Honor for Sikora

Sikora’s Nomination and Award

A recording of Elżbieta Sikora’s works for soloists and orchestra published by ANAKLASIS (ANA 024) was recently honored as one of only two albums nominated for the Fryderyk Award in the “Concertante Music” Category. Entitled Concertos, this album highlights three of Sikora’s compositions written during the past two decades. The first item on this disc…Continue Reading Sikora’s Nomination and Award