“That he is no mere flashy wunderkind of the baton was shown by the freshly invigorated playing he drew from the CSO … [Urbanski’s] keen musical instincts and vigorous way of translating his ideas into orchestral sound that has both shape and meaning.” —Chicago Tribune On Tuesday, August 15, 2017, Polish conductor Krzysztof Urbański will take the…Continue Reading Urbański at the Bowl
In late June, the Dallas Opera announced the participants in the Third Annual Linda and Mitch Hart Institute for Women Conductors, scheduled to run Nov. 5-19 in Dallas, Texas. There were 161 applicants from 33 countries who competed this year for admission to the program, and Polish maestra Monika Wolińska was one of the six selected for this exclusive…Continue Reading Wolińska Triumphant
The Second Piano Concerto of Raul Koczalski (1885-1948) was premiered on June 17, 2017 at Radziejowice Palace by the superb Polish pianist Joanna Ławrynowicz performing with the ‘Sinfonia Varsovia’ orchestra during the 9th Summer Festival of Jerzy Waldorff in Radziejowice. Along with Koczalski’s First Piano Concerto, these works were recently discovered by Jan A. Jarnicki of Acte Préalable records. The world premiere of the First…Continue Reading Koczalski: Premiere Performance and Recording
From July 6-14, the Stanisław Słowiński Quintet will tour China. The Quintet is comprised of Stanisław Słowiński – violin, Zbyszek Szwajdych – trumpet, Joachim Mencel – piano, Justyn Małodobry – double bass and Piotr Budniak – drums. Their concerts are part of the 4th edition of ‘Jazz Po Polsku,’ a series presenting a wide spectrum of Polish…Continue Reading Polish Jazz in China
Conducted by Agnieszka Franków-Żelazny, the Guri Youth Choir of Santa Marcelina will perform an all-Polish program in São Paulo, Brazil on July 22-23, 2017. Their repertoire of sacred choral music will include such composers as Łukasz Farcinkiewicz, Marcin Tadeusz Łukaszewski, Paweł Łukaszewski, Stanisław Moniuszko, Marek Raczyński, Józef Świder, Romuald Twardowski and Michał Zieliński. The Guri Program provides musical…Continue Reading Polish Sacred Choral Music in Brazil
Polish singer and composer Agata Zubel will perform at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s New Music Festival on July 13 and 15, both with the orchestra and in a late night solo performance. These events were organized in collaboration with the Adam Mickiewicz Institute as part of the Polska Music program The Festival’s inaugural July 13 program will include her 2012 piece Labyrinth for…Continue Reading Agata Zubel in Baltimore
On July 5, 2017 at the Nowy Teatr in Warsaw, a concert-monodram entitled “Dźwięk odnaleziony” [Sound Regained] took place. It was the first solo project of Michał Pepol, who is the cellist from the internationally renowned Royal String Quartet. For the project, Pepol performed the music of modern composers writing for solo cello, in cooperation with visual artist Paweł…Continue Reading Michał Pepol: Dźwięk Odnaleziony
A new work by Wojtek Blecharz, Body-Opera is dedicated to the audience and questions the model of music perception based on mere sitting, listening and watching. This opera installation explores the relations between the human body and the ways we perceive sound, reminding us of its physical nature. If sound is frequency, or a vibration, it can “touch”…Continue Reading Premiere of Wojtek Blecharz: Body-Opera
On May 24, the University of Music Fryderyk Chopin hosted the world premiere of Piotr Moss‘s new work, Concerto élégiaque for viola and orchestra. The Concerto was performed by the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra, under the baton of Jerzy Maksymiuk, featuring soloist Katarzyna Budnik-Gałązka, to whom the work is dedicated and inspired. At the request of…Continue Reading Piotr Moss Premiere
Miłosz Bembinow’s latest work, Amor et Psyche for Choir, Big Band and String Orchestra was world-premiered on May 20 at the closing concert of the Universitas Cantat Festival in Poznań. The composer used the Latin version of this ancient story to produce a contemporary work that uses extended vocal techniques (whispering, speaking, and shouting) alongside…Continue Reading Bembinow Premiere At Universitas Cantat