August 22, 2024 marked one hundred years since Andrzej Markowski was born in Lublin. He was a noted Polish conductor, composer and founder—as well as the first director—of the Wratislavia Cantans Festival. Coming from a musical family (his father, Tadeusz, was a singer and actor, and his older brother, Jan, a composer and pianist), Andrzej…Continue Reading Markowski Centenary
A recently published book, Dusza dzwięków, is a joint effort sponsored by the Polish Composers’ Union [ZKP] and Polish Music Information Center [POLMIC]. Its full English title, The Soul of Sounds—Conversations with Polish Composers, conveys the essence of this admirable undertaking that took well over a decade, and sought to present and analyze the work…Continue Reading THE SOUL OF SOUNDS
JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles, with special support from the Polish Cultural Institute New York (PCI-NY), National Institute of Music and Dance (NIMiT), Ministry of Culture and National Heritage (MKiDN), and USC Polish Music Center, proudly presents an exclusive performance by AKA Duo, featuring the acclaimed talents of Japanese violinist Seina Matsuoka and pianist Yuto Kiguchi….Continue Reading AKA Duo | Classical Crossroads between Japan & Poland
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
RecArt, a relatively new recording label based in Poznań, Poland, has released four albums in the past few months that feature Polish musicians and composers. These albums showcase the depth and richness of Poland’s musical heritage, from classical to contemporary compositions, and highlight RecArt’s dedication to preserving Poland’s musical legacy while exploring new creative horizons….Continue Reading New All-Polish Recordings on RecArt
The prestigious John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has recently published a full recording from Mateusz Krzyżowski’s May 8 concert. Mateusz Krzyzowski is an award-winning Polish pianist, who also enthralled audiences during his Gala Recital performance at the 2023 Paderewski Festival in Paso Robles. Krzyżowski performed in Washington D.C. on the Millennium Stage…Continue Reading Krzyżowski Kennedy Center Concert Recording
The manuscript of the Nobel-prize winning epic novel Chłopi [The Peasants], the dethronement act of Tsar Nicholas I, the “golden bull” of the Polish language from 800 years ago, the works of Henryk Wars, the legacy of Jerzy Kukuczka and 12 other priceless historical documents were included this year on the UNESCO Memory of the…Continue Reading Exhibition: “Memory of Poland. UNESCO Memory of the World Program National List – 5th Edition”
Founded in London in November of 1945 and headquartered in Paris, UNESCO—the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization—is an agency that aims to promote world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences, and culture. Thanks to the PMC’s longstanding relationship with the National Archives in Poland, we have learned of the…Continue Reading UNESCO and its Polish History and Culture Program
We regret to inform our readers that Ewa Podleś, the great Polish opera singer, passed away on January 19, 2024 at the age of 71. Possessing a beautiful and rare true contralto voice with a range of three-plus octaves, Ewa Podleś sang in the most prestigious houses around the world—Teatro alla Scala, Deutsche Oper Berlin,…Continue Reading Obituary: Ewa Podleś, an Opera Legend
Poland’s Phonographic Academy [Akademia Fonograficzna] and the Association of Audio Video Producers [Związek Producentów Audio Video – ZPAV] have announced the recipients of the 2024 Golden Fryderyk Awards. This year, four artists have joined the exclusive group of musicians who received this prestigious lifetime achievement award. The official ceremony dedicated to jazz and popular music will take…Continue Reading Krzysztof Meyer Receives a 2024 Golden Fryderyk Award