One of the newest installments in Google’s Cultural Institute initiative is the exhibit Witold Lutosławski 1913-1994, an interactive exploration of the life and works of the famous Polish composer, through images and text. This is the third Cultural Institute exhibit to be curated by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute/Culture.pl. There was a strong Polish presence at the January 29…Continue Reading 2015 in Review – News
Young Polish composer, singer and percussionist Agata Zubel was recently featured in the prestigious New York Times. Read an excerpt from the article by Ginanne Brownell Mitic, entitled “Agata Zubel, Contemporary Music’s Multiple Threat,” below: The 37-year-old Ms. Zubel has, in a relatively short career so far, become one of Europe’s most accomplished and internationally…Continue Reading New York Times Features Agata Zubel
An all-Polish concert will be performed by the Lutosławski Quartet (Bartosz Woroch and Marcin Markowicz – violins, Artur Rozmysłowicz – viola, and Maciej Młodawski – cello) and the Lutos Air Quintet (Jan Krzeszowiec – flute, Wojciech Merena – oboe, Maciej Dobosz – clarinet, Alicja Kieruzalska – bassoon, and Mateusz Feliński – French horn) with Rafał…Continue Reading Lutos Air & Lutosławski Qtet Perform New Polish Music
Honorable Mention and Audience Prize winner of the 2015 Chopin Competition Szymon Nehring, who was also the only Pole among this year’s laureates, is currently on tour of some of Poland’s greatest orchestral venues performing Chopin’s Concerto No. 1 in E minor op. 11. Nehring shares the tour with the Satander Orchestra, which is organized…Continue Reading Nehring And Satander Orch On Tour
On December 6, Maestro Szymon Bywalec will lead the New Music Orchestra (OMN) and soloists Jadwiga Czarkowska and Tomasz Żymła – clarinet and Bartłomiej Duś – saxophone in a concert celebrating “Traditional instruments in new terms” in the chamber hall of the new NOSPR Hall in Katowice. The program will include works by young Polish…Continue Reading Celebrating Young Composers and Traditional Instruments
“Don’t Play the Music! Let the Music Play!” – M. Urbaniak On December 4, Polish musicians Michał Urbaniak and Grażyna Auguścik will come together for a concert at the Copernicus Center in Chicago. Although both have been living and performing in the US for most of their careers, this will be there first concert together…Continue Reading Urbaniak & Auguscik – First Duo Concert
Polish tenor Piotr Beczała is currently performing in the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Verdi’s Rigoletto, in the role of the licentious Duke. Serbian baritone Željko Lučić reprises his acclaimed performance of the title role in Michael Mayer’s electrifying production, set in 1960 in a Las Vegas casino, with American soprano Nadine Sierra in her Met…Continue Reading Beczała Sings Rigoletto At The Met, Vegas-Style
On 4 November 2015, the last known composition of Henryk Mikołaj Górecki, who died five years ago, will have its World Premiere in Kraków at the ICE Congress Centre. This premiere performance of Sanctus Adalbertus, as well as the celebratory Fanfara by Paweł Mykietyn that was composed especially for this occasion, will crown the celebrations…Continue Reading Górecki’s Last Work: Sanctus Adalbertus
Olimpia z Gdańska [Olympia of Gdańsk], a new opera by Polish composer Zygmunt Krauze, will be presented by the Opera Bałtycka in Gdańsk in its World Premiere performance on November 20, 2015. The main performers are Anna Mikołajczyk (Stanisława), Jan Monowid (Robespierre), and Monika Ledzion (Olimpia). As described by Director Jerzy Lech, this opera “defies…Continue Reading New Opera By Krauze
On November 6, the Ensemble KNM Berlin will feature works by Wojtek Blecharz—Counter-Earth for clarinetist and objects (2015), blacksnowfalls for timpano solo (2014), and The Map of Tenderness for cello solo (2012)—during their first portrait concert at Kunstquartier Bethanien in Berlin, Germany. Entitled “Pol(s)ka & Kontext mit Wojtek Blecharz,” the program is the first half…Continue Reading Polish Monographic Programs In Berlin