An Encore by Chylińska! The month of November at the Polish Music Center began with a few very welcome gifts. The first and the most fascinating among them is yet another look into Karol Szymanowski and his life by the indefatigable expert-biographer, Teresa Chylińska. Recently published by PWM, Chylińska’s latest opus, Jak Karol Szymanowski pisał…Continue Reading PMC Gifts: November 2023
Dear Friends of the Polish Music Center, Another year has passed very quickly and, again, quite a lot has happened at the USC Polish Music Center throughout 2023. As you peruse the summary below of our major events, milestones, and accomplishments achieved this year, we hope you will consider making a tax-deductible donation to support…Continue Reading Year-in-Review: PMC in 2023
On November 28, the International Festival of Contemporary Music “New Waves” begins its 9th iteration. Organized by the Gdańsk Branch of the Polish Composers’ Union, this festival focuses on finding ways to highlight the ideas coming from new composers and present contemporary creativity in bright new ways. The festival will be held in Gdańsk from…Continue Reading Premieres at the 2023 Int’l Festival of Contemporary Music “New Waves”
On Sunday, December 3, the Freszel Duo will perform ‘Works by great Polish composers of Jewish descent’ at the Holocaust Museum in Los Angeles. Their program features compositions spanning the years immediately before, during, and after World War II. This event is organized by HMLA, in partnership with the USC Polish Music Center, Polish National…Continue Reading Freszel Duo at HMLA
Earlier this month, long-time PMC collaborator pianist Seoyon MacDonald released the first digital recording of Krzysztof Meyer’s completion of Dmitri Shostakovich’s Prelude and Fugue in C# minor. Based on his previous work writing a bestselling biography of Shostakovich and orchestrating several of his works, Meyer was given the Prelude and Fugue in C# minor in…Continue Reading The Forgotten Prelude and Fugue of Meyer-Shostakovich
Biennial Prize Awarded for Best Article on Polish Studies LOS ANGELES, November 14, 2023 — Aquila Polonica announces that Barbara Milewski, Daniel Underhill Professor of Music at Swarthmore College, and Bret Werb, Music Collection Curator at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum have won the 2023 Aquila Polonica Article Prize. The biennial Aquila Polonica Article Prize…Continue Reading The 2023 Aquila Polonica Article Prize Winner Announced
The Krakow Branch of the Polish Composers’ Union (ZKP) has announced the 7th edition of the Krzysztof Penderecki International Competition for Young Composers. For composers of any nationality that are 35 or younger, this is an excellent opportunity to present your work to the Polish audience. Applications are due January 31, 2024 This year, the…Continue Reading Penderecki International Competition for Young Composers
On October 23, 2023, during the evening gala in the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall, the Koryfeusz Polish Music Awards were presented to this year’s winners. The honorary lifetime achievement award went to Irena Santor, considered the first lady of Polish song and a performer of many unforgettable hits on the Polish music scene. Martyna Pastuszka became…Continue Reading 2023 Koryfeusz Polish Music Award Winners
A special all-Polish concert honoring the anniversary of the restoration of Poland’s sovereignty in 1918 will take place on 11 November 2023 at the Polish Museum of America (PMA) in Chicago. The music will be performed by the Cracow Duo: Kalinowski & Szlezer, with whom the American audiences are already well acquainted. Comprised of Jan…Continue Reading Nov 11 Concert with Cracow Duo at PMA in Chicago
This November marks two years since the passing of Joanna Bruzdowicz (1943-2021), one of the top Polish composers and promoters of Polish culture. Alongside Grażyna Bacewicz, Anna Maria Klechniowska, Bernardetta Matuszczak, Barbara Niewiadomska, and Marta Ptaszyńska, Bruzdowicz was one of several Polish female composers who studied with the famous Nadia Boulanger in France. Joanna Bruzdowicz…Continue Reading Czarakcziew & Kowal Honor Joanna Bruzdowicz