Bandonegro, a world-class quartet from Poland, is a group of four young and very accomplished musicians. They are Michał Główka (bandoneon/accordion), Jakub Czechowicz (violin), Marek Dolecki (piano) and Marcin Antkowiak (double bass). They specialize in traditional Argentine tango and Tango Nuevo, as well as compose their own works, blending in elements of jazz and classical…Continue Reading Bandonegro Comes to LA on North American Tour
The full-color program booklet for this year’s Paderewski Festival in Paso Robles is now available. Click below to learn more about the history of the Festival and its world-renown patron; the accomplishments of this year’s Gala pianist and what he will perform during the Saturday evening concert; and the biographies of the seven talented prize…Continue Reading 2023 Paderewski Festival Booklet Available
This has been a very exciting half a year at the USC Polish Music Center, so exciting that we’ve barely had time to properly digitally welcome our newest staff member, Dr. Tomasz Fechner. Tomasz, or Tomek, has been a good friend of the PMC since 2015 when he was a classical guitar student at the…Continue Reading PMC Welcomes New Staff Member: Dr. Tomasz Fechner
The new Flute Concerto by Marta Ptaszyńska—well-known Polish composer who is Professor Emerita of Music and the Humanities at the University of Chicago and honoree of the PMC’s 2005 Paderewski Lecture-Recital, as well as a significant donor to our unique Manuscript Collection—was world premiered on Sunday, October 29. The premiere performance was given by flutist…Continue Reading Ptaszyńska World Premiere
Krzysztof Meyer, a distinguished Polish composer who celebrated his eightieth birthday earlier this year, was celebrated once again after the October 14 premiere of his latest opera, Ślepy tor [Dead-end Siding] at Warsaw’s Teatr Wielki—National Opera. The opera’s libretto, co-authored by the composer with Antoni Libera (a writer and expert on Samuel Beckett), touches on…Continue Reading World Premiere of Meyer’s New Opera
For the third year in a row, the New York City based Polish violinist Kinga Augustyn is performing in Italy during the fall season. This year she is presenting two concerts with the MÁV Symphony Orchestra from Budapest. The first, on October 25 is at the historical Teatro dal Verme in Milan. The second two…Continue Reading Kinga Augustyn in Italy
Since his six-month residency at the PMC as Fulbright Scholar ended in July, pianist Andrzej Ślązak returned to Poland a few months ago and almost immediately began presenting to the public the results of his extensive research in our archives. Ślązak’s main areas of scholarly inquiry included film and orchestral music in our Bronisław Kaper…Continue Reading Ślązak Performs in Vienna and Kielce
The “Muzea, Archiwa i Biblioteki Polskie na Zachodzie” [Museums, Archives, and Polish Libraries in the West], also known by its slightly easier acronym MAB, held its annual conference in Solothurn, Switzerland in early September. Members of several MAB-affiliated institutions in Germany, France, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Canada, Argentina, and the United States assembled in this charming…Continue Reading PMC at MAB Conference in Switzerland
In early October, a very large and heavy package arrived at the PMC, bearing the Katalog Zbioru Kratograficznego Towarzystwa Historyczno-Literackiego Biblioteki Polskiej w Paryżu [Catalogue of Cartographic Holding of the Historical-Literary Society at the Polish Library in Paris]. Housed in a decorative sleeve, this beautiful clothbound edition features introductions from Kazimierz P. Zaleski, Director of…Continue Reading PMC Gifts: October 2023
On Friday evening, October 20, Duo Klavitarre—Maciej Ziemski (guitar) and Jolanta Ziemska (piano)—performed at Kosciuszko Foundation’s Washington D.C. space on O Street near the Dupont Circle. Headquartered in Bremen, Germany, Maciej and Jolanta Ziemski have performed together for over 15 years in concerts across the world.They are the creators and artistic directors of the International…Continue Reading Duo Klavitarre in DC