On October 16 and 17, the premiere of 2014: Here and Now composed by Zbigniew Preisner was performed by the Sinfonietta Cracovia and soloists with spectacular lighting, holographic and sound design at the opening of the highly anticipated new ICE Krakow Congress Centre in Poland. This grand establishment, costing 357.5 million zloty (84.5 million euro),…Continue Reading Preisner Premiere In Krakow
The newly-established Southwest Council of the Chopin Foundation of the United States will hold its Grand Opening Gala Concert on December 6, 2014. The Rice Brothers—Polish-American brothers Johnny and Chris, who each play both the cello and piano—will present piano and cello performances of accomplished composers whose works bear a strong relationship to the world…Continue Reading Rice Brothers In California
On December 12, leading avant-garde Polish ensemble Kwartludium and British electronic artist Scanner will present a program of new works using visual scores at the 2014 Spitalfields Festival in London. Kwartludium has built a reputation for presenting striking new music across Europe and, in this rare London visit, they collaborate with Scanner to explore partially…Continue Reading Kwartludium In London
One of the first concerts in the inaugural season of the new ICE Congress Centre in Kraków will feature Sinfonietta Cracovia’s program of Viennese classics on December 17, 2014. The program will include Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto and his 29th Symphony, and the “Mercury” Symphony by Haydn. Another interesting item on the program is the Kraków…Continue Reading Sinfonietta Cracovia Celebrations
For a number of years the Katowice Music Academy has organized the Brand New Music Festival. Between the years 2001-2006 the Festival consisted of a conference and a single concert staged for the local composers and theoreticians. Held triennially, since 2009 the Festival began to invite special guests (including Per Norgard and Louis Andriessen) and…Continue Reading Brand New Music 2014
Tributes commemorating Polish jazz pianist and composer, Jan Jarczyk, continue worldwide since his untimely death in Montreal on August 3. Throughout his life, Jan had touched and enriched music-making not only in his native Poland, but also all across Europe, the United States and, finally, in Canada, where he resided for well over two decades….Continue Reading Worldwide Tributes To Jarczyk
November 3 marked the 10th anniversary of Professor Marek Stachowski’s death. A distinguished composer, pedagogue and Rector of the Kraków Music Academy, Stachowski was a significant presence on the Polish music scene. The Kraków Chapter of the Polish Composers’ Union and the Music Academy had jointly organized a series of concerts and lectures commemorating Stachowski’s…Continue Reading Kraków Commemorates Stachowski
Known around the world as “Armistice Day” or “Veterans’ Day,” November 11 is also Poland’s Independence Day, commemorating the restoration of Poland’s sovereignty after World War I following more than a century of partitions. Just like all other Polish diplomatic outposts around the world, each year the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in…Continue Reading Poland’s Independence Day Celebrated at USC
According to the external news service of Polish radio, thenews.pl: Polish jazz singer Urszula Dudziak has been chosen as a UNESCO Artist for Peace on account of her efforts to promote women’s rights and cultural diversity. A letter from UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova was presented to the artist by Deputy Foreign Minister Artur Nowak-Far over…Continue Reading Dudziak Named Unesco ‘Artist For Peace’
Paweł Łukaszewski—well-known composer, conductor, choirmaster, and 2011 Paderewski Lecturer—is this year’s winner of the Jerzy Kurczewski Prize. The artist was chosen for his outstanding achievements in the field of choral works, which have been presented at over 100 festivals in Poland and abroad, and were recorded on 70 CDs. The award ceremony will take place…Continue Reading Kurczewski Prize For Łukaszewski