Winner of the 2nd prize at the 2012 London International String Quartet Competition, the Meccore String Quartet from Poland will perform across the US throughout the month of February. Their programs will include Karol Szymanowski’s String Quartet no. 1—an uncanny blend of late German romanticism, impressionism, and the avant-garde—and Szymon Laks’s Quartet no. 3 on…Continue Reading Meccore Quartet US Tour
The end of February usually brings annual Chopin celebrations, and this year is no exception. Since 2015 marks the 205th anniversary of Chopin’s birth, a truly special event on February 23—encompassing a film screening and Q&A session with the artists—is planned for all fans of Polish music in Southern California. A Steinway Concert Artist and…Continue Reading Grabsky & Felder Bring Chopin to L.A.
It’s rare for music critics to be invited to compete for prizes but this year they’ll finally have a chance to do so in the first edition of the Kropka [Period] Competition recently announced by the Meakultura Foundation. The Competition is open to all interested in writing about music—professional publicists, journalists, part-time writers and bloggers—and…Continue Reading Competition for Music Critics
From February 4-5, 2015, the Copernicus Program in Polish Studies at the University of Michigan welcomes Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stańko to campus. The New Yorker has proclaimed Stańko as “one of the most original and creative jazz trumpet players in the world.” Inspired by early Ornette Coleman, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane, he was 20 when he formed…Continue Reading Stańko to Give U-M’s Copernicus Lecture
Ingolf Wunder is a real master of mellow tones […] and shows his virtuosity not in grandiloquence but in gentle and accurately articulated pieces.” —Sueddeutsche Zeitung (March 2013) On February 8, the La Jolla Music Society welcomes Ingolf Wunder, one of the world’s most exciting young pianists, to the San Diego area for a…Continue Reading Ingolf Wunder in San Diego
A volume of new collaborations has been launched by the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) in tandem with OpenICE—a far-reaching initiative to build diverse new audiences internationally. During the next 18 months, ICE will commission and premiere a new body of repertoire from a diverse group of composers to be presented in free performances around the globe…Continue Reading Blecharz Comissioned By OpenICE
On January 19, London’s Barbican Centre announced its 2015-2016 classical music season and it includes three important Polish highlights. First, amongst the ‘Total Immersion’ days planned by the BBC Symphony Orchestra to highlight three towering figures of contemporary classical music, there will be a day devoted to composer Henryk Mikołaj Górecki. Held on October 3,…Continue Reading Polish Highlights @ Barbican In 2015/2016
Held annually since 2004 in Germany and the Netherlands, this year’s International HornWeek Festival will instead be hosted by the Kraków Music Academy. During the week of February 10, concerts of HornWeek will be augmented by 41 French horn players from Kraków Music Academy. Three evenings of recitals (Feb. 11, 12 and 13) are scheduled…Continue Reading HornWeek in Kraków
Following the celebrations accompanying the release of the last volume of Szymanowski’s Collected Works last October (see the November Newsletter for details), Teresa Chylińska was honored by the Rector of the Jagiellonian University with the “Plus ratio quam vis” medal on December 9, 2014. The ceremony was held at the Pusłowski Palace in Kraków, the…Continue Reading More Honors For Chylińska
Gramophone Magazine Editor Martin Cullingford selected twelve of his favorite recordings from the February issue for his Editor’s Choice list, and three of these recordings featuring several Polish composers and performers. See below: No. 1: JS BACH English Suites Nos 1, 3 & 5 Piotr Anderszewski – piano Warner Classics “This is a glorious disc….Continue Reading Gramophone Editor’s List (Feb 2015)