Category: Newsletter

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Winners Announced of the KF 2024 Marcella Sembrich International Voice Competition

Polish-American soprano Magdalena Kuźma has won the Kosciuszko Foundation 2024 Marcella Sembrich International Voice Competition, receiving the first prize of $8,000 and special performance awards offered by the Gerda Lissner Foundation and the Connecticut Lyric Opera. “We had a great semi-final round followed by a very difficult decision to select singers for the finals. We…Continue Reading Winners Announced of the KF 2024 Marcella Sembrich International Voice Competition

2024 Paderewski Festival in Paso Robles

The 2024 Paderewski Festival in Paso Robles will be held October 31 – November 3, when events will extend down into neighboring San Luis Obispo for a symphonic Gala experience. Tickets for this year’s history-making events and exciting artists, as well as exclusive passes that include access to all concerts, are on sale now! Perks…Continue Reading 2024 Paderewski Festival in Paso Robles

Markowski Centenary

August 22, 2024 marked one hundred years since Andrzej Markowski was born in Lublin. He was a noted Polish conductor, composer and founder—as well as the first director—of the Wratislavia Cantans Festival. Coming from a musical family (his father, Tadeusz, was a singer and actor, and his older brother, Jan, a composer and pianist), Andrzej…Continue Reading Markowski Centenary

THE SOUL OF SOUNDS

A recently published book, Dusza dzwięków, is a joint effort sponsored by the Polish Composers’ Union [ZKP] and Polish Music Information Center [POLMIC]. Its full English title, The Soul of Sounds—Conversations with Polish Composers, conveys the essence of this admirable undertaking that took well over a decade, and sought to present and analyze the work…Continue Reading THE SOUL OF SOUNDS

AKA Duo | Classical Crossroads between Japan & Poland

JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles, with special support from the Polish Cultural Institute New York (PCI-NY), National Institute of Music and Dance (NIMiT), Ministry of Culture and National Heritage (MKiDN), and USC Polish Music Center, proudly presents an exclusive performance by AKA Duo, featuring the acclaimed talents of Japanese violinist Seina Matsuoka and pianist Yuto Kiguchi….Continue Reading AKA Duo | Classical Crossroads between Japan & Poland

2024 Muzyczne Orły Awards

The Muzyczne Orły (Musical Eagles) Awards, organized by the Muzyka do Potęgi Foundation, have become a new celebration of excellence in classical music. This international competition recognizes outstanding achievements across a wide array of musical disciplines, from performance to education, honoring both Polish and international artists. The competition is judged by a distinguished panel of…Continue Reading 2024 Muzyczne Orły Awards

Preserving Collections with Support from State Archives in Warsaw

Thanks to the ongoing support of the Head Office of the State Archives (NDAP) in Warsaw, we recently received a large shipment of archival-grade boxes and folders, purchased by NDAP and produced for us by the Beskid Plus Company. These materials are vital to our preservation work, including the Zygmunt and Luisa Stojowski Collection, which…Continue Reading Preserving Collections with Support from State Archives in Warsaw

Around the World with Mazurkas

Cellist Lars Hoefs, a longtime friend of the USC Polish Music Center and an exceptionally dedicated advocate for Polish music around the world, has recently published an album of cello and piano music, entitled “Villa-Lobos, Grand Concerto for Cello and Piano.” What is quite interesting—and very much in line with Lars’s ongoing research of Chopin’s…Continue Reading Around the World with Mazurkas

Remembering Jan Jarczyk

August 3, 2024, marked the tenth anniversary of Jan Jarczyk’s untimely death. This talented and internationally-recognized jazz pianist, composer and educator moved to the U.S. in 1977 and taught in the 1980s at the Berklee School of Music in Boston. After moving to Montreal in the 1990s, he joined the faculty of the McGill University’s…Continue Reading Remembering Jan Jarczyk

Lecture: Modern Polish Piano Music

On Tuesday September 10, Dr. Andrzej Ślązak returns to USC’s campus to present two lectures along with his colleague, Krystian Krauz. These two scholars are from the Music Institute at Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, Poland, where Dr. Ślązak serves as Director of the Institute and a Fulbright Ambassador. They will discuss two leading Polish…Continue Reading Lecture: Modern Polish Piano Music