Stanisław Soyka, renowned Polish musician, has died at the age of 66. Known for his distinctive voice and emotional interpretations, Soyka blended jazz, pop, soul, classical music and sung poetry, becoming one of the most celebrated interpreters of Polish song. Born in Żory and educated in Gliwice, he debuted at the Jazz Jamboree festival at…Continue Reading Stanisław Soyka (1959–2025): Obituary
By Marek Zebrowski During the gloriously sunny summer months in Los Angeles, just as it seemed that vacation time is upon us with slower-than-usual traffic on campus, we were kept rather busy at the PMC. Besides working on preserving items from the Stojowski Collection with great and invaluable assistance from Anna Czajka, our expert in…Continue Reading PMC Gifts: July 2025
August was a time of many guests and meetings at the Polish Music Center, where there is truly never a dull moment in our summers! An excellent visit and knowledge-sharing session with our colleagues from the Wende Museum took place in mid-August, and included other esteemed PMC partners—Sonia Matheus from the Museum of Tolerance and…Continue Reading PMC Gifts & News: August 2025
From June 22 to July 12, 2025, the Polish Music Center was honored once again to host Anna Czajka, world-renowned preservation specialist from the Archive Conservation Laboratory of the Archiwum Główne Akt Dawnych [Central Archives of Historical Records, AGAD] in Warsaw. Czajka has been a longtime partner of the PMC through our ongoing collaboration with…Continue Reading Anna Czajka Helps Preserve PMC Collections
The Polish Society for Contemporary Music [Polskie Towarzystwo Muzyki Współczesnej] invites international submissions for the 19th Kazimierz Serocki International Composers’ Competition, which is held under the honorary patronage of the Polish Composers’ Union [Związek Kompozytorów Polskich, or ZKP]. The deadline for applications is October 1, 2025. This year’s competition focuses on chamber works for ensembles…Continue Reading 2025 Serocki Int’l Composers’ Competition
Our colleagues at the Polish Chamber Musicians’ Association [Stowarzyszenie Polskich Muzyków Kameralistów, or SPMK] have a very busy fall planned for this year, starting with a September full of offerings across the globe. Beginning in New York City, members of the SPMK will perform two concerts celebrating primarily works by Polish-Jewish composers. First on September…Continue Reading SPMK in US & Kraków in September
Polish composer Marcel Chyrzyński was recently recognized with two Silver Medals at the prestigious Global Music Awards (USA), in the category of Contemporary Classical – Composer. In March 2025, Chyrzyński was awarded for works featured on the album Marcel Chyrzyński – Chamber Works (DUX 2001), recorded by Piotr Lato (clarinet), Wojciech Koprowski (violin), Jan Kalinowski…Continue Reading Chyrzyński Honored & PMC Spring Concert Preview
A Summary by Marek Zebrowski Administered by the annual Paderewski Festival in Paso Robles and its partners in Poland, this year’s Youth Cultural Exchange Program was held from June 27 until July 13, 2025. Two California students—winners of the Festival’s Youth Piano Competition, held annually in Paso Robles—travelled for well over two weeks of concerts,…Continue Reading 2025 Paderewski Festival Cultural Exchange Program in Poland
Presented on the evening of October 19 in USC’s Newman Recital Hall, the PMC’s 2025 Paderewski Lecture-Recital will explore the artistic and intellectual legacy of Szymon Laks (1901-1983). A Paris-based Polish composer, writer and philosopher, Laks’s music uniquely balances elements of French modernism, Polish folk music and American jazz. Guest lecturer Dr. Grzegorz Mania (pictured…Continue Reading Save the Date for the 2025 Paderewski Lecture Recital!
We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of composer Rafał Zapała. Born in 1975, he was a vital part of Poland’s musical community—an esteemed colleague and friend to many. Known for his boundless creativity and tireless activity, he contributed to numerous collaborative projects and was an important figure on the contemporary…Continue Reading Rafał Zapała (1975–2025)