During the second half of March, the celebrated Cracow Duo—comprised of cellist Jan Kalinowski and pianist Marek Szlezer—returns for a tour of California. The Strad magazine described the ensemble thus: “Kalinowski and Szlezer, friends since childhood, have a wonderfully natural rapport and there is an arresting quality to their playing that gives life to the music”.
The Cracow Duo recently celebrated their twentieth anniversary of concertizing all over the world and recording a number of award-winning CDs. Drawing on this deep catalog of repertoire, they have prepared enticingly different programs for each of their concerts in Paso Robles (March 19), at USC (March 26) and at the Holocaust Museum in LA (March 27).
Fundraiser for the Paderewski Festival Youth Exchange |
Paso Robles, CA
The Paderewski Festival in Paso Robles will hold a fundraising concert featuring the Cracow Duo on Saturday, March 19 at 3 p.m. The concert will take place in a stunning residence on Paso’s westside, followed by a live auction and wine and cheese reception featuring Epoch Estate Wines. Epoch’s York Mountain Road vineyards are historically linked to Paderewski’s winemaking in Paso Robles and, since the Paderewski Festival was restarted in 2006, Epoch has been a generous supporter of the Festival’s musical initiatives. Tickets at $100 each are available on Eventbrite. Concert location and details will be provided to the ticket holders prior to the concert, and Covid safety protocols will be followed.
The Cracow Duo will present an attractive selection of music by Chopin, Chyrzyński, Paderewski, Piazzolla, Stojowski, and Tansman. One of the composers on the program, Marcel Chyrzyński, will attend this fundraising event in support of the Paderewski Festival’s Cultural Exchange Program in Poland.
Limited Tickets Available! Reserve your tickets for this exclusive event today.
Saturday, March 19 | 3:00 p.m.
Fundraiser for the Paderewski Festival Youth Exchange feat. Cracow Duo
Private home, Paso Robles, CA
Info & tickets ($100): www.eventbrite.com
California Dreamin’: Celebrating Dianne & Tad Taube’s Transformational Gift | Los Angeles, CA
After a two-year delay, the USC Polish Music Center honors a transformative gift from Dianne & Tad Taube with a concert by the Cracow Duo. On March 26, this virtuoso ensemble returns to campus for a spring concert entitled California Dreamin’. Their exciting program features US and world premieres of music by Marcel Chyrzyński, Tomasz J. Opałka and Maciej Zieliński—three young Polish composers whose new works were inspired by research visits to Polish Music Center and the inevitable sightseeing forays around Southern California. The Cracow Duo will be joined onstage by two rising stars of the USC Thornton School of Music: Espen Aas, clarinet and Zoe Beyler, percussion.
In addition to new works, the program highlights the PMC’s extraordinary Archival Collection and celebrates a transformational $2 million gift from Dianne and Tad Taube, which will allow for the digitization of the Center’s most fragile and important rare materials. In recognition of their gift, the Center’s digital archives will henceforth be named The Dianne and Tad Taube Polish Music Center Digital Archives at the USC Thornton School of Music.
The concert will be followed by a special reception honoring the Taubes and their extraordinary generosity. Please join us in celebrating this momentous occasion!
Although tickets to this event are free, RSVP is required at: www.eventbrite.com. Please also note USC’s updated ‘COVID-19 Safety Requirements for Audiences’ here.
Saturday, March 26 | 4:00 p.m. Concert; 5:30 p.m. Reception
California Dreamin’: Celebrating Dianne & Tad Taube’s Transformational Gift
feat. Cracow Duo & guests
Newman Recital Hall at USC (see campus map)
3616 Trousdale Pkwy, Los Angeles, CA
Campus Parking: $14 (Parking Structure X)
FREE admission
RSVP required: www.eventbrite.com
A Concert of Polish-Jewish Music | Los Angeles, CA
In addition to their appearances in Paso Robles and at USC, the Cracow Duo will perform in concert at the Holocaust Museum in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 27 at 2 p.m. Their program will spotlight three major modern Polish-Jewish composers—Aleksander Tansman (1897-1986), Szymon Laks (1901-1983), and Roman Ryterband (1914-1979)—represented by a selection of attractive works for cello and piano, including Tansman’s Fantaisie (1936), Laks’s Sonata (1932), and Ryterband’s Triptyque contemporain (1944). Other works on the March 27 program will include Aaron Alter’s Theme and Variations on Lo Lanu Ha-Shem and the world premiere of Mateusz Bień’s A wind, I watched it dancing.
Sunday, March 27 | 2:00 p.m.
Cracow Duo: Polish-Jewish Music
Holocaust Museum of Los Angeles
100 The Grove Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90036, USA
FREE admission
Info & Registration: www.holocaustmuseumla.org
The Cracow Duo’s Spring 2022 tour will also include recitals in San Marcos, La Jolla, Encinitas and San Diego in Southern California, as well as Las Vegas, Nevada. See more details about these events at www.cracowduo.com.
Tour Sponsors:
[Photos by Anita Wąsik-Płocińska, used with permission]