From October 3-12, the ISCM Polish Section together with the Municipality of Wrocław, the Wrocław Philharmonic Orchestra and the Wrocław Opera presents the ISCM World Music Days in Wrocław. World Music Days is celebration of contemporary music and twenty-first century music hosted by a different city each year. Brought to life by the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM), it was first organized in Salzburg in 1923. Since that time has hosted in over fifty cities around the world. This year’s co-organizers are Polish Radio – Program II, the Karol Lipinski Academy of Music in Wrocław and the University of Wrocław, Department of Musicology. Due to the international nature of the event at the ISCM World Music Days 2014 will bring together artists, journalists, diplomats and politicians from more than seventy countries.
The 2014 World Music Days will host outstanding artists of avant-garde music, including: Klangforum Wien, Court-Circuit, Agata Zubel, Lutosławski Quartet, New Music Orchestra, Camerata Silesia, Marek Pasieczny and Andrew Bauer, performing works by major composers of contemporary music from around the world. Other guests include: ex-Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, who will be accompanied by a group Supersilent; Ryoji Ikeda – the most important contemporary composer of electronic music – with his excellent project Zeitkratzer and noise music legend Keiji Haino. 120 composers from around the world, including Krzysztof Penderecki and Peter Eotvos, will be present. Works of both famous composers will be presented during the Festival of Contemporary Opera.
A highlight of the series will be the world premiere of the Symphony No. 2 for 100 motorcycles, electric guitar, percussion and electronics by Sławomir Kupczak (pictured at left). It will be performed by members of the motorcycle club APANONAR, guitarist Andrzej Nowak, and percussionist Dominik Stankiewicz.
The program will furthermore Days of multimedia installations, film review, lectures, meetings, workshops and conferences with artists of two elite global organizations: the ISCM (International Society for Contemporary Music) and IAMIC (International Association of Music Information Centres).
[Sources: polmic.pl, iscm.org, worldmusicdays2014.pl]