On October 1 the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra (NOSPR) inaugurated its new season in a brand new building, designed by Konior Architects with the acoustic design of the concert hall provided by the Japan-based Nagata Acoustic Company. The leadership of the Orchestra and the administrators of the City of Katowice have organized a spectacular calendar of concerts, including performances by such artists as pianists Krystian Zimerman (Oct. 1) and Piotr Anderszewski (Oct. 18), jazz vocalist Urszula Dudziak (Oct. 22), and tenor Piotr Beczała (Oct. 28). The guest ensembles include performances by the Bavarian Radio Choir (Oct. 1), Vienna Philharmonic (Oct. 3), London Symphony Orchestra (Oct. 18), and Norddeutsche Rundfunk Big Band Hamburg (Oct. 22).
During the October 1 Opening Night Gala, Krystian Zimerman was featured in the world premiere of Eugeniusz Knapik’s Concerto of Song Offerings for piano solo, choir and orchestra, which the composer prepared especially for the grand opening. The work uses two verses by Rabindranath Tagore in the English original from the book of poems called Song Offerings. The program also included Brahms’s First Piano Concerto and works by three Polish composers linked to the National Radio Orchestra—Witold Lutosławski, Krzysztof Penderecki, and Wojciech Kilar. The program ended with a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.
The other highlights of the celebrations will include the world premiere of Krzysztof Meyer’s 14th String Quartet (Oct. 2) in performance by Silesian Quartet, as well as chamber music by Anton Hoffmeister, Stefan Poradowski and Franz Schubert that will be heard in the new Chamber Hall Auditorium. Back in the Main Concert Hall, Vienna Philharmonic will present works by Penderecki, as well as two rarely-heard compositions by Czech composers, Antonin Dvořak’s Biblical Songs Op. 99 and Asrael Symphony by Josef Suk.
The AUKSO Orchestra, Camerata Silesia and Leszek Możdżer will be heard on October 5 and works by Ennio Morricone will be interpreted by the National Radio Symphony on October 11. London Symphony Orchestra will present Panufnik’s Tenth Symphony and Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40 by Richard Strauss. The ensemble will also accompany Piotr Anderszewski in Schumann’s Piano Concerto at the October 18 concert. Further details on this month-long celebration can be found at: www.nospr.org.pl
[Sources: polmic.pl, nospr.org.pl]