A Piano Recital by Łukasz Krupiński

In honor of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Karol Wojtyła, who would later be known as Pope John Paul II, pianist Łukasz Krupiński recorded a Chopin Recital on May 15. The recording was made in London’s Twickenham district at the house of Lady Panufnik, the wife of the Polish composer Andrzej Panufnik, on a 19th century Steinway Concert piano. The recital is available through the YouTube channel of the Polish Institute in Minsk. 

Karol Józef Wojtyła was born on May 18, 1920 in small town Wadowice, Poland. Cardinal Wojtyła was elected as the Pope on October 16, 1978 as the 264th head of the Roman-Catholic church. He was the first non-Italian Pope for 455 years and the first one from a Slavic country. He completed 104 pastoral visits outside of Italy and 146 within Italy. No other Pope encountered so many individuals as John Paul II, including more than 17,600,000 pilgrims at the General Audiences held on Wednesdays as well as numerous government personalities encountered during 38 official visits, 737 audiences and meetings held with Heads of State, and 245 audiences and meetings with Prime Ministers. 

Łukasz Krupiński is the winner of the VII International Piano Competition in San Marina (2016), including all special prizes, as well as the winner of the International Piano Competitions in Aachen (2016) and Hanover (2015) and Finalist in the Feruch Buzoni Piano Competition in Baltzana (2017). In October 2015 Krupinski became a semi-finalist at the prestigious XVII International Chopin Competition in Warsaw.

To view the concert, visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Veu6a09Yf4&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0dy5lKbklAoxiHxZelXC4qoLznr5FgbFL-xB3NAql-TknheATjEiOcO1I.

[Source: press release, jp2concert.com]

A Concert led by Krzesimir Dębski

An event entitled “Concert in Memory of John Paul II—Celebrating 100th Anniversary of His Birth in tribute to John Paul II” will be hosted by Polish Radio Chopin on 21 June 2020. Outstanding soloists from around the world will take part in this unique concert, premiering and performing works in memory of John Paul II. 

On the 100th anniversary of the birth of Karol Wojtyła, nearly 40 performers from Poland, the US, England, Germany, Korea, Italy, Japan, Taiwan, Turkey and Switzerland will pay tribute to the great Pole. The invitation was accepted by conductor, jazz violinist and composer Krzesimir Dębski (right), as well as soloists: Angel Blue, Latonia Moore, Aleksandra Olczyk, Lisette Oropesa, Brandie Sutton (Metropolitan Opera); Rafał Bartmiński, Iwona Hossa, Edyta Piasecka, Tadeusz Szlenkier (Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera); Aneta Łukaszewicz (Polish Royal Opera); mezzo-sopranos MaryAnn McCormick and Urszula Kryger; baritone Kenneth Overton, artistic director of the Opera Noire of New York; Natsuki Katayama, Robert Kędziński, Hannah Cho (ballet of the Wrocław Opera); Dagmara Dryl (first soloist of the ballet of the Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera); guitar virtuoso Adam Palma; violinists Richard Lin, Piotr Pławner, Veriko Tchumburidze and Janusz Wawrowski; pianists Szymon Nehring, Piotr Sałajczyk, Paweł Cłapiński, Mariusz Rutkowski, Magdalena Baczewska, and Damien Sneed; and the Primuz String Orchestra.

The concert program is composed of sacred and classical music, including the first performance of two arias from the opera Job, which is based on Karol Wojtyła’s drama of 1940, with music by Krzesimir Dębski. Other vocal music will include arias from the operas Halka and The Haunted Manor and songs from the Songbook for Home Use by Stanisław Moniuszko; Melody by Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Roxana’s Song from the opera King Roger by Karol Szymanowski, Pray for my soul from the Polish Mass by Jan Maklakiewicz, and songs by Mieczysław Karłowicz. Also on the program are Legend by Henryk Wieniawski, Prelude from the Chopiniana ballet set to the music of Fryderyk Chopin with choreography of Mikhail Fokin, and Polish Capriccio from Violin Miniatures by Grażyna Bacewicz.

Polish Radio Chopin invites will host the concert broadcast here: jp2concert.com

[Source: polmic.pl]