The Witold Lutosławski Festival “Chain XIII” will be held from January 31 – February 13, 2016 in the concert halls of the National Philharmonic and Polish Radio Lutosławski Studioin Warsaw. Under the theme of “the musical friendships of Witold Lutosławski,” the Festival will be presented in five symphonic and chamber music programs, featuring great musicians from Poland and abroad and celebrating the important anniversaries of two great Polish maestros: Jan Krenz and Jerzy Maksymiuk.

On Sunday January 31, the French virtuoso Gautier Capuçon and the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Alexander Liebreich will open the festival, performing Lutosławski’s Cello Concerto and Henri Dutilleux’s Tout un monde lointain…,  as well as works by Jan Krenz and Luigi Dallapiccola. The performance of maestro Krenz’s Capriccio per 24 strumenti at the inaugural concert of the Festival, as well as his Symphony No. 3 during the closing concert, will celebrate the 90th birthday of this great Polish conductor (pictured below).

A week later on February 6, the World Premiere of Lutosławski’s Interludes for oboe and bassoon, which the composer worked on throughout the war, will be presented by a stellar group of chamber musicians from Warsaw: Sebastian Aleksandrowicz – oboe, Julian Paprocki – clarinet, Artur Kasperek – bassoon, Aleksandra Kwiatkowska – violin, Karol Marianowski – cello, and Maciej Grzybowski – piano. They will also present the legendary, although rarely performed, Quintet of Constantine Regamey, and works by Włodzimierz Kotoński and Béla Bartók.

The next day, the Chamber Orchestra of Tychy ‘AUKSO’ and conductor Marek Moś will be joined by Maciej Kułakowski – the winner of the first prize (ex aequo) at the last Witold Lutosławski Cello Competition. They will present compositions patron of the festival, as well as the Cello Concerto of  Lutosławski’s cabaret colleague, Andrzej Panufnik, and works by Béla Bartók.

On February 11 members of the Chain Ensemble will perform string sextets by Panufnik and Brahms, as well as festival patron miniatures based on themes of folk. The Chain Ensemble is comprised of Krzysztof Bąkowski – violin, Anna Kwiatkowska – violin, Artur Rozmysłowicz – viola, Paweł Czarny – viola, Krystyna Wiśniewska – cello, and Andrzej Bauer – cello, conductor.

The final concert will feature the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra with violinist Jakub Jakowicz, performing Witold Lutosławski’s Chain II and Symphony No. 3, and the Third Symphony of Jan Krenz. The concert will be conducted by Jerzy Maksymiuk, in celebration of the maestro’s 80th birthday.

The festival is co-organized by the Institute of Music and Dance (IMiT) and funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage (MKiDN) and the City of Warsaw.

January 31 – February 13, 2016
Witold Lutosławski Festival “Chain XIII”

National Philharmonic and Polish Radio Lutosławski Studio in Warsaw
Details: lutosławski.org.pl
Tickets: filharmonia.pl & sklep.polskieradio.pl

[Sources: lutosławski.org.plnospr.org.pl]