April 4, 2016 marked the passing of Dr. Elżbieta Dziębowska, a noted musicologist and specialist in music of the nineteenth and twentieth century. For many years Dr. Dziębowska was associated with the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, serving as a Head of Music History and Theory Department from 1974-1978. She was also one of the founders…Continue Reading Elżbieta Dziębowska
During the 26th edition of the Mozart Festival, the ‘MOZART OFF’ project presented a number of young and talented artists associated with Warsaw Chamber Opera in free concerts scattered all over Warsaw. The Festival is one of the most popular and well-attended summer concert series in Poland’s capital city. Concerts on July 16 at the Culture Park in…Continue Reading ‘Mozart Off’ in Warsaw
The Gramophone Awards are among the most prestigious in the world of classical music. The magazine has now revealed its shortlist of 72 recordings from which the 2016 winners will be chosen. Winners will be revealed in the September issue, which goes on sale on August 12. Two Polish, or at least Polish-adjacent, musicians have…Continue Reading Gramophone Shortlist
Polish Violin Concertos Grażyna Bacewicz- Violin Concerto No. 1; Alexandre Tansman- 5 Pieces; Michał Spisak- Andante et allegro; Andrzej Panufnik- Violin Concerto Piotr Plawner; Berlin Chamber Symphony; Jürgen Bruns, Conductor Naxos 8.573496 The works on this recording were written by four roughly contemporary Polish composers who settled and pursued their careers in different parts of…Continue Reading Bacewicz on Naxos
Bartłomiej Pękiel Bartłomiej Pękiel: Missa secunda- Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei; Ave Maria; Sub tuum praesidium; Assumpta est Maria; Missa pulcherrima ad instar Praenestini- Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei; Magnum nomen Domini; Resonet in laudibus Aldona Bartnik, soprano; Maciej Gocman, tenor; Tomáš Král, bass; Jaromír Nosek, bass; Matthew Venner, countertenor; Andrzej…Continue Reading Pękiel on CD Accord
EIDOS Kaija Saariaho – Tocar, Calices, Nocturne; Agata Zubel – Cadenza; Barbara Buczek – Studium, Eidos I; Olga Neuwirth – Quasare/Pulsare Anna Kwiatkowska – violin; Joanna Opalińska – piano Sarton Records 020-2 Presented by new music champions violinist Anna Kwiatkowska and pianist Joanna Opalińska, their new album EIDOS is an opportunity to reflect on the richness and complexity of female expression in contemporary music….Continue Reading Kwiatkowska and Opalińska on Sarton
The International Classical Music Awards (ICMA) held their Award Ceremony and Gala Concert on April 1 in the Kursaal in Sebastian, Spain, where an audience of 1500 applauded the winners. The event was hosted by the Basque National Orchestra and San Sebastian Cultural Capital of Europe 2016. The Award Ceremony was presented by ICMA’s President…Continue Reading Długosz Lauded at Icma
This year’s Chopin and His Europe Festival will take place in Warsaw from August 15-30, 2016, under the theme of “From Italy to Poland – From Mozart to Bellini.” Aside from Chopin’s œuvre, the program of the Festival’s 12th edition also offers us music by the composers closest to his heart: Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Bellini, Jírovec. This…Continue Reading Chopin and His Europe Festival
Fort the 8th year in a row, the cultural institutions of the Pomorskie province, together with the City of Gdańsk, the Polish Film Institute, the European Solidarity Centre, the Polish Baltic Philharmonic and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage have put together an exciting program of events for the Solidarity of Arts Festival(August 13-27, 2016)….Continue Reading Solidarity of Arts Festival
The sixth edition of the Energa Sopot Classic Festival (August 3-8) is an important event defined by exceptionally rich programs, the highest quality of artistic performance and above all, beautiful music. The Forest Opera will launch the festival with a cycle of four concerts representing varied music genres. The Grand Opera Gala will take place on Wednesday, August…Continue Reading Sopot Classic