Two Polish musicians were recently awarded the Decoration of Honor “Meritorious for Polish Culture” from the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage [MKiDN]: virtuoso violinist and cultural organizer Janusz Wawrowski, and pianist, theoretician and composer Marcin Tadeusz Łukaszewski. They were officially decorated at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw by University Rector,…Continue Reading Wawrowski & Łukaszewski Decorated
From February 20 to March 1, the 9th US National Chopin Piano Competition was organized by the Chopin Foundation of the United States in Miami. Following eight days of grueling competition, the nine Competition Jury members—Agustin Anievas, Chair, Sergei Babayan, Ian Hobson, Krzysztof Jabłoński, Kevin Kenner, Dean Kramer, Jon Nakamatsu, Katarżyna Popowa-Zydroń and Margarita Shevchenko—announced…Continue Reading US Nat’l Chopin Competition Winners
An equivalent of the American Grammy Awards, the Fryderyk Awards are organized by the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry to honor the year’s best recordings by Polish musicians and of Polish music. On March 4, the nominations for the 2015 Fryderyk Awards were announced. Highlights from the category of classical music include: PENDERECKI Chamber…Continue Reading 2015 Fryderyk Award Nominations
Following the celebrations accompanying the release of the last volume of Szymanowski’s Collected Works last October (see the November Newsletter for details), Teresa Chylińska was honored by the Rector of the Jagiellonian University with the “Plus ratio quam vis” medal on December 9, 2014. The ceremony was held at the Pusłowski Palace in Kraków, the…Continue Reading More Honors For Chylińska
Gramophone Magazine Editor Martin Cullingford selected twelve of his favorite recordings from the February issue for his Editor’s Choice list, and three of these recordings featuring several Polish composers and performers. See below: No. 1: JS BACH English Suites Nos 1, 3 & 5 Piotr Anderszewski – piano Warner Classics “This is a glorious disc….Continue Reading Gramophone Editor’s List (Feb 2015)
The winners of the Polish National Chopin Competition were announced at the end of auditions held in Warsaw during the first week of February. The first three winners—Andrzej Wierciński, Łukasz Krupiński and Krzysztof Książek—will be able to bypass the first stage of the International Chopin Competition that will begin in Warsaw on October 1, 2015….Continue Reading Polish National Chopin Competition Winners
The results of the first round of the Tadeusz Baird Competition for Young Composers were announced on January 16. The jury—including Jerzy Bauer, Zbigniew Bagiński, Krzysztof Baculewski and Sławomir Czrnecki—selected the following works: Smugi cienia [The Streaks of Shadows], Goliady, Tick!—Time (time is ticking), Trzy jedności [The Three Unities], and Ménilmontant Fluctuations. The composers’ names…Continue Reading Baird Competition: First Round Results
Classically-trained Polish composer Mikolai Stroinski made the transition from casual game contributor to in-demand artist with his emotional cinematic score for “The Vanishing of Ethan Carter.” This score earned him 2 major awards at the Annual Game Music Awards 2014 (AGMA): Outstanding Contribution — Newcomer of the Year and Best Score — Orchestral / Cinematic. According to Chris…Continue Reading Game Music Accolades For Stroinski
The Polish American Historical Association (PAHA) is a non-profit, tax-exempt, interdisciplinary organization devoted to the study of Polish American history and culture. Founded in 1942 and now an affiliate of the American Historical Association, PAHA promotes research and dissemination of scholarly materials focused on Polish American history and culture, and its European origins. During its…Continue Reading 2014 PAHA Awards
A group of artists whose output is directed to young performers and audiences was recognized by Poland’s President and the First Lady at a December 10 ceremony held in the Presidential Palace in Warsaw. Composer Andrzej Hundziak (b. 1927) was lauded for being “one of a few contemporary composers who has devoted most of his creative efforts…Continue Reading Presidential Award for Hundziak