January Festivals

A-Ż Festival in Łódź The fifth A-Ż Festival in Łódź was held Nov. 24-Dec. 9, 2017. All nine concerts were presented at the Concert Hall of the Łódź Music Academy. Living up to the billing, this Festival presented a wide range of programs and performers, beginning with the opening concert that featured film music written for the…Continue Reading January Festivals

Kwadrofonik Festival

The 3rd edition of the Kwadrofonik Festival will be held on December 14-15, 2017 at the Museum of the History of Polish Jews (POLIN) in Warsaw. Protest and the energy it creates are the leitmotif of this year’s Festival. Members of the Kwadrofonik ensemble—Emilia Sitarz, Magdalena Kordylasińska-Pękala, Miłosz Pękala and Bartek Wąsik—along with their guest musicians, will recall works confronting…Continue Reading Kwadrofonik Festival

Paderewski Festival in Warsaw

The Fourth International Paderewski Festival will take place from November 4-11 in several venues across Warsaw, including the Royal Castle, Philharmonic Hall, Lutosławski Radio Studio, and in the Łazienki Palace. A variety of orchestral, chamber, and jazz concert are augmented by panel discussions, Paderewski-themed exhibits, and film screenings. At the first of the two concerts, Paderewski’s Polish Fantasy for…Continue Reading Paderewski Festival in Warsaw

Music in Lower Silesia

The Fifth Music Festival in Lower Silesia continues with concerts from September through December 2017, held in historical venues, such as palaces, manors and churches in the region. Artists from the Berlin Philharmonic, the Śląsk Ensemble, and Lutos Air Quintet are among the featured performers. The Festival began on September 3 with a presentation of Penderecki’s Ciaconna in…Continue Reading Music in Lower Silesia

“Contrasts” – Poland and Her Neighbors

The 55th annual festival, “Kontrasty—Polska i sąsiedzi” [Contrasts—Poland and her neighbors] was held in Bydgoszcz September 11—October 6. Planned as the prelude to the celebrations of Poland’s centenary of independence, this festival focused on the cultural legacy of Poland’s neighbors as well as other ethnic groups living in Poland, including the Jewish and Roma populations….Continue Reading “Contrasts” – Poland and Her Neighbors

Organs of Central Warsaw

The 18th annual Festival “Organy Środmieścia” [City Center’s Organs] began in Warsaw on September 3 and will continue through October 22. Launched in 2000 by a Warsaw-based organist Przemysław Kapituła, during most Sundays in September and October the audiences can listen to several concerts in the heart of Poland’s capital. The central area of the…Continue Reading Organs of Central Warsaw

Beethoven in Silesia?

Yes! The little Silesian town of Głogówek has big musical ambitions and, for well over a dozen years now, it has hosted world class musicians during its own Beethoven Festival. Actually, the town has musical history that reaches back to the mediaeval era, with such composers as Mikołaj z Koźla, Bartłomiej Pękiel, Georg Brikner, Johannes Selatzek,…Continue Reading Beethoven in Silesia?

‘Muzkya Na Szczytach’ 2017

The 9th International Festival ‘Muzyka na szczytach‘ [Music on the Heights] closes on September 16 with a concert presented by the Kwadrofonik ensemble and vocalist, ethnomusicologist and poet, Adam Strug. Kwadrofonic members, percussionists Magdalena Kordylasińska-Pękala and Miłosz Pękala and pianists Emilia Sitarz and Bartłomiej Wąsik, presented Requiem ludowe [A Folk Requiem]. The program also included Tryptyk rzymski [A Roman Triptych], a poem…Continue Reading ‘Muzkya Na Szczytach’ 2017

Łódż Four Cultures Festival

The city of Łódź is located in the heart of Poland at a crossing point of many important European routes. At the beginning of the 20th Century, Łódź was influenced by four cultures. The Polish, Jewish, German and Russian inhabitants contributed to the rich and diverse cultural background of the city that the University strives…Continue Reading Łódż Four Cultures Festival

Wratislavia Cantans 2017

The 52nd edition of the prestigious ‘Wratislavia Cantans’ Festival takes place in Wrocław from September 7-17 under the title “Recitar cantando,” and this year’s edition will feature several anniversaries as well as diverse programming choices. The Festival will celebrate the 450th birthday of Claudio Monteverdi, 250th death anniversary of Philipp Teleman, and the 500th anniversary of the…Continue Reading Wratislavia Cantans 2017