It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Janusz Olejniczak, a monumental figure in Polish music. Olejniczak, a virtuoso pianist, teacher, and advocate for Chopin’s music, passed away on October 20, 2024 at the age of 72. Born in Wrocław in 1952, Janusz Olejniczak’s talent was apparent from an early…Continue Reading In Memoriam: Janusz Olejniczak (1952–2024)
Polish-American soprano Magdalena Kuźma has won the Kosciuszko Foundation 2024 Marcella Sembrich International Voice Competition, receiving the first prize of $8,000 and special performance awards offered by the Gerda Lissner Foundation and the Connecticut Lyric Opera. “We had a great semi-final round followed by a very difficult decision to select singers for the finals. We…Continue Reading Winners Announced of the KF 2024 Marcella Sembrich International Voice Competition
A recently published book, Dusza dzwięków, is a joint effort sponsored by the Polish Composers’ Union [ZKP] and Polish Music Information Center [POLMIC]. Its full English title, The Soul of Sounds—Conversations with Polish Composers, conveys the essence of this admirable undertaking that took well over a decade, and sought to present and analyze the work…Continue Reading THE SOUL OF SOUNDS
The Muzyczne Orły (Musical Eagles) Awards, organized by the Muzyka do Potęgi Foundation, have become a new celebration of excellence in classical music. This international competition recognizes outstanding achievements across a wide array of musical disciplines, from performance to education, honoring both Polish and international artists. The competition is judged by a distinguished panel of…Continue Reading 2024 Muzyczne Orły Awards
Thanks to the ongoing support of the Head Office of the State Archives (NDAP) in Warsaw, we recently received a large shipment of archival-grade boxes and folders, purchased by NDAP and produced for us by the Beskid Plus Company. These materials are vital to our preservation work, including the Zygmunt and Luisa Stojowski Collection, which…Continue Reading Preserving Collections with Support from State Archives in Warsaw
RecArt, a relatively new recording label based in Poznań, Poland, has released four albums in the past few months that feature Polish musicians and composers. These albums showcase the depth and richness of Poland’s musical heritage, from classical to contemporary compositions, and highlight RecArt’s dedication to preserving Poland’s musical legacy while exploring new creative horizons….Continue Reading New All-Polish Recordings on RecArt
We are excited to share that Marek Zebrowski, Director of the USC Polish Music Center, recently appeared in a series of interviews on the Polish Radio program “Polskie Radio dla Zagranicy” [Polish Radio for Abroad]. Conducted in Polish, these interviews offer a rich exploration of some of the PMC’s most recent activities and significant milestones….Continue Reading PMC/Henryk Wars Collection on “Polskie Radio dla Zagranicy”
On June 24, the 48th J. K. Mertz Guitar Festival in Bratislava brought us world premieres of music written for classical guitar by renowned Polish and Slovak composers. The concert featured a combination of guitar, flute, and string quartet. Polish guitarists Marek Nosal and Jakub Moroźiński performed on stage with musicians from Slovakia—Ondrej Veselý (guitar),…Continue Reading World Premieres of Guitar Music in Bratislava
The manuscript of the Nobel-prize winning epic novel Chłopi [The Peasants], the dethronement act of Tsar Nicholas I, the “golden bull” of the Polish language from 800 years ago, the works of Henryk Wars, the legacy of Jerzy Kukuczka and 12 other priceless historical documents were included this year on the UNESCO Memory of the…Continue Reading Exhibition: “Memory of Poland. UNESCO Memory of the World Program National List – 5th Edition”
PWM has released a new publication about Polish composer Marta Ptaszyńska. Written by Ptaszyńska in collaboration with noted musicologist Iwona Lindsted, Siła intuicji [The Power of Intuition] is the third publication in PWM’s series “Ludzie Świata Muzyki” [People of the World of Music]. Marta Ptaszyńska is a true phenomenon. Few people are able simultaneously to…Continue Reading New Book About Marta Ptaszyńska