The 55th International Andrzej Markowski Festival ‘Wratislavia Cantans’ was held on 11-13 September 2020 in Wrocław under the theme ‘Lights to the World’. Events were held at the National Forum of Music and the Collegiate Church of the Holy Cross and St Bartholomew. Sound and light are waves, differing in length. Sound waves need air…Continue Reading 2020 ‘Wratislavia Cantans’ Festival
English piano virtuoso, Jonathan Plowright, has devoted much of his life and career to championing works by a number of lesser-known Polish composers, including Friedman, Melcer, Różycki, Stojowski, Zarzycki, Zarębski, and Żeleński, among others. Many recordings—especially of the piano concertos by many of these composers—and Maestro Plowright’s numerous concert appearances testify to his great and…Continue Reading Piano Concerto Discovery
In the year of the exceptional jubilee, the composer’s 90 birthday, a unique album is published in the ANAKLASIS catalogue, devoted to the chamber vocal and instrumental works of Twardowski. They are performed by the world-famous bass-baritone, Tomasz Konieczny, and an outstanding pianist, Lech Napierała. The recital, which will consist of the most beautiful Twardowski’s…Continue Reading New album and concert for the celebrant – “Songs & Sonnets” from Anaklasis for Romuald Twardowski
On 5 September 2020, the Pomeranian Music Society in Toruń held an online concert during which the Fantasia on a rafting song, written by several Polish composers, was premiered via Facebook Event. The Raftsman’s Song, an old folk melody popular at the beginning of the 20th century, used to sound in the form of chanting from the Toruń…Continue Reading “Fantasia on a rafting song” premiere in Toruń
Music is a language, but language carries its own music. In our festival’s programme, these two elements will intertwine in various ways, touching upon issues such as: the role of words in music; words embedded in music and music embedded in words; the language of music, the music of language; common elements between music and language;…Continue Reading 2020 Warsaw Autumn Festival
On Saturday, Sept 5, at 6 pm (PT), the limited music series Show me That! will spotlight a performance and conversation with Darek Oles along with the host of the Series, Otmaro Ruiz, a pianist, composer and arranger, and Oles’ former Cal Arts classmate. During the Facebook Livestream, Oles’ original pieces will be performed and followed with…Continue Reading Virtual Performance Darek Oles with Otmaro Ruiz
On Sunday September 13, the newly re-branded Holocaust Museum LA (formerly the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust) will present a livestream broadcast of Cracow Duo: Live From Krakow’s Jewish Quarter. This special live performance by cellist Jan Kalinowski and pianist Marek Szlezer—known collectively as the Cracow Duo—will be streamed from the Center for Jewish…Continue Reading Cracow Duo: Live From Krakow’s Jewish Quarter
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of Solidarność, or Solidarity, and the signing of the Gdańsk August Agreements. Founded in 1980 as a trade union in the Gdańsk Shipyard, Solidarity became a leading political force in the defeat of the Communist regime in Poland. Eventually the Polish government was forced to negotiate…Continue Reading Sikora & Mykietyn Premieres in Gdańsk
On 23 August 2020, the Marshal of the Silesian Voivodeship, Jakub Chełstowski, and the Silesian Philharmonic commemorated the 100th anniversary of the end of the Second Silesian Uprising with the music of the orchestra’s patron, Henryk Mikołaj Górecki—one of the most important Polish composers of the 20th century, who was also a Silesian. This significant…Continue Reading Silesian Uprisings in Memoriam
Some of today’s best contemporary music ensembles performed premieres of new Polish works on the stage at Grochowska 272—home of Sinfonia Varsovia—during the first three Tuesdays in August,. This new series, called “Experimental Tuesdays,” were a part of the 20th edition of the Sinfonia Varsovia ‘To Its City’ Festival. The featured ensembles, famous for their unconventional…Continue Reading Premieres at Experimental Tuesdays