Beloved by Los Angeles audiences, the Cracow Duo returns to USC on March 10. Comprised of cellist Jan Kalinowski and pianist Marek Szlezer, the duo will perform an evocative collection of some of their favorite pieces, gathered from over 20 years of performing as an ensemble. Entitled “From Polonaise to Tango,” the program will range…Continue Reading Cracow Duo: ‘From Polonaise to Tango’ on March 10
On Saturday, March 23 at 4:00 pm, the USC Polish Music Center presents the annual PMC Spring Concert, featuring the Verona String Quartet with USC Thornton faculty member Bernadene Blaha. The program highlights works by pioneering female Polish composer and polymath, Grażyna Bacewicz, as well as the father of Polish modern music, Karol Szymanowski. Acclaimed…Continue Reading Save the Date: PMC Spring Concert (March 23)
At the beginning of February, a unique film made in 1946, Wielka Droga [The Great Way], will be screened several times in the Los Angeles area. It will be presented by the Modjeska Art & Culture Club in Tujunga, CA on February 4, and the USC Polish Music Center in downtown Los Angeles on February 5. Both…Continue Reading “Wielka Droga” Film Screening & Lecture in LA-area
EDA Records and Polish Music Frank Harders-Wuthenow, the executive producer for Berlin-based EDA Records, has successfully completed yet another fascinating recording project that features music by Polish composers. The first of the two CDs that we received from Mr. Harders-Wuthenow, is a monographic presentation of music for violin and piano by Krzysztof Meyer, issued in…Continue Reading PMC Gifts: January 2024
Thanks to a timely initiative by Dean Jeff DeCaen and Marvin Munson of USC Thornton Operations and Eric Johnson, Director of Operations at USC Landscape and Grounds, the Paderewski monument—which stand right next to the main Thornton School of Music building—has been brought back to its original gleaming look. This restoration project was carried out…Continue Reading Paderewski in Full Splendor at USC
More Manuscripts From Meyer! Polish composer Krzysztof Meyer has made another generous donation of his manuscripts to the Polish Music Center’s flagship Manuscript Collection. Two beautifully bound scores were given by the composer himself to the PMC’s Director Marek Zebrowski during his visit in Poland late this fall. The first of these remarkable documents is…Continue Reading PMC Gifts: December 2023
It is our deep sorrow to report that our friend and former PMC librarian, Dr. Barbara Zakrzewska, passed away in Poznań on November 30, 2023 at the age of 77….Continue Reading Obituary: Composer and Musicologist Barbara Zakrzewska
An Encore by Chylińska! The month of November at the Polish Music Center began with a few very welcome gifts. The first and the most fascinating among them is yet another look into Karol Szymanowski and his life by the indefatigable expert-biographer, Teresa Chylińska. Recently published by PWM, Chylińska’s latest opus, Jak Karol Szymanowski pisał…Continue Reading PMC Gifts: November 2023
Dear Friends of the Polish Music Center, Another year has passed very quickly and, again, quite a lot has happened at the USC Polish Music Center throughout 2023. As you peruse the summary below of our major events, milestones, and accomplishments achieved this year, we hope you will consider making a tax-deductible donation to support…Continue Reading Year-in-Review: PMC in 2023
Earlier this month, long-time PMC collaborator pianist Seoyon MacDonald released the first digital recording of Krzysztof Meyer’s completion of Dmitri Shostakovich’s Prelude and Fugue in C# minor. Based on his previous work writing a bestselling biography of Shostakovich and orchestrating several of his works, Meyer was given the Prelude and Fugue in C# minor in…Continue Reading The Forgotten Prelude and Fugue of Meyer-Shostakovich