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Katowice | 7th International Days of Henryk Mikołaj Górecki

Dni Goreckiego

The 7th International Days of Henryk Mikołaj Górecki, devoted to an outstanding visionary, mystic and one of the greatest world artists of the 20th century, will be held from 11 November to 6 December 2019 in Katowice under the slogan "ReGenerations".

The title of the edition introduces the idea of ​​combining different music generations among creators, performers and recipients, as well as the regeneration of music reception in various age groups. The Silesian Philharmonic Community in a special way cares about propagating the achievements of its Patron, through concerts, recordings and publications. As part of this edition of the event, we will also celebrate the 100th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Poland and Italy, which will solemnly emphasize the performance of Górecki's Concerto-Cantata, Op. 65 for flute and orchestra by the Silesian Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Italian conductor, Massimiliano Caldi and with the Italian soloist Raffaele Trevisani.

On 11 November, two concerts of sacred music will be held as a prelude to the festival. The inaugural concert will take place in the concert hall of the Silesian Philharmonic on 15 November with the participation of the Silesian Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Robert Kabara. The programme will include two premieres: Industrial Concerto for harpsichord, string Orchestra and multimedia by Adam Wesołowski and Spindles for harpsichord, electronic effects and chamber orchesta by Jerzy Kornowicz. The soloist will be an outstanding harpsichord player, Aleksandra Gajecka-Antosiewicz.

The 9 festival concerts will feature works by Tadeusz Paciorkiewicz, Marek Jasiński, Andrzej Koszewski, Józef Świder, Adrian Robak, Piotr Pudełko, Wojciech Kilar, Mieczysław Weinberg, Paweł Mykietyn, Jaroław Mamczarski, Aleksander Nowak, Aleksander Lasoń and Krzysztof Meyer. The list of performers will include Marcin Zdunik, Chikara Imamura, Władysław Szymański, Piotr Sałajczyk, Mirosław Jacek Błaszczyk, Ewa Tracz, Stanisław Kuflyuk, and Emilia Stańczyk (granddaughter of the patron). The festival programme will be complemented by a number of fringe events in the form of educational concerts, film screenings, city games or screenplay games.

Co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage from the Culture Promotion Fund under the "Music", "Musical Trace" and "Composing Commissions" programmes implemented by the Institute of Music and Dance.

Media patronage: Polish Music Information Centre POLMIC.

Full programme available athttps://filharmonia-slaska.eu/7-mdhmg/

Warsaw | Premiere of Paweł Pudło's "Whistleblower" and Mikołaj Majkusiak's "Concerto in Air"

WW+F

The inaugural concert of the Warsaw Winds + Festival on 29 November 2019 at 7 p.m. at the Witold Lutosławski Polish Radio Concert Studio in Warsaw will premiere works by Paweł Pudło and Mikołaj Majkusiak.

The title of Paweł Pudło's Whistleblower refers to the name of people who inform the public, among others about irregularities in the functioning of states, special services or corporations. Whistleblowers and their deeds often face extreme, turbulent emotions on the part of society, despite the fact that the information they disclose is extremely important to avoid armed conflicts or maintain a balance between mass surveillance and freedom. The whistleblower spreads ideas, but will society accept them? This will be revealed during the premiere of Paweł Pudło's work.

The concert will also include the premiere of Mikołaj Majkusiak's Concerto in Air in a version for wind quintet and piano. The works will be presented by the Lutosławski Quartet, double bass player Tomasz Januchta and the Gruppo di Tempera ensemble composed of: Agata Igras (flute), Sebastian Aleksandrowicz (oboe), Adrian Janda (clarinet), Artur Kasperek (bassoon), Tomasz Bińkowski (French horn) and Agnieszka Kopacka-Aleksandrowicz (piano). In their performance we will also listen to La Danse de la sorcière from the ballet Le Jardin du Paradis by Alexander Tansman, Wind Quintet by Michał Spisak and Dixtuor pour quintette à vent et quintette à cordes by Jeans Françaix.

Media patronage: Polish Music Information Centre POLMIC.

The Festival's Official Website: https://warsawwindsplusfestival.pl/ 

Tarnowski Góry | 1st Elżbieta Chojnacka Harpsichord Competition

CWMK

The 1st Elżbieta Chojnacka Harpsichord Competition for students of primary and secondary music schools and undergraduate students will take place on 24-26 November 2019 in the Palace in Rybna. 

The competition is organized by the Elżbieta Chojnacka Centre for Contemporary Harpsichord Music. The aim of the competition is to popularize harpsichord repertoire, with particular emphasis on 20th and 21st century music, as well as works for modern harpsichord with pedal levers for changing registers. It is also an opportunity to exchange experiences between students and pedagogues. Participants' performances will be judged by a three-person Jury composed of: Prof. Elżbieta Stefańska – chairwoman (Academy of Music in Kraków), Prof. Ewa Piasecka and Aleksandra Gajecka-Antosiewicz (Academy of Music in Łódź).

The Competition will feature auditions open to the public, a lecture entitled Elżbieta Chojnacka – an avant-garde artist, an exhibition of souvenirs of Elżbieta Chojnacka (A. Gajecka-Antosiewicz), as well as concerts. The competition will start with a recital of Prof. Elżbieta Stefańska, entitled Elżbieta Chojnacka in memoriam, whis is also a final event in the series of concerts "Two currents". Elżbieta Stefańska is the first lady of Polish harpsichord and the living history of performing harpsichord music, both early and modern. She was a student of Hans Pischner and Ruggiero Gerlin, which makes her the heir to the tradition of Wanda Landowska in a straight line. For over half a century, with her artistic personality and mastery, she has delighted audiences around the world, from Berlin to Tokyo. She is a regular guest of the most renowned music festivals, including Bach Festival in Leipzig and Handel Festival in Halle.

More information at: https://www.aleksandragajecka-antosiewicz.com/konkurs-klawesynowy-im-el%C5%BCbiety-chojnackiej/ 

Gdańsk | 5th New Waves 2019

Nowe fale

The "New Waves" festival will be held for the fifth time in Gdańsk from 23 November to 1 December  2019, presenting a diverse repertoire of contemporary music.

The new compositions will be presented by composers advocating the need and possibility of continuing classical solutions, and reformers seeking new themes and means of expression. There will also be works that combines classical and entertainment music, usually welcomed by the audience.

The festival will feature both Gdańsk soloists and ensembles, as well as musicians from other centres in Poland and abroad. The cooperation with composers from Poznań, Bydgoszcz and Łódź initiated by the organizers of the Festival a few years ago will lead to presentation of their works, including premieres. The programme of the final concert will include a premiere of the work by one of the winners of this year's international composers' competition, which was held in the Grażyna and Kiejstut Bacewicz Academy of Music in Łódź. The Festival will also present new works written by young Gdańsk composers.

Musicologists and music theorists work closely with the composers. This year, they will present the latest views on contemporary piano music as part of the 18th Scientific Conference "Piano Music", organised by the Chair of Theory of Music at the Academy of Music in Gdańsk under the theme "Challenges of the 20th and 21st Centuries". Traditionally, there will also be workshops on performing contemporary music led by the Kwartludium ensemble.

Media patronage: Polish Music Information Centre POLMIC.

Full programme available at: http://2019.nowefale.pl/ 

Warsaw | Meeting with Lady Camilla Panufnik

Eufonie

A meeting with Lady Camilla Panufnik, led by Beata Bolesławska-Lewandowska, the author of the monograph of Sir Andrzej Panufnik (1914-1991), will be held on 18 November 2019 at 6:00 p.m. in the Eufonie Festival Office (17 Krakowskie Przedmieście St.).

On 17 November in the Warsaw Philharmonic, during the concert of the 2nd “Eufonie” Festival, we had a chance to listen to an excellent performance of Cello Concerto by Andrzej Panufnik, one of the most outstanding 20th-century Polish composers. The theme of the meeting with his wife will be the composer's life and work in the context of historical events that determined his fate. The meeting will be conducted in English, but the introduction and summary will be presented in Polish.

Lady Camilla Panufnik – English photographer, author of several books, including parental guides and photograph albums, wife of the deceased Andrzej Panufnik. She collaborated with many charitable organizations, and has for many years been engaged in the popularization of Polish music in the world. Camilla Jessel was the daughter of the English Navy’s commander emeritus. In her youth, she lived with her father in India, travelled through Africa and the United States, and studied in Paris at the Sorbonne. In April 2014, she was awarded the Gold Medal for Merit to Culture - Gloria Artis. Lady Camilla Panufnik sits on the most important advice on British cultural activities. She is considered one of the most influential people in the music world of Great Britain.

Admission to this unique event is free!

Nowa Ruda | The final of the free improvisation workshops for children "Tell me a story" 2019

OMB

This year's last edition of workshops for children oragnised by the Polish Society for Contemporary Music, during which the youngest participants will learn, play and improvise in the company of great musicians and unusual books, will be held on 22 and 23 November 2019 in Nowa Ruda.

The main idea of ​​the project is to trigger graphic-inspired improvisations. Children will create their own stories based on picture books. The improvised fairy tales will be then "translated" into musical language under the guidance of the class leaders. Improvisation is the most basic, primary and joyful form of music performance, which is why the workshops combine children's creativity and imagination with books and contemporary music.In addition to playing with improvisations and books, children will learn various techniques of sound extraction, which expose its color and dynamic values, and will also be able to play drums on their own. The musical guests of the upcoming workshops will be: Izabela Buchowska (cello), Bartosz Smorągiewicz (saxophone) and Jarosław Siwiński (composer). Adventure through improvisation with artists will be led by double-bassist Małgorzata Kołcz.

Participation in the workshops is free, although it requires previous reservation. The workshops for kindergartens and schools will take place on 22 November (groups can be registered by phone 74 872 44 85 or by e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). The workshops for children with parents will take place at the Municipal Culture Centre in Nowa Ruda on 23 November: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – children aged 3-5; h. 12:00 p.m. – 13:30 p.m. – children aged 6-8 years (registration of participants by phone 790 395 228 and by e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Media patronage: Polish Music Information Centre POLMIC.

More information athttps://ptmw.art.pl/warsztaty-improwizacji-dla-dzieci-opowiedz-mi-bajke-2/final-warsztatow-improwizacji-dla-dzieci-opowiedz-mi-bajke-2019-nowa-ruda/ 

Lisbon | With Polish music from the Baltic to the Atlantic

Lisbon

A concert to celebrate the centenary of the recognition of Polish independence by Portugal took place on 9 November 2019 in the O'culto da Ajuda concert hall in Lisbon. The event was organised by the Polish Composers' Union in cooperation with the centre for creation, development and promotion of contemporary music Miso Music Portugal in the framework of the project "With Polish Music from the Baltic to the Atlantic". Sond'Ar-te Electric Ensemble performed under the direction of Pedro Neves.

The introduction was given by the directors of cooperating institutions – Mieczysław Kominek and Miguel Azguime. The evening began with the performance of Midsummer (1979) for clarinet, piano, cello and electronics by Włodzimierz Kotoński – exactly 40 years after the premiere of the piece on 9 November 1979 at the Sudeutscher Rundfunk concert studio in Stuttgart. The Polish premiere of the work, which is a part of the cycle dedicated to the four seasons, took place a year later during the "Warsaw Autumn" festival. Despite the passage of time, the composition of the father of Polish electronic music was an interesting proposition for contemporary audience. Then we listened to the work -onym (2011) by Wojtek Blecharz, which is a sonification of a sentence referring to the artist's identity, and PRIMORDIUM: Encephalon (2010) by Karol Nepelski – the second in a planned cycle of several works devoted to the quest for various form of primordiality and origins in music. The composer, who was present at the concert, got a long round of applause from the Portuguese audience.

The second part of the concert began with the world premiere of the work commissioned by Sond'Ar-Electric Electric Ensemble – Open Enclosure for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and electronics by the Portuguese composer João Madureira. The eight-part composition by the artist struggling with a chronic illness was a tribute to composers who inspires him on the creative path. This group included Miguel Azguime, as well as members of the ensemble that premiered the work. The evening ended with a commentary on contemporary consumption culture – Grocery Store Music # 5 (2018) by Piotr Peszat, premiered last year by the Hashtag Ensemble during the conference "Independent Polish Music". The audience, performers and composers had the opportunity to discuss the works during the formal reception after the concert.

The project "With Polish music from the Baltic to the Atlantic" was realized by the Polish Composers’ Union as part of the "Promotion of Polish culture abroad" programme. The concert was co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage from the Culture Promotion Fund.

Recording of the concert is available athttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4W3FZbEB2DE

 

Read more: Lisbon | With Polish music from the Baltic to the Atlantic

Lublin | Stanisław Moniuszko and sacred music

Fonie

The next concert in the "Fonie Lublina" series will take place on 17 November 2019 at 4 p.m. in the Basilica of the Dominican Friars in Lublin. The programme will be filled with sacred music.

This time the Moniuszko's music will be presented in the context of a wide cross-section of Polish religious works. We will listen to Moniuszko's religious songs and fragments of his operas with references to religious music as well as his organ preludes, performed much less frequently than vocal-instrumental music. The programme will be complemented by organ and choral compositions by other composers of sacred music, including Mieczysław Surzyński. The pieces will be performed by soprano Dorota Szostak-Gąska, tenor Jakub Gąska, organist Elżbieta Charlińska and Boys' Choir The Lublin Nightingales under the direction of Irena Sołtan-Wąsik. The concert will be hosted by Ewa Kuszewska.

The concert is held under the honorary patronage of the Mayor of Lublin Krzysztof Żuk and the Voivode of Lublin Przemysław Czarnek. Admission to the event is free!

Media patronage: Polish Music Information Centre POLMIC.

SEE: Facebook Event

Łódź | 7. AŻ Festival: Polish anniversaries and music for every taste

7AZ

Grażyna and Kiejstut Bacewicz Academy of Music in Łódź invites you to the seventh edition of the AŻ Festival, which will last from 16 November to 8 December 2019, featuring nine events at the Academy's Concert Hall on Żubardzka Street. The opening and closing of the festival will include music by Polish composers – Stanisław Moniuszko and Grażyna Bacewicz, on the occasion of their birth anniversaries.

The festival will begin with two performances of the Flis opera by Stanisław Moniuszko (16 and 17 November). The Big Band of the Academy of Music in Łódź under the direction of Jacek Delong and Dorota Miśkiewicz will present songs from Ella Fitzgerald's repertoire (19 November). The Cracovia Danza Court Ballet and the Baroque Orchestra of the Academy of Music will provide the audience with a musical and visual journey to France in the 18th century (21 November). The PRIMUZ Chamber Orchestra and the accordionist Wiesław Prządka will perform energetic tangos of Astor Piazzolla (24 November). Students of vocal departments will invite the audience to the evening entitled "From opera to Broadway" (27 November) with musical hits by Leonard Bernstein, Alan Menken and Claude Schönberg. Percussionist and conductor Bismarck Fernández together with the Bacewicz Percussion Ensamble and Piotr Sutt will warm up the audience with works by Costa Rican composers (30 November). The Symphony Orchestra of the Gdańsk Music Academy will perform a modern repertoire consisting of compositions by Gdańsk artists (3 December), which will also be a part of the 75th Musica Moderna session. In the finale, the Symphony Orchestra of the Łódź Music Academy under the direction of Jerzy Salwarowski will play the Fairy Tale Ouverture by Moniuszko and together with the soloist Sławomira Wilga – Violin Concerto No. 7 by Grażyna Bacewicz (8 December).

Full programme available at: http://www.amuz.lodz.pl/pl/wydarzenia/7-az-festiwal