The premiere of Marcin Błażewicz's Concerto for flute and orchestra will take place during the online concert of the Polish Sinfonia Iuventus Orchestra under the baton of Mirosław Jacek Błaszczyk on 19 December 2020 at 8.00 p.m. The work was commissioned by the Piąta Essencja Foundation as part of the "Composing Commissions" programme of the Institute of Music and Dance.
Marcin Błażewicz is one of the particularly valued composers of his generation. He is also an animator of music life and a professor of composition at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music. He performed a number of prominent functions in Polish and foreign associations and co-organised numerous festivals and concerts. One of his areas of interest is also philosophy of various trends and cultures, thus, when commenting on his output, he said: “In my case, composing is a discourse with a specific existential situation, with my own «shadow» (using the term coined by Jung). Therefore if a contemporary composer wants to talk about their concerns, they must not use the structures of musical grammar which are typical for past eras.” In his pieces, he seeks new colours and tones, but not for their own sake – they always serve the purpose of expression and the superior idea of composition. The solo part in his latest Concerto for flute and orchestra will be performed by one of the greatest virtuosos of the instrument, Leszek Długosz.
Beethoven’s epochal Violin Concerto in D Major is counted among the pieces that are considered milestones in the history of music. The piece will be performed by Roksana Kwaśnikowska, the winner of numerous awards in prestigious national and international competitions, admired at a number of concerts in Europe, Asia and North America (twice in New York’s Carnegie Hall). Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4 seems to enjoy less popularity than her famous uneven “friends”, although it is equally brilliant. Contrary to them, it does not undertake titanic efforts to overcome adversities, but rather affirms everything that is good, beautiful and joyful.
Piotr Maculewicz
Media patronage: Polish Music Information Centre POLMIC.
The concert will be broadcast on YouTube and on the website: https://sinfoniaiuventus.pl/