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Polish Music Scene season 2024/25 - call for applications is now open!

The National Institute of Music and Dance, in cooperation with the Warsaw Philharmonic, opens a call for applications for the next edition of the "Polish Music Scene" programme.

It is intended for Polish performing artists, and its main goal is to promote Polish works, especially works less known today and less frequently performed. The deadline for submitting applications is the 12^th of April, 2024.

The application (in the form of a signed scan and in an editable version) should be sent only in electronic form to the following address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with a link to the place where the required audio-video material is located.

Rules and regulations: https://nimit.pl/aktualnosci/scena-muzyki-polskiej-startuje-nabor-wnioskow-na-sezon-artystyczny-2024-25/

Composer Elżbieta Sikora was honored with the Prize of the President of the French Republic!

Sikora Elzbieta 2024 Elżbieta Sikora will be awarded during the 76th ceremony of the Grands Prix internationaux du disque, organized by the French Académie Charles Cros. The composer will receive the Prize of the President of the French Republic for her entire body of work. The award ceremony will take place on March 21, 2024, at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Paris, under the patronage of Emmanuel Macron, the President of France.

Since 1947, the French Académie Charles Cros has been awarding prestigious prizes for the best musical recordings, as well as the special Prize of the President of France for the entire body of work. In recent years, recipients of this award have included Kaija Saariaho and Bernard Cavanna. Académie Charles Cros also recognized the album "Concertos," which summarizes Elżbieta Sikora's achievements in this genre, by awarding it the Coup de Coeur prize.

Elżbieta Sikora's catalogue currently includes approximately 110 works, ranging from electroacoustic to instrumental and vocal music. The composer continues to take on new commissions with the same energy. Her latest monographic album, which includes three concertos (for piano, organ, and violin), is a testament to her talent – writes Michèle Tosi in the justification for the Prize of the President of the French Republic.

In 2023 and 2024, on the occasion of Elżbieta Sikora's 80th birthday jubilee, numerous performances of the composer's works are taking place worldwide. Nearly 30 concerts have been planned, including performances in Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, Brussels, Vienna, Stockholm, Tallinn, Ljubljana, Oslo, Montreal, São Paulo, Brest and Marseille. Premieres of works such as "Tenebrae" at the Grand Theatre - National Opera in Warsaw, and a new Overture at the Zielona Góra Philharmonic, as well as jubilee concerts in Wrocław, Gdańsk, Kraków, and Wałbrzych, took place in Poland. These events are coordinated by SONORA Music, the agency representing Elżbieta Sikora.

During the ceremony organized by the Académie Charles Cros, which will be held as a guest event at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Paris, additional awards will be presented: the Honorary Award for the Itinéraire ensemble for 50 years of artistic work and the Grand Prix du Disque de Musique Contemporaine for Enno Poppe for the album "Prozession." More information: https://elzbietasikora.com/

News about close down of Radio Chopin is not true

Logotyp Radia Chopin

Referring to the "Open Letter of the Polish Composers' Union on the future of Radio Chopin", the new deputy director of Program 2 of the Polish Radio and simultaneously appointed director of Radio Chopin, Piotr Matwiejczuk, noted in an interview with PAP that "it is planned to change the place of Polish Radio Chopin in the structure of Polish Radio, the first manifestation of which is my taking up two positions. […] However, the changes will not apply to emissions.” Dwójka and Radio Chopin "are to remain separate programmes".

We welcome Piotr Matwiejczuk's statement.

Mieczysław Kominek

President of the Polish Composers' Union

Witold Lutosławski Scholarship 2024

Witold Lutosławski Society invites you to submit applications for an artistic scholarship funded by the composer's heirs. The scholarships are intended for postgraduate studies abroad, primarily for composers and instrumentalists who want to pursue contemporary music.

Those who have completed higher artistic studies at Polish state universities, at least at the bachelor's level, can apply for the scholarship. The application deadline is the 30^th of May 2024.

Detailed information: https://www.lutoslawski.org.pl/index.php/2024/03/11/stypendium-im-witolda-lutoslawskiego/

Warsaw | Exhibition and concert "Who is dancing for me?"

Media patronage: Polish Music Information Centre POLMIC

Żaneta Rydzewska's improvisation concert, accompanying Agnieszka Mastalerz's exhibition "Who is dancing for me?", will take place in the Fryderyk Chopin Museum Concert Hall on the 20^th of March, 2024 at 5 p.m.

Agnieszka Mastalerz's video installation, which consists of two independent images, is complemented by an ambient soundtrack by Żaneta Rydzewska. The improvisation will be based on processing and looping sounds recorded in the spaces shown on the video.

Before the concert, there will be a conversation with both artists about the sources of inspiration and the interwining of arts.

Reservation of free entrance tickets is required at the ticket office or on the website: https://bilety.nifc.pl/rezerwacja/termin.html?id=643&date=2024-03-20

Warsaw | Cybulski x Zemiter in Hashtag Lab

Media patronage: Polish Music Information Centre POLMIC

On the 19^th of March 2024 at 7 p.m., the Hashtag Lab stage will host the premiere of a new album by the Zemiter STUDIOLO duo and will present Krzysztof Cybulski's electronic project AAAA (augmented acoustic actuated autonomous) - an unusual combination of the sound of the Post-Digital Sax, Autoviola and Aeromembranophone instruments built by Krzysztof Cybulski, algorithms partially controlling them and improvisation.

The instruments designed by Cybulski allow for digital control of the pitch of the sounds played, so that during the performance the musicians will be able to use looping phrases, improvise by eliminating the most or least frequent sounds, and even perform melodies generated digitally by the instruments.

Marcin Dymiter and Hubert Zemler's album STUDIOLO is music recorded with two sets of electronic devices combined into one organism. The concert will feature the premiere of the album, which was released by Antenna Non G.

Ticket information: https://hashtaglab.pl/event/cybulski-x-zemiter/

"Sounds of Diversity" - new concert project combining artists from Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland

Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia: three neighboring countries, three diverse contemporary art scenes. They will be united by the new project "Sounds of Diversity", during which works by Markéta Dvořáková, Petra Šuško, Matej Sloboda, Przemysław Scheller and Daniel Skála will be premiered. The mini-tour through three countries of the Visegrad Four will present new music, a new project and a new band created especially for this occasion. Concerts will take place in Ostrava (March 18), Katowice (March 19) and Žilina (March 20).

The partners of the project are: the Hudební Současnost Ostrava Festival, Ensemble Spectrum and the Katowice Branch of the Polish Composers' Union.

The new concert project is presented by Creative Center Ostrava, an association that has been operating for five decades and was founded to unite composers, artists and amateurs of contemporary art, especially from Ostrava and the surrounding area. The idea of implementing an international project connecting V4 countries arose from TCO's cooperation, in particular with Polish artists.

Website of the project: https://www.soundsofdiversity.com/

List otwarty Związku Kompozytorów Polskich w sprawie przyszłości Radia Chopin

logo PolskieRadioChopin Związek Kompozytorów Polskich przyjmuje z niedowierzaniem informacje o planowanej likwidacji „Radia Chopin”. Nie wyobrażamy sobie, żeby władze instytucji tak ważnej dla kultury polskiej mogły zrezygnować z programu prowadzonego pod egidą jednego z najbardziej wyrazistych symboli polskiej kultury.

W ciągu ponad sześciu lat swojego istnienia Radio Chopin zdobyło opinię wyjątkowego miejsca kultu Fryderyka Chopina. Towarzyszące informacjom o planach likwidacji tego miejsca zapowiedzi „zlania” Radia Chopin z Programem 2 Polskiego Radia w najmniejszym nawet stopniu nie redukują niepokoju o losy muzyki Chopina w Polskim Radiu. Program 2 ma swoje zasługi na tym polu, ale nie przejmie szczególnego dbania o ten skarb, bo ma wiele innych zadań. Trudno zresztą „zlać” dwa 24-godzinne programy w jeden, doba się nie rozciągnie.

Resignation of Jerzy Kornowicz from the position of the curator of the Kody Festival in Lublin

logo KODY

On the 14^th of March, 2024, I submitted my resignation to the Mayor of Lublin, Mr. Krzysztof Żuk, from the position of Curator of the KODY Festival of Tradition and Musical Avant-Garde organized by the Center for Intercultural Creative Initiatives ROZDROŻA in Lublin.

Both Kody and Rozdroża are Lublin's great capital, an original idea and its artistic expression, a valuable initiative in Lublin's efforts to become the European Capital of Culture.

We are pleased with the opinion about Kody in Poland and abroad, as a festival of musical art, as well as thoughts and ideas. Supported by creativity: with dozens of commissions, cross-genre cultural meetings, and the presence of many musical communities usually operating separately in their own artistic industries. Kody are not only about "stars", but about creating a cultural movement. One does not exclude the other. Artists of the Festival: Jan Garbarek, John Zorn, Laurie Anderson, Jan Gaca, Kronos Quartet, Bang on a Can, Polish Radical Ensamble, Glenn Branca, Tomasz Stańko, Iva Bittova, Leszek Możdżer, Andrzej Bauer and Cellonet, Szábolcs Esztényi, Marcin Masecki, Ensemble of the European School of Traditional Singing, Tęgie Chłopy, Olga Pasiecznik, Grain de la Voix, Laibach, Theater of Voices, Evelyn Gleni, Marek Moś and Aukso, Orchester de Ereprijs, Phonos ek Machanes, Hashtag Ensemble, Tadeusz Wierzbicki and Laboratory of Phenomena, Jacek Kochan , Spółdzielnia Muzyczna, Kawalerowie Błotni, Kwartludium, ProMODERN, Lublin Philharmonic and Juventus Orchestra, composers writing especially for KODY: Zygmunt Krauze, Piotr Tabakiernik, Aleksander Kościów, Rafał Ryterski, Cezary Duchnowski, Lidia Zielińska, Artur Zagajewski, Krzysztof Knittel, Pierre Jodlowski, Wojciech Błażejczyk, Jagoda Szmytka and dozens more with first performances - including Arvo Paart, Philip Glass and Kaija Saariaho. And dozens of ensembles of various traditions.