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1st Witold Friemann International Clarinet Competition is a new online project of the Life and Art Foundation made in collaboration with Thailand Clarinet Association. The deadline for submitting applications is 31 January 2022.

The main goal is to promote clarinet music by a forgotten Polish composer Witold Friemann (1889-1977), whose excellent works enriched clarinet literature and are worth to promote worldwide. Characteristic style of his pieces comprising unique elements of Polish music will contribute to developing participants' taste as well as technical skills. The majority of clarinet pieces were dedicated to the splendid Polish clarinetist Ludwik Kurkiewicz (1906-1998), a promoter of Friemann’s music.

1st Witold Friemann International Clarinet Competition will be divided into 3 categories: senior (born after 1 January 1989), junior (born after 1 January 2003), and children (born after 1 January 2007). Each participant will receive a free membership of the International Clarinet Association until 31 December 2022.

The jury is composed of renowned clarinetists: Matthias Müller (Switzerland), Eddy Vanoosthuyse (Belgium), Barbara Borowicz (Poland), Robert Stefański (Poland), Rachel Yoder (USA), Kristine Dizon (USA), Nattapon Banjatammanon (Thailand), Chaiphat Tripipitsiriwat (Thailand), Pimnatthika Angkanajerathiti (Thailand).

Media patronage: Polish Music Information Centre POLMIC.

More information: www.en.lifeandart.eu/wficc/ 

The Institute of Chamber Music of the Grazyna and Kiejstut Bacewicz Academy of Music in Łódź invites music ensembles to participate in the oldest Polish chamber music competition – the 21st Kiejstut Bacewicz International Chamber Music Competition. Auditions will be held on 4-9 April 2022. Applications should be sent by 31 January 2022.

The competition history is over 60 years old. In 1995, it was named after Kiejstut Bacewicz – its initiator, outstanding chamber pianist, teacher, composer, long-time former Rector of the Conservatory of Music in Lodz. Until the fifteenth edition, the competition was an inter-university event for students of Polish and foreign music academies. Since 2007, it has been dedicated to all chamber ensembles that meet the requirements of the regulations – the average age of all members of the ensemble may not exceed 30 on the day of the competition.

The auditions will be held from 4 to 9 April 2022 in the Chamber Hall of the Academy of Music in Łódź. The winners' concert will take place in the Concert Hall of the Academy of Music in Łódź. The competition may be open to the public depending on the pandemic situation in the country. Applications with all the required files should be completed by 31 January 2022.

The 1st round of the Competition will take place in two categories:
• category A – vocal piano duo, instrumental duo (with piano), piano duo
• category B – piano trio, piano quartet, piano quintet.

The best ensembles in each category will be qualified for the second stage auditions, in which they will be classified jointly. The jury includes renowned artist: Urszula Kryger, Michał Drewnowski, Paweł Mazurkiewicz, Pierluigi Destro.

Media patronage: Polish Music Information Centre POLMIC.

Rules, regulations and more information: https://www.amuz.lodz.pl/en/aktualnosci/2021/155999-the-21st-kiejstut-bacewicz-international-chamber-music-competition-in-lodz 

The Polish Cultural Institute in London is pleased to announce the creation of the 'Polish Music Since 1900 Research Network'.

The Network is a research group which unites international scholars engaged in the study of Polish music (broadly defined) from 1900 to the present day. It is supported by the Polish Cultural Institute in London and is curated by Dr James Savage-Hanford, Prof. Andrea F. Bohlman, and Prof. Beata Bolesławska-Lewandowska.

Aims of the Network are:

- to encourage collaboration and foster mutual support among researchers of Polish music since 1900,

- to create a focal point for all kinds of interdisciplinary research, interpretation, and analysis of Polish music since 1900,

- to provide opportunities for knowledge sharing and discussion of scholarly work,

- to foster new and diverse avenues of scholarly enquiry into Polish music since 1900,

- to build an international online interactive research community for individuals to share and discuss research.

The Network’s official launch will take place as part of an inaugural online research forum, scheduled for spring 2022. Further details will be announced in due course.

If you wish to join the Network’s mailing list, email Dr James Savage-Hanford at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. There is also a Facebook group where members can share publication and conference updates, resources, and other opportunities. The Network’s activities can also be followed on Twitter (@PolMus1900).

In the January issue of the monthly ‘Hi-Fi i Muzyka’ a list of the Annual Awards awarded by the magazine was published.

The awards go to the best CD records and playback equipment of the last twelve months. The Regamey & Regamey. Pasiecznik & Pasiecznik album described by reviewers from the magazine's music division as ‘unique, crucial for the history of Polish music of the 20^th century’ became Album of the Year 2021.

Thank you very much for this prestigious honourable mention!

As part of the „Muzyka polska dzisiaj – portrety współczesnych kompozytorów polskich” (‘Polish music today – potraits of Polish contemporary composers’) series launched in 2013, Polish Composers’ Union published another CD with Roman Maciejewski’s music for two pianos this year.

The CD (catalogue number: polmic 164) contains two piano works of the composer: Allegro concertante – two pianos version composed in 1944 and Pianoduo concertante for two pianos without orchestra composed between 1935 and 1936.

Anna Wielgus-Nowak and Grzegorz Nowak as Novi Piano Duo recorded the works for the DUX Recording Producers in the Krzysztof Penderecki European Centre for Music on 29 November – 2 December this year. Marlena Wieczorek, the author of the composer’s monograph published in 2008 in Poznań (PTPN publisher), wrote the booklet essay.

The project is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage from the Culture Promotion Fund as part of the National Institute of Music and Dance programme ‘Muzyczny ślad‘ (Musical Trace).