- General director: Paweł Dudzik
The Torun Chamber Orchestra was established in 1979 and, since then, it has given over a thousand concerts not only all over Poland, but also in many European countries. It has also taken part in countless music festivals but its primary purpose is to entertain the people of Torun with weekly performances given at the Small and Big Halls in the Artus' Court. The ensemble consisting of 37 musicians, is financed by the City of Torun.
MEMBERS OF THE ORCHESTRA:
- First Violins: Izabela Bogusz (concertmaster), Natalia Jaroszenko, Jacek Pedrasik, Mariola Majrowska, Renata Brylinska, Aurelia Wiecek, Grzegorz Bogusz
- Second Violins: Aleksandra Lukaszewska, Ewa Drzewiecka, Renata Bartoszek, Bernadetta Chmielecka-Wesolowska, Teresa Szymanska, Aleksandra Udalowska
- Violas: Pawel Czarnowski, Anna Szczepanska, Anna Marczynska, Krzysztof Blek, Antonina Siegel
- Cellos: Pawel Pedrasik (concertmaster), Beata Wiacek-Felczykowska, Dorota Bojarczuk, Karol Wroniszewski
- Double-basses: Henryk Giza, Andrzej Wyrwicki
- Flutes: Elzbieta Sarba, Dorota Jagiello
- Oboes: Krzysztof Affeldt, Marek Dwulat
- Clarinets: Miroslaw Dudzinski, Przemyslaw Gronkowski
- Bassoons: Ewa Sulimowicz, Wlodzimierz Wiecek
- Horns: Wojciech Brylinski, Robert Jozefowicz
- Trumpets: Jakub Marszalek, Jacek Wieczorek
- Harpsichord (Piano, Organ): Wojciech Sarba
When necessary, eight additional musicians, who cooperate with the Orchestra on a regular basis, join the ensemble, in which case, a small symphony orchestra is created.The ensemble's repertoire comprises of several hundred compositions, ranging from baroque to contemporary music. The most distinguished of Polish conductors and soloists - both instrumentalists and vocalists, as well as, choirs (e.q.The Nicholas Copernicus University Chamber Choir) work closely with the Orchestra.
The Torun Chamber Orchestra recorded 6 CDs. In 1996, the Orchestra recorded a CD entitled Famous Classical Miniature Compositions and, in 1997 a monographic CD with F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy's music. Both were recorded under the supervision of Jerzy Salwarowski. In 1997 and in 1999 the Orchestra recorded monographic CDs with W. A. Mozart's music: Mass in C minor (K.427), Requiem in D minor (K.626), Ave verum corpus (K.618) and Laudate Dominum (K.339). In 2000 the Orchestra recorded another CD with Edmundo Eckart's - Cantorata with Agnieszka Olszewska as a soprano and choir "Pueri Cantores Thorunienses," recorded under Joan Lluis Moraleda. In 2001, in Soroe, the Orchestra recorded CD with Ludwig van Beethoven's - Oratorio Christ on the Montain of Olives and Leonore No.2 with Ann Petersen as a soprano, Adam Zdunikowski as a tenor, Ole Stovring Larsen as a bass and the choirs: "Chorus Soranus" and "Akademik Kor," recorded under Knud Vad.
The Orchestra offers four kinds of concerts:
- "The small philharmonic" - The philharmonic program is usually presented in cycles. So far the Orchestra has presented All Beethoven's symphonies, Vienna classics, All Beethoven's piano concerts, All Mozart's violin concerts, All Schubert's symphonies, All Schumann's symphonies and All Brahms's symphonies (The concerts are on Fridays at 7 p.m.)
- "Music for you" - This popular music program contains arias, duets and instrumental music from operas, operettas, musicals, Vienna's masters' music, film music etc. Some of the titles of performances include: Rossiniana, The Joyful Widow - the essence of operetta, The Famous Orchestra Miniature Compositions, The carnival: its past and present, In the romantic spirit, The Beatles Symphony Orchestra, The Music of Westerns, Paraphrases and transcriptions (The concerts are on Sundays at 5 p.m.)
- "The university concerts" - The typical program of chamber orchestra consist of compositions ranging from baroque to contemporary music. Usually the performance includes a Concerto grosso or a solo concert, a lecture given by a professor from the Nicolas Copernicus University and a suite or a serenade (The concerts are on Saturdays at 6 p.m.)
- "The chamber concerts" - Chamber concerts series are recitals of instrumentalists or vocalists, or concerts of chamber ensembles (The concerts are on Fridays at 7 p.m.)
Apart from the above-mentioned types of programmes, the Orchestra also presents oratorios in the historical churches of Toruń and concerts for children. The ensemble also performs with the best graduates and students of music schools in Toruń.
The Toruń Chamber Orchestra organizes International Summer Festival "Toruń - Music and Architecture", during which concerts are held in some of the most beautiful buildings of the 13th century Old Town.
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