A for Academy, B for Baroque, E for Entertainment, J for Jazz, O for Opera, S for Symphony — and Ż? Ż stands for the Concert Hall of the Academy of Music on Żubardzka Street in Łódź!
It will once again fill with a wide spectrum of sounds, genres and styles — a true musical alphabet. The upcoming AŻ Festival, held from 28 November to 20 December, will feature: the Polish premiere of Cavalli’s opera L’Egisto, the stage production Młynarski. Chory na muzykę [Młynarski. Sick with Music], and two instrumental projects with exceptional guests — Javier Nandayapa with The Bacewicz Percussion Ensemble and Adam Makowicz with the Primuz Chamber Orchestra.
Marking the 80th anniversary of the Academy of Music, the 13th edition of the AŻ Festival welcomes internationally renowned artists. The Festival is held under the honorary patronage of: Marta Cienkowska, Minister of Culture and National Heritage; Dorota Ryl, Governor of Łódź Voivodeship; Joanna Skrzydlewska, Marshal of Łódź Voivodeship; and Hanna Zdanowska, Mayor of Łódź.
The Festival opens with the Polish premiere of Francesco Cavalli’s Baroque opera L’Egisto (28 and 29 November). The production is directed by Łukasz Konieczny and Magdalena Szuster, with musical direction by Lilianna Stawarz. The solo roles will be performed by students of the Faculty of Performing Arts and pupils of the Moniuszko Music School Complex in Łódź, accompanied by the Baroque Orchestra of the Academy of Music in Łódź.
Adam Makowicz, master of the keyboard and of jazz, will perform with the Primuz Chamber Orchestra on 3 December. Conducted by Łukasz Błaszczyk, the concert will be broadcast on Polish Radio Channel 2 — the first such initiative in the Festival’s history.
Also for the first time, the Festival will include a performance dedicated to children (6 December). On St Nicholas Day, young audiences will enjoy Ribbons, Cookies and the Nutcracker: A Pre-Christmas Tale. Dancers from the Institute of Choreography and Dance Techniques will bring the winter magic to life. The performance is created by Agnieszka Łuczyńska and Anna Wytych-Wierzgacz.
Javier Nandayapa, Mexican marimba virtuoso and composer, will appear with The Bacewicz Percussion Ensemble under the direction of Piotr Sutt (10 December). The Jeunesses Musicales Percussion Group from Gdańsk will also take part as a guest ensemble.
Młynarski. Chory na muzykę, directed by Marek Rachoń, will present the creativity and struggles of the brilliant lyricist in the form of a vocal-acting performance (13 and 14 December). Songs that “help us live” will be performed by students of the Faculty of Jazz and Popular Music and the Faculty of Performing Arts.
The grand finale of the 13th AŻ Festival (20 December), coinciding with the Academy’s 80th anniversary celebrations, will be a festive symphonic-oratorio concert. The programme includes Grazyna Bacewicz’s Overture for Orchestra and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Coronation Mass, conducted by Marcin Wolniewski. The works will be performed by soloists, the Mixed Choir, the Chamber Choir, and the Symphony Orchestra of the Academy of Music in Łódź.
The Festival is co-financed by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage through the Fund for the Promotion of Culture, within the programme “Music”, implemented by the National Institute of Music and Dance. The project is carried out by the Operativa Association for the Promotion of Artistic Initiatives in cooperation with the Grazyna and Kiejstut Bacewicz Academy of Music in Łódź.
Tickets for the festival concerts are now available at the Academy’s box office and via the platform kicket.pl.
Media patronage: Polish Music Information Centre POLMIC
Press release
Morej: https://www.amuz.lodz.pl/index.php/pl/wydarzenia/13-az-festiwal
