The Warsaw branchof the Polish Chamber Musicians Association, in collaboration with Nizio Gallery, invites you to the 2nd Music Festival “Laks Ocalaly” (Laks the Survivor), which will take place from November 15-26, 2024. Participation in all events is free of charge.

The goal of the Festival is to present the works of the outstanding Warsaw resident – Szymon Laks, composer, conductor, writer, and translator. He survived over two years in the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp, where he served as the conductor of the camp orchestra. He was active in Poland and France and was a member of the Association of Young Polish Musicians in Paris. Laks composed chamber, symphonic, and film music.

During this edition, we will hear his Concertino for Wind Trio, string quartets, and Piano Quintet, as well as his Songs to the Words of Julian Tuwim. The works of other Polish Jewish composers will also be performed, including those by Aleksander Tansman, Mieczysław Wajnberg, and Ignaz Friedman.

These pieces will be interpreted by renowned performers such as Messages Quartet, LLLeggiero Woodwind Trio, Jakub Jakowicz (violin), Maria Machowska (violin), Katarzyna Budnik (viola), Bartosz Koziak (cello), Grzegorz Mania (piano), Bartłomiej Wezner (piano), Aleksandra Kubas-Kruk (soprano), Anna Bernacka (mezzo-soprano), and Monika Kruk (piano).

A related event will be a lecture by Dr. hab. Jolanta Guzy-Pasiak (Polish Academy of Sciences), titled “Laks and Other Emigrant Composers”.

The festival is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage from the Cultural Promotion Fund – a state earmarked fund, as part of the “Music” program implemented by the National Institute of Music and Dance.

The Festival is held under the honorary patronage of the Marshal of the Mazovian Voivodeship.

The public task is co-financed by the funds of the Mazovian Voivodeship Government.

Media patronage: Polish Music Information Centre POLMIC

Detailed programme: https://spmk.com.pl/projekt/laks-ocalaly-2-edycja/