The patron of the Jewish Music Festival in Tykocin is Rebeka (Rywka) Tiktiner – a Talmudic scholar born in Tykocin in the 16th century and the author of religious literature addressed to women, including the treatise Meneket Rivka, as well as several songs for the festival of Simchat Torah, some of which remain popular to this day. The second edition of the Festival will take place inside the unique historical monument of the Great Synagogue in Tykocin from May 17 to June 1, 2025. Admission to all festival events is free.
The program will feature Jewish music in the broadest sense – composed by Jewish composers, dedicated to Jewish themes, or inspired by traditional melodies, instruments, religion, and the history of the Jewish people. The event will focus on the artistic legacy of the Jewish diaspora that lived in the territories of Poland for nearly 1,000 years.
Outstanding artists have been invited to participate, and they will present works by Szymon Laks, Mieczysław Weinberg, Ignacy Friedman, and Ryszard Sielicki, as well as compositions by women, contemporary interpretations of traditional Jewish music, and pieces that are rarely or have never been performed – including the world premiere of Suite for Violin, Viola, and Piano by Maciej Zimka.
The concert on May 25 will also mark the release of the album Escape from the Shadows, featuring works by Polish-Jewish composers of the 20th century, including the phonographic premiere of Sonata for Viola and Piano by Ety Tyrmand, performed by violist Aleksandra Demowska-Madejska and pianist Wojciech Pyrc. The album was released by Orphée Classics with the support of a grant from ZAiKS.
The event will be accompanied by workshops with Miriam Synger, lectures by Prof. Joanna Degler-Lisek and Dr. Karolina Szymaniak, as well as guided tours of the Great Synagogue led by Renata Makarska from the Podlasie Museum – Tykocin Branch.
During children's music workshops led by conductor Lilianna Krych, selected participants will form a Children’s Choir from the Tykocin area, which will then take part in the Festival’s final concert alongside renowned musicians and actors.
In 2025, the festival events will also be part of two major initiatives important to the local community – the Night of Museums and Children’s Day in Tykocin.
The Festival is co-financed as part of the "Music" program of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, implemented by the National Institute of Music and Dance.
The Jewish Music Festival named after Rywka Tiktiner 2025 is held under the honorary patronage of the Marshal of the Polish Parliament
Organizers: Mieczysław Weinberg Institute, Warsaw Stage Society
Partners: Podlasie Museum in Białystok, ZAiKS Authors’ Association, STOART Union of Performing Artists
Honorary Patrons: POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, Jewish Art Institute, Social Museum of the Jews of Białystok and the Region
Festival Curators: Maria Sławek, Lilianna Krych
Patronat medialny nad Festiwalem sprawuje Polskie Centrum Informacji Muzycznej POLMIC.
Detailed programme: https://www.facebook.com/events/2037709770052773/2037716076718809
