Centenary Festival of the Polish Composers’ Union: Concert of the Poznań Branch “Rafał Zapała in memoriam”

Representatives of the Poznań Branch of the Polish Composers’ Union and Sepia Ensemble under the direction of Michał Janocha invite us on November 9, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. to the Witold Lutosławski Concert Studio of Polish Radio for a jubilee intergenerational journey through various spheres of inspiration, style, form, technique, and performance ensemble. At the same time, they wish to honor the memory of Rafał Zapała – a composer who passed away prematurely in July this year. Admission free.

"These are 16 diverse, unique, individual sound worlds to which the composers from Poznań and the instrumentalists of the contemporary music ensemble Sepia Ensemble invite us. On this special day, we particularly keep in mind our dear Friend – Rafał Zapała – one of the founders of Sepia Ensemble, an outstanding creator and a multi-talented Artist," emphasizes Ewa Fabiańska-Jelińska, President of the Poznań Branch of the Polish Composers’ Union.

His joyful and spirited Scherzo, composed more than ten years ago, will open the concert.

The program will also feature several world premieres. RAFA, written for Sepia Ensemble, was dedicated by Katarzyna Kwiecień-Długosz to the memory of Rafał Zapała. In διαχωρίζω for chamber ensemble, Dominik Puk reflects on the perspective of passing into another dimension. Via lactea by Monika Kędziora for piano, in its extramusical meaning, is a kind of allusion to a journey along the Milky Way through the starry sky. Integrazioni by Barbara Kaszuba was composed precisely for the 100th anniversary of the Polish Composers’ Union. The musical integrations in this work take place on many levels, creating varied planes of sound. Dalekie by Artur Kroschel for violin, viola, and cello was inspired by the concept of memory. Pejzaż alpejski (Alpine Landscape) by Agnieszka Zdrojek-Suchodolska and Bilecik (The Note) by Katarzyna Taborowska-Kaszuba are sonic postcards for chamber ensembles.

Full festival program: https://100latzkp.org.pl/wydarzenia.php

The event is co-organized by the National Institute of Music and Dance, co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, and the City of Warsaw.

A co-organizer of the concert is Polish Radio Channel 2.

Partners: Society of Authors ZAiKS, National Philharmonic, Fryderyk Chopin University of Music, Polish Music Publishers (PWM).

Media patronage: Polish Radio Channel 2, Presto Magazine, Waw4Free, Wolna sobota, NaM!, naszemiasto.pl.

Editorial cooperation: Polish Music Information Centre (POLMIC).

Program:

Rafał Zapała – Scherzo (2014)
Lidia Zielińska – La Vetrata (1979)
Jan Astriab – Sonata 3 Planet, Part II Venus (2000)
Zbigniew Kozub – Arthrea III (2016)
Monika Kędziora – Via lactea (2025, world premiere)
Jerzy Fryderyk Wojciechowski – Sonata op. 15 (2022)
Artur Kroschel – Dalekie (Far Away) (2025, world premiere)
Michał Janocha – Chamber Music VI (2025)
Agnieszka Zdrojek-Suchodolska – Pejzaż alpejski (Alpine Landscape) (2025, world premiere)
Barbara Kaszuba – Integrazioni (2025, world premiere)
Ewa Fabiańska-Jelińska – Rocking Music, Part II (2018)
Katarzyna Taborowska – Bilecik (The Note) (2025, world premiere)
Dominik Puk – διαχωρίζω (2025, world premiere)
Katarzyna Kwiecień-Długosz – RAFA (2025, world premiere)