From Baroque Sounds to Digital Landscapes – 14th "New Music" Festival in Bydgoszcz

The 14th "New Music" International Festival of Contemporary Music, taking place in Bydgoszcz from May 16 to June 16, 2026, focuses on a wide range of forms and styles. The program features 13 exceptional events, showcasing over twenty world premieres. The audience will experience both works written for period instruments and compositions utilizing cutting-edge electronics.

The program offers a broad spectrum of aesthetics—from traditional perspectives on contemporary chamber music to the choral mysticism of the Kuyavia region and innovative multimedia projects. The festival will be inaugurated by the concert "Gdańsk Wave: Viola in a New Dimension" (May 16), which combines the sound of the instrument with electronics.

May 17 will mark the release of an album based on graphic scores titled People of Vełna: Poetic Metaphysics. On May 18, the renowned ensemble via nova from Germany will perform in Bydgoszcz to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Kazimierz Wielki University. The concert titled "16-bit Baroque" (June 14) offers an innovative look at harpsichord and string instruments in the digital age.

The festival will culminate in a remerkable concert by the Bydgoszcz Accordion Orchestra entitled "Architecture of Air" (June 16).

"New Music" 2026 will be a festival of contrasts. Music lovers will have the chance to hear the Intemperata Baroque Orchestra performing contemporary music on period instruments, as well as experimental concerts by students of the Bydgoszcz Academy of Music ("Sound Tarot"). The program will also feature choral highlights ("Choral Paths of Kuyavia") and meditative quartet concerts.

The festival is organized by the Kuyavian-Pomeranian branch of the Polish Composers' Union in cooperation with key cultural and academic institutions: the Municipal Cultural Centre in Bydgoszcz, the Kazimierz Wielki University, and the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music.

The event is held under the Honorary Patronage of the Krzysztof Penderecki European Centre for Music, underlining its prestige on Poland's musical map.

The event is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage from the Culture Promotion Fund (the "Music" program, implemented by the National Institute of Music and Dance), and by the City of Bydgoszcz.

Media patronage: Polish Music Information Centre POLMIC.

Festival's website: https://www.nowamuzyka.bydgoszcz.pl/