"Silesia – Rhythms of Industry": a concert to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the events at the "Wujek" Coal Mine

During the upcoming concert within the "Silesia – Rhythms of Industry" series, taking place on July 5, 2026, at 6.00 pm, the Silesian Museum will become a space where the region's industrial history meets its musical identity. In the Museum, built on the site of the former "Katowice" coal mine, the Silesian Philharmonic Choir and the Silesian Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Radosław Droń, will present works by Wojciech Kilar, Józef Świder, Jan Wincenty Hawel, Mikołaj Jarczyński, and Adam Wesołowski.

This concert is part of the special commemoration of the 45th anniversary of the events at the "Wujek" Coal Mine – one of the most moving moments in the region's recent history. The program also highlights the jubilee of Jan Wincenty Hawel, the long-standing director and conductor of the Silesian Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, who is celebrating his 90th birthday this year.

The program features Wojciech Kilar's music from the film Salt of the Black Earth, which evocatively conjures up the Silesian landscape and its history, as well as his Veni Creator. The reflective tone will be complemented by Józef Świder’s compositions – Requiem aeternam and Lux perpetua. Jan Wincenty Hawel's Moments, Op. 131 will showcase the intimate side of contemporary Silesian music. Meanwhile, Mikołaj Jarczyński's piece 9-23 will bring a fresh perspective on the emotions tied to memory and history  – the composition won the "2nd Symphony of Memory" Composition Competition.

The evening will conclude with Adam Wesołowski's 1st Industrial Symphony for string orchestra and multimedia - piece inspired by the industrial heritage of Silesia, where the music performed by the musicians on stage blends with the sounds and images of industry, creating a story about the rhythm of work, space, and the people who have built the region's identity over generations.

The concert will be accompanied by the exhibition "The Mine Strikes. The Strike and Pacification of the Wujek Coal Mine, December 13–16, 1981".

Media patronage over the 2025/26 concert season of the Silesian Philharmonic is held by the Polish Music Information Centre POLMIC.

More information: https://filharmonia-slaska.eu/production/slaskie-rytmy-industrii-muzeum-slaskie-chor-orkiestra-kameralna/