The Warsaw premiere of the performance "Fugue" set to music by Bach and Zagajewski

The music of Johann Sebastian Bach and Artur Zagajewski may not only be listened to but also resonates within the body, through gestures and breath. On May 9, 2026 at 7.00 pm, four dancers—Stanisław Bulder, Olga Bury, Radosław Lis, and Gieorgij Puchalski—together with Janusz Orlik (concept and choreography) and the Polish Cello Quartet, will debut an innovative project at Warsaw’s Pavilion of Dance and Other Performing Arts. In this performance, sound becomes visible, movement becomes audible, and the audience and performers intertwine in one melody.

Despite the fugue's roots in abstract music, the concept itself is etymologically linked to movement—the Latin word fuga means "flight" or "escape." The association underlying the term’s construction stems from observing a theme as it is placed by the composer into successive voices of the sound fabric. As the Polish Cello Quartet's performance is accompanied by dancers seeking energy and tension within the polyphonic material, Johann Sebastian Bach’s Die Kunst der Fuge—written three centuries ago and arranged for four cellos—will find its physical embodiment.

Right before the artists tackle the work that stands as the highest achievement of the Baroque era, they will interpret the cello compositions of Artur Zagajewski. His piece sculpture (from the way of the cross) was written in 2016 specifically for the ensemble. The composer draws inspiration from the architecture and sculpture of the famous Sagrada Família, Antoni Gaudí’s opus magnum. Two other works by the Polish composer will also be performed, including Canzona from 2014, in a new arrangement for four cellos.

Strobe lighting will be used during the performance.

A Q&A session with the artists will be held after the performance.

Produced by the Witold Lutosławski National Forum of Music, and co-produced by the Pavilion of Dance and Other Performing Arts – a branch of the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw.

The media patronage over the 2025/2026 concert season of the National Forum of Music is held by the Polish Music Information Centre POLMIC.

More information: https://www.nfm.wroclaw.pl/component/nfmcalendar/event/13736