Warsaw | Night of Museums in Białołęka with Henryk Melcer

Few people know that the great Polish pianist and composer Henryk Melcer-Szczawiński was born in 1869 in the Marcelin estate in Warsaw's Białołęka district. It is to him that the AVE Foundation dedicates the Night of Museums on 15 May 2021. An exhibition, vintage bus tours, activities for children and a unique musical spectacle are planned!

Dr Michał Piekarski from the Institute of the History of Science of the Polish Academy of Sciences is the author of the exhibition, which will be opened during the Night of Museums at 5.00 p.m. at the Majlert family's horticultural farm "Rysiny" at Smugowa St. in Marcelin. It covers the entire biography of the composer and presents his work.

The opening of the exhibition will be accompanied by a unique outdoor musical performance about the life and work of the composer. Those present will hear his Sonata in G major for violin and piano, considered the most outstanding Polish violin sonata of the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, selected songs and the ballad MrsTwardowska to the words of Adam Mickiewicz. Outstanding musicians will perform: violinist Celina Kotz, laureate of the 15th International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition, pianists Grzegorz Skrobiński (lecturer at the FCUM) and Gabriela Machowska, soloist of the Polish Royal Opera Witold Żołądkiewicz and the Białołęka AVE choir with friends from the National Philharmonic Choir conducted by Barbara Hijewska.

Moreover, historic bus trips around Białołęka from Melcer's times will depart from in front of the town hall of the Białołęka District at 7.00 and 10.00 p.m., and during the day there will be interactive workshops for children about the composer's life and work, conducted by an excellent musicologist, Anna Ługowska (four tours: 9.00, 10.10, 11.20, 12.30).

Activities are planned on-site. Due to the pandemic, reservations are required for all events (http://fundacjaave.pl/en/ and tel. 608 178 447).