Composer Mateusz Ryczek — president of the Wrocław Branch of the Polish Composers’ Union — and saxophonist Alicja Wołyńczyk-Raniszewska will be guests of Warsaw’s Hashtag Lab, where on 29 November 2025 at 7:00 p.m. they will premiere the composition Wargin.
Mateusz Ryczek’s Wargin, for saxophone, electronics, and video, is inspired by a Slavic legend about the king of cats, the demonic Wargin. The composer describes his work as follows:
“Wargin was larger than other cats, and fire burned in his eyes. He cunningly won people’s favor. Yet those he chose gradually lost their minds, and in their heads — through the cat’s purring — a swarm of wasps eventually appeared, causing them to die in terrible agony.
The composition is dedicated to Alicja Wołyńczyk-Raniszewska and also exists in an interactive version designed for VR glasses, for individual experience.”
Wargin was created as part of the 2025 Creative Scholarship of the Minister of Culture.
That evening will also feature works by Anna Maria Huszcza, Elżbieta Sikora, Paweł Mykietyn, and Jacek Grudzień.
The Contemporary Music Space Hashtag Lab is co-financed by the Capital City of Warsaw.
Media patronage: Polish Music Information Centre POLMIC
Ticket information: https://hashtaglab.pl/event/wargin/
