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The Krakow Opera invites you to the concert "My evening song", which will take place on May 13, 2018 at 5.00 pm in the "Wieliczka" Salt Mine (John Haluszko chamber), as part of the "Song – Theater of the Word" series.

The main theme of the concert will revolve around 100 years of Poland's independence. We will hear songs by Frederic Chopin, performed by Magdalena Barylak (Życzenie, Śliczny chłopiec, Dumka) and Adam Wasp (Hulanka, Poseł, Wojak, Pierścień). Iwona Socha will sing Four Songs to words by Asnyk Adam and Dominic Sutowicz will sing Six songs to words by Adam Mickiewicz by Ignacy Jan Paderewski. The concert will also feature songs by Karol Szymanowski, Stanislaw Moniuszko and Mieczysław Karłowicz.

In addition to vocalists we will also hear solo instrumentalists who will present compositions by Grazyna Bacewicz (Prelude, Krakowiak, Kujawiak, Polish Caprice), Romuald Twardowski (Polish Fantasy), Ignacy Jan Paderewski (Melody) and Fryderyk Chopin (Polonaise, Op. 40 No. 1 in A major). Mariola Cieniawa will play the piano, and Anna Wójtowicz and Paweł Wójtowicz will play the violin. The host of the evening will be Agnieszka Draus.

Tickets can be purchased at the Krakow Opera House and online at: www.opera.krakow.pl.

The world premiere of the opera-ballet Demeter by Stanisław Rzepiel, directed by Anna Zwiefka, will take place on May 13, 2018 at 6:00 pm in the Krakow Philharmonic.

Demeter is spectacle that mix many genres, including opera, cantata, ballet and dance theater. The project is created in cooperation with young artists working in the international arena: director Anna Zwiefka, set and costume designer Kamila Sudoł and choreographer Angelo Egarese. The resulting performance will be a kind of bridge between the present and the ancient world of Greek deities. Homer's myth of Demeter, Persephone and Hades, was the starting point for the creative interpretation – both visually and musically.

The over 70-member executive cast includes well-known artists and art groups from both Poland and abroad: Kinesis Contemporary Dance Company from Florence, actors, performers of solo parts (Olga Demeter, Wiktoria Zawistowska and Piotr Kalina), Krakow Music Academy Symphony Orchestra and "Przestrzeń Głosu" Vocal Ensemble under the composer's direction.

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With the arrival of May Sinfonia Varsovia begins the summer art season, which will last from May 12 to September 21, 2018. For the first time, symphonic and chamber concerts, dances, performances and exhibitions will take place at the newly created Concert Pavilion (Warsaw, 272 Grochowska St.).

The eighth edition of the afternoon chamber concerts "Summer Concerts at Grochowska" (12 May–26 August), which will be held on Saturdays and Sundays at 4.00 pm, will be inaugurated by a great duet – Janusz Olejniczak and Tomasz Strahl (12.05). Artists will present, among others, Mazurkas Op. 50 No. 1, 2 by Karol Szymanowski. During subsequent events, we will listen to Olga Pasiecznik, Wakarecy Piano Duo, Alexander Gebert, Maciej Frąckiewicz, Kaja Danczowska and young talented participants of the Sinfonia Varsovia Academy and the Opera Academy.

For the first time in history, regular symphonic concerts will be organised at the orchestra's headquarters, at the 400-seat Concert Pavilion. The premiere series "Sinfonia Varsovia at Grochowska" (25 May, 31 August, 7 and 21 September) will feature a variety of repertoire – from classical music, through film music, to jazz. The cycle will start with the Wish Concert (25 May), which programme will be selected in the audience's vote. A musical gift from the orchestra to the residents of Warsaw, Franciszek Wybrańczyk Festiival "Sinfonia Varsovia to Its City" (16–23 June) is another opportunity to listen to the symphonic orchestra at Grochowska. During the summer season, dances will also return, enjoying great popularity among regular visitors and listeners who are just beginning their adventure with music.

Information on tickets, events and voting is available at: www.sinfoniavarsovia.org 

The 5th International Competition of Choral Sacred Music Carmen Fidei will take place on May 11-12, 2019 at the Saint Agnes Church in Goniądz.

The organizers of the competition are the Parish of St. Agnes in Goniądz and the Community Cultural Center in Goniadz. The competition takes place under the honorary patronage of the mayor of Goniądz, Mariusz Ramotowski, Metropolitan of Bialystok, Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda and the Association of Polish Church Musicians.

14 choirs from all over Poland and one choir from Lithuania (about 350 people) applied for the event. The programme includes works by Polish composers of the XX-XXI century: Paweł Bębenk, Henryk Jan Botor, Jacek Gałuszko, Piotr Jańczak, Andrzej Koszewski, Jacek Piech, Tadeusz Szeligowski and Józef Świder. The Cum Santin Choir from Lublin will premiere the song Holy Spirit Come by Lublin composer Marcin Obuchowski.

The jury consists of three members: prof. dr hab. Andrzej Ryłko (Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Faculty of Pedagogy and Fine Arts in Kalisz), prof. dr hab. Wioletta Miłkowska (Fryderyk Chopin University of Music, Instrumental and Pedagogical Faculty in Bialystok), and the chair,  prof. zw. dr hab. Paweł Łukaszewski (Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw). The Grand Prix prize is PLN 2,500. In addition, the jury will award Gold, Silver and Bronze distinctions. There is a prize for the Best Conductor and Special Prize for the best performance of Gregorian chant.

Auditions of the competition will take place in the Saint Agnes Church in Goniądz. The ceremonial ending of the competition, the announcement of the results, the awards ceremony and the concert of the winners will take place on May 12, 2018 at 7.00 p.m.. In addition, on May 13, Joanna Łukaszewska, a lecturer at the FCUM in Warsaw, will conduct a workshop on voice emission.

Media patronage: Polish Music Information Centre POLMIC.

Detailed information at: www.carmenfidei.pl 

The premiere of the spectacle "Polish Evening" will take place at the Wrocław Opera on May 11, 2018 at 7:00 pm.

In 2018, the year of 100th anniversary of Poland regaining its independence, we return to the most important names in the history of Polish music."Polish Evening" contemporary choreographies by Emil Wesołowski and Teresa Kujawa are a ballet tribute to representatives of Polish music from Chopin to Kilar.

The performance consists of two scenes: the first one to Fryderyk Chopin's Piano Concerto in F minor, Op. 21., and the second one to Wojciech Kilar's Exodus. Dancers, choir and orchestra will be led by Marcin Nałęcz-Niesiołowski.

The project is part of the celebrations to mark the 100th anniversary of regaining independence. The performance will be held under the patronage of the Polish Music Publishers as part of the TUTTI.pl project promoting the performance of Polish music.

Information about tickets at:  http://www.opera.wroclaw.pl