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Warsaw | 6th International Ignacy Jan Paderewski Festival

The 6th edition of the International Ignacy Jan Paderewski Festival will be held on 2-10 November 2019 in Warsaw, including chamber and symphonic concerts, documentary film screenings and master classes.

The Festival will start on 2 November with a concert in the Ballroom of the Royal Castle. In the first part, Jekaterina and Stanisław Drzewiecki will perform piano compositions by Paderewski, Moszkowski and Brahms, while in the second part we will listen to opera arias performed by participants of the Opera Academy programme. The next day at the Witold Lutosławski Polish Radio Concert Studio Krzysztof Książek will give a piano recital and the Polish Radio Orchestra in Warsaw conducted by Michał Kluza will perform, among others, Paderewski's Polish Fantasy in G sharp minor along with the English pianist and conductor Ian Hobson.

Young Winners of Music Competitions: Lelin Qi and Paweł Wojciechowski will perform on 6 November at the Warsaw Philharmonic Chamber Hall on the 159th anniversary of Paderewski's birth. An interactive concert for children aged 3-5 will be held on 9 November at 11 am in Royal Baths Park. The final symphony concert at the Witold Lutosławski Polish Radio Concert Studio will feature Szymon Nehring and the Sinfonia Varsovia orchestra under the baton of the already mentioned Ian Hobson. The programme will include Paderewski's Piano Concerto in A minor and Moszkowski's Suite d'Orchestre No.2.

Admission free but pre-booking is required: +48 606 386 687 and +48 660 407 618 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Full Programme of the Festival: PDF

More information at: http://www.avearte.pl/

Miłosz Wośko – Urban residents' beliefs

The album Urban residents' beliefs – Miłosza Wośko's phonographic debut in the field of instrumental music – was released by the Opus Series publishing house in October 2019. The works were recorded by three outstanding ensembles: the Aukso orchestra, Polonika Quartet and Polish Brass Quintet.

The album opens with Dawn for strings with the solo accordion part, performed by the winner of Polityka's Passport – Maciej Frąckiewicz. Urban dances were recorded by the Polonika Quartet with the guest participation of Emilia Sitarz (piano) and Hubert Zemler (percussion). It is a minimalism-inspired "industrial acoustic suite" describing the course of an individual's life in a human-transformed, urbanized, bureaucratic world – where the rhythm of the day is determined by processes that deprive independence, and everyone can be "made" or "displaced" and even the "escape" has its planned place and time. Five discussions on difficult topics for wind quintet are conversations about feelings and emotions juxtaposed in contexts that are not associated with them – "sensitivity" and "corporation", "youth" and "eternity", "patriotism" and "eyeing". Having great dynamic and color possibilities, brass instruments show these contrasts in a very expressive way.

The album was recorded with the financial support of the Polish Association of Performing Artists 'Stoart'. City dances were composed as part of the scholarship from the Creativity Support Fund. Five discussions on difficult topics were commissioned by the Mieczysław Karłowicz Phillharmonic in Szczecin as part of the "Composer-in- Residence" programme implemented jointly with the Institute of Music and Dance.

Media patronage: Polish Music Information Centre POLMIC.

More information at: https://opus-series.com/pl/sklep/urban_residents_beliefs

Paso Robles, CA | Paderewski Festival 2019

Paderewski

The Paderewski Festival is a four-day music festival celebrating Paso Robles' rich heritage and its most famous resident Ignacy Jan Paderewski – virtuoso pianist, composer, international politician, local landowner, grower, and winemaker. This year's edition will be held between 31 October and 3 November 2019.

The festival will be inaugurated with a Halloween-themed film music programme entitled "Dracula Rising: Ghosts of Hollywood Past", presented by the San Francisco-based Ensemble 4 These Times with music by Bronislaw Kaper, Erich Korngold, Miklos Rozsa, and Henry Vars. Programme selections will be accompanied by projected visuals, featuring stills from various iconic films. The next day, the USC Thornton Baroque Sinfonia will present "Polish Baroque Treasures" programme of instrumental and vocal-instrumental works from 14th-17th centuries.

The winners of the 2019 Paderewski Festival Youth Piano Competition representing top talent from the Central Coast counties will be heard at the Historic Paso Robles Inn Grand Ballroom on 2 November. Later that day, Takeshi Nagayasu, a brilliant young pianist and the 2019 First Prize winner of the Kosciuszko Foundation's Chopin Competition in New York City will present music by Chopin, Paderewski, Szymanowski, and Scrabin. The Festival will and with a lecture by Marek Żebrowski, devoted to Poland's Independence Day (11 November), 100 years of Paderewski's year in office as Poland's president, as well as the centenary of Polish-American diplomatic relations that are observed throughout this year.

Concerts featuring world renown talent, exhibits, and masterclasses are accompanied by special events at historical vineyards. A youth piano competition, recital and student cultural exchange with Poland additionally honor Paderewski's legacy.

Full programme available at: http://www.paderewskifest.com/

Warsaw Wind Ensemble Conducting Competition 2019

W dniach 23-27 października 2019 w Warszawie odbyła się pierwsza edycja międzynarodowego konkursu dla dyrygentów orkiestr dętych Warsaw Wind Ensemble Conducting Competition, organizowanego przez Stowarzyszenie Warsaw Wind Music. Konkurs składał się z trzech etapów, a w szranki stanęło 18 dyrygentów z 11 krajów.

Uczestników oceniało jury pod przewodnictwem prof. dr hab. Szymona Kawalli – Dziekana Wydziału Dyrygentury Symfoniczno-Operowej Uniwersytetu Muzycznego Fryderyka Chopina w Warszawie. W jego skład weszli najwybitniejsi polscy dyrygenci orkiestr dętych: Jarosław Ignaszak – dyrygent orkiestry dętej Akademii Muzycznej w Krakowie, ppłk Adam Czajkowski – wieloletni kapelmistrz-dowódca Orkiestry Reprezentacyjnej Wojska Polskiego im. gen. Józefa Wybickiego w Warszawie oraz dr Jarosław Praszczałek – pedagog Uniwersytetu Muzycznego Fryderyka Chopina w Warszawie, sekretarz jury oraz pomysłodawca konkursu. Jury w poszczególnych etapach zasilili również kompozytorzy Tomasz Dudziński i Artur Słotwiński, których utwory były wykonywane przez uczestników Konkursu.

Pierwszy etap odbył się w dniach 23-24 października na UMFC. Dyrygentom towarzyszyło dwoje pianistów – Łukasz Nagórka i Misato Tokuda. W repertuarze znalazło się Dance Sacrale z baletu Święto wiosny Igora Strawińskiego oraz Uwertura koncertowa Bajka Stanisława Moniuszki. Po pierwszym etapie jury wyłoniło 12 dyrygentów, którzy dostali się do kolejnego etapu Konkursu. Dalsza rywalizacja przeniosła się do Dzielnicowego Ośrodka Kultury Ursynów. Podczas drugiego etapu, który odbył się w dniach 25-26 października, dyrygenci poprowadzili Orkiestrę składającą się z muzyków Youth Warsaw Wind Orchestra. W repertuarze znalazły się dwa utwory: Serenada d-moll na instrumenty dęte Antoniego Dvorzaka oraz Wariacje filmowe na temat arii Stanisława Moniuszki „Szumią jodły na gór szczycie” Tomasza Dudzińskiego.

W trakcie trwania drugiego etapu Konkursu, po przesłuchaniach odbyły się wykłady prowadzone przez pedagogów, kompozytorów i muzyków. Prelegentami byli: pedagog i kompozytor Ignacy Zalewski, kompozytor Paweł Pudło, trębacz Bartłomiej Łubian oraz kompozytor Artur Słotwiński. Do trzeciego etapu jury wyłoniło sześciu najlepszych dyrygentów. Wśród nich znalazło się trzech Koreańczyków – Kang Lim, Kim Daehwan i Oh Hyun Kwon, Hiszpan David Llano Diaz, Japończyk Manataka Shibaoka oraz Amerykanin Chris David Westover.

Finał konkursu odbył się w niedzielę 27 października. Finaliści poprowadzili Orkiestrę Festiwalową składającą się z muzyków Orkiestry Reprezentacyjnej SGGW oraz Youth Warsaw Wind Orchestra. W repertuarze finału znalazła się Druga suita F-dur na orkiestrę wojskową Gustava Holsta oraz Uwertura rok 1918 Artura Słotwińskiego. Po zakończonych przesłuchaniach odbył się Koncert Galowy, podczas którego jury ogłosiło zwycięzców Konkursu. Jury podkreśliło wysoki poziom uczestników co potwierdził werdykt – przyznanie dwóch pierwszych miejsc ex equo. Tytuł laureata pierwszej nagrody powędrował do Koreańczyka Kima Daehwana oraz Amerykanina Chrisa Davida Westovera. Drugie miejsce zdobył Japończyk Manataka Shibaoka. Na zakończenie laureaci Konkursu zadyrygowali jeszcze raz utworami wykonywanymi podczas etapu finałowego.

Zwycięzcom przyznane zostały nagrody w postaci koncertów z orkiestrami dętymi w sezonie 2019/2020: Manataka Shibaoka zadyryguje Orkiestrą Wieniawa, Youth Warsaw Wind Orchestra poprowadzi Kim Daehwan, a Chris David Westover wykona koncert z Orkiestrą Reprezentacyjną Szkoły Głównej Gospodarstwa Wiejskiego w Warszawie. Kolejna edycja Konkursu została ogłoszona na rok 2021.

Damian Kisielewski

Lusławice | Marek Napiórkowski "Hipokamp" ft. Mino Cinelu

Another concert in the "Autumn in Lusławice" series will take place on 30 October 2019 at 7 p.m. at the Krzysztof Penderecki European Music Centre in Lusławice as part of the tour promoting the album Hipokamp. The event will feature outstanding artists: Marek Napiórkowski (guitars), Mino Cinelu (percussion instruments), Jan Smoczyński (keyboards) and Paweł Dobrowolski (percussion).

The title of Marek Napiórkowski’s new album refers to the mysterious and not fully explored area of the human brain. Similarly, set in the original sound context, the guitarist’s new music is a spectrum of mysterious and non-obvious colors. Hipokamp is an album combining refined jazz improvisations with the world of electronic sound structures and intriguing dialogues of percussion instruments. The premiere Trio, based on the sounds of electric guitar, various analog synthesizers (Jan Smoczyński) and stylish sounding percussion (Paweł Dobrowolski), Napiórkowski decided to enrich with the presence of the absolute jazz star – Mino Cinel, probably the most titled drummer of our time. The special guest who also appeared on the album is – esteemed in Europe and in the world – a jazz saxophonist Adam Pierończyk.

Media patronage: Polish Music Information Centre POLMIC.

More information at: https://penderecki-center.pl/news#2411

Katowice | Polish Music Concert at Koszutka District

The Institute for the Promotion and Dissemination of Music "Silesia" invites you to a concert of Polish music, which will take place in the Municipal Culture Centre "Koszutka" on 10 November 2019.

The concert will feature young artists – violinist Bartłomiej Fraś and pianist Gabriela Stanisz, who has lately performed during the 19th International Festival of Young Winners of Music Competitions. The musicians will present works by leading Polish composers of the Romantic era – Henryk Wieniawski, Karol Lipiński, as well as the outstanding pianist and politician Ignacy Jan Paderewski and the 20th-century composers – Karol Szymanowski and Grażyna Bacewicz.

Bartłomiej Fraś is a student of Szymon Krzeszowiec at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music. He perfected his skills under the guidance of outstanding pedagogues such as Zakhar Bron, Benjamin Schmid and Konstanty Andrzej Kulka. He is the laureate of the "Young Paganini" International Violin Competition in Legnica, North International Music Competition and Enkor International Competition London 2018. He has performed, among others, at Mozarteum in Salzburg and the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Gabriela Stanisz is a student of Wojciech Światała at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music. She participated in masterclasses conducted, among others by Andrzej Jasiński, Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń and Ewa Pobłocka. She is a laureate the 5th International Piano Competition 'Premio Accademia Giovani 2015' in Rome (1st prize), the 3rd International Subcarpathian Chopin Piano Competition in Rzeszów (1st prize), the 9th Halina Czerna-Stefańska Piano Competition in Żagań (Grand Prix and 1st prize) and the 13th International Piano Competition in Görlitz (3rd prize).

More information at: https://www.silesia.art.pl/

Warsaw | New Music – New Technologies

Cmpositions by Marta Śniady, Andrzej Kopeć, Przemysław Danowski, Sławomir Wojciechowski and Wojciech Błażejczyk will receive their premieres during the concert entitled "New Music – New Technologies" on 3 November 2019 at 5 p.m. at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music.

Two of the works were written as part of the "Composing Commissions" programme implemented by the Institute of Music and Dance: 4 rituals of women's happiness for chamber ensemble, audio playback and video by Marta Śniady, who will perform her composition along with the Hashtag Ensemble, and a new work by Andrzej Kopeć for gestofon, electronics and performer, in which Marta Grzywacz will perform next to the composer.

The concert will also premiere Connexion for performer and virtual reality by Przemysław Danowski, Woyfer / Zajwert for electronics, analog and video synthesizers by Sławomir Wojciechowski and Gestofonia for gestofon by Wojciech Błażejczyk. The programme will be complemented by compositions by Andrzej Karałow and Jerzy Przeździecki – Blueprint # 4 for piano and loopback (2017) and Rafał Zapała – Concentus Apparatus II: IRREVERSIBLE / IRREVERSIBLE for string quartet, electronics and interactive system (2017).

Performers: Przemysław Danowski (performer), Marta Grzywacz (performer), Andrzej Karałow (piano, electronics), Andrzej Kopeć (computer), Sławomir Wojciechowski (electronics), Paweł Krzaczkowski (analog synthesizers), Wojciech Błażejczyk (guitar, objectophones, electronics) , Jerzy Przeździecki (electronics), Marta Śniady (electronics), Maciej Więckowski (actor), Rafał Zapała (electronics), Hashtag Ensemble and Students of the New Music Performance Practice. Sound design: Igor Szymański. Coordination and artistic supervision: PhD Wojciech Błażejczyk. Co-organization of the concert: Sfera Harmonii-Fundacja Inicjatyw Artystycznych.

The concert will be accompanied by two installations in the FCUM foyer: VR by Jan Duszyński and Dream Adoption Society and Dorota Błaszczak's Daily Data Orchestra.

More information at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1142393552624371/

Katowice | Misterium Mortis et Lumen

The premiere of Ut Mater Dei Ultimum Orationis by Kamil Gojowy will take place on 3 November 2019 at 5 p.m. in the church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Katowice during the Misterium Mortis et Lumen / The mystery of death and light concert .

In the Christian tradition, the first days of November are devoted to reflection on transience and holiness. One of the events organized by the Institute for Promotion and Dissemination of Music "Silesia", which is part of the related musical considerations, will be the premiere of Ut Mater Dei Ultimum Orationis by the choral conducting student of the Academy of Music in Katowice, Kamil Gojowy. Kamil Gojowy is also an animator of the Silesian musical life: he is a conductor of the "Apertum Cor" Chamber Choir of the Holy Rosary Parish in Katowice-Zadol and a choir instructor at the University of Economics in Katowice. In 2017, he composed and directed Cantata for the 175th anniversary of the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Elizabeth. As a composer and conductor, he closely cooperates with the "Music of the Soul" Liturgical Music Workshops in Gdańsk. He recorded a CD with original arrangements of Polish patriotic songs and took part in four other CD recordings. He is the laureate of the "Unique" plebiscite in 2015 and the artistic organizer of the EKOSONG festival.

The premiere will be performed by: Elżbieta Grodzka-Łopuszyńska – soprano, Monika Nowak – soprano, Karol Bulanda – tenor, Martyna Kaintoch – violin, Szymon Poniszowski – viola, Ewa Kopacz – cello, Krzysztof Dudzik – conductor. An introduction to the concert will be given by Fr. Andrzej Nowicki.

More information at: https://www.silesia.art.pl/

Gliwice | Master Interpreations – Gliwice Chamber Orchestra

The Gliwice Chamber Orchestra Foundation invites you on 3 November 2019 at 6 p.m. to the Bajka Stage – Amok Cinema in Gliwice (3 Dolnych Wałów St.) for the annual concert from the "Master Interpretations" series.

The "Master Interpretations" concert series, initiated in 2005, provides the Gliwice audience with musical culture at the highest artistic level, by involving outstanding conductors and soloists who, together with the Gliwice ensemble, create interesting interpretations of outstanding works of music literature. This year's edition will feature music for oboe, one of the most noble wind instruments, and chamber music for classical string quintet by composers of various nationalities and eras. The programme wil include, among others Suite for strings in G major by Ignacy Jan Paderewski and works by Tomaso Albinoni, Jan Sebastian Bach, Edvard Grieg and Bela Bartok.

The Gliwice Chamber Orchestra will perform under the baton of the outstanding Taiwanese conductor Su-Han Yang, winner of the 1st Prize and the Golden Baton at the last Jubilee 10th Grzegorz Fitelberg International Competition for Conductors at the Silesian Philharmonic in Katowice. The soloist of the concert will be Polish oboist Arkadiusz Krupa, who until 2012 was the first oboist of the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice and currently performs this function in the Sinfonia Varsovia orchestra. A double concerto for violin and oboe by Jan Sebastian Bach will also feature violinist Anna Szabelka.

More information at: https://teatr.gliwice.pl/wydarzenie/mistrzowskie-interpretacje-gliwicka-orkiestra-kameralna/