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On December 20, 2018 at 7:00 pm in the Chamber Hall of the National Forum of Music in Wrocław, Aleksandra Szwejkowska-Belica (violin) and Cezary Sanecki (piano) will perform a concert entitled Szmanowski's Heritage.

Undoubtedly the leading Polish composer between Chopin and Lutosławski, Karol Szymanowski drew inspiration from a wide range of influences, which he later merged with his explorations of folk music from his native Poland. Together with writers and visual artists, Szymanowski was part of the Young Poland movement, which offended the conservative establishment. Szymanowski expressed his attitude toward “national characteristics” asserting, “Let our music be national in its Polish characteristics but not falter in striving to attain universality. Let it be national, but not provincial.”

Szymanowski's thought is reflected in the work of his successors, whose music will fill the programme of the December concert. We will hear: Stained-Glass Window, Mazovian Dance and Slavic Dance by Grażyna Bacewicz, Polish Suite by Szymon Laks, who emigrated to Paris in 1926, but repeatedly referred to Polish folklore, Polish Dance from the ballet The Song of the Earth by Roman Palester, who also emigrated to France, Three miniatures by Juliusz Łuciuk, and Pleiades and Oberek by Romuald Twardowski.

More information at: http://www.nfm.wroclaw.pl/

A concert of Karłowicz Quartet will take place on December 19, 2018 at 7.00 p.m. at the Mieczysław Karłowicz Philharmonic in Szczecin.

The Karłowicz Quartet is composed of the musicians of the Szczecin Philharmonic Orchestra: Elżbieta Fabiszak (1st violin), Karolina Hyli (2nd violin), Magdalena Micke (viola) and Klara Świdrów (cello). During the concert they will perform string quartets from the late eighteenth to the early twentieth century: Ludwig van Beethoven – String Quartet No.1 in F Major. Op. 18, Maurice Ravel – String Quartet in F Major, Karol Szymanowski – String Quartet No. 2, Op. 56.

More information at: https://filharmonia.szczecin.pl/

A premiere of Piotr Wrobel's Short Fanfare Piece for Eight Trombones will take place on December 18, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. during the chamber concert at the National Philharmonic.

The piece will open the December concert, which programme will feature: Dance of Two Quartets by Dave Brubeck, fragments of Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story, and one of the most famous symphonies from the early nineteenth century, Symphony No. 5 by Ludwig van Beethoven. All the pieces will be presented in the arrangements for a trombone ensemble.

More information at: http://filharmonia.pl/koncerty-i-bilety/repertuar/koncert-kameralny46 

On December 18, 2018 at 6.00 p.m., the Mieczysław Karłowicz Philharmonic in Szczecin will host the Advent Concert for The Independent. The first part will feature the world premiere of The Independent oratorio by Artur Cieślak.

The composition was written in the summer of 2018 to commemorate the centenary of Poland regaining its independence. It is intended for soprano, tenor, bass, reciting voice, mixed choir and orchestra. The oratorio consists of three parts. Each of them refers to a certain historical event, which is an important part of the struggle for independence. The first part is devoted to the November Uprising, the second part to the January Uprising and the third is related to the events of 1918. Fragments of the November Night and Liberation by Stanisław Wyspiański, poems by Kornel Ujejski and the legionary poet Józef Mączka, and fragments of Józef Piłsudski's and Stefan Żeromski's prose were used as a text. The stylistics of the musical language oscillates between sharp sounds with an avant-garde aftertaste and traditional euphonic solutions, which constantly permeate.

The Independent oratorio will be presented for the first time on December 18, 2018 at the Szczecin Philharmonic. The patron of the project is the Academy of Art in Szczecin. The performers will be lecturers and students of this university: Sylwia Burnicka-Kalischewska (soprano), Tomasz Krzysica (tenor), Janusz Lewandowski (bass-baritone), Krystyna Maksymowicz-Ambros (recitation), the Academy of Art choir prepared by Barbara Halec and the orchestra of the Academy of Arts under director of Norbert Twórczyński.

In the second part of the concert, traditional carols and Christmas songs will be performed by soloists and students of the Academy of Art in Szczecin. Preparation of students: Małgorzata Bornowska, Joanna Gajda, Barbara Halec, Tomasz Licak, Anna Tarnowska, and Jolanta Szczepaniak. Organ: Jakub Stefek. Piano: Michał Landowski.

The event co-financed from the budget of the Westpomeranian Region and the City of Szczecin. Co-organization: Mieczysław Karłowicz Philharmonic in Szczecin, the Academia Nova Foundation.

Media patronage: Polish Music Information Centre POLMIC.

The Department of Wind and Percussion Instruments invites you to concerts of the Academic Conference "Wind and Percussion Chamber Music", which will take place on December 17-18, 2018 at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice.

On December 17 at 6.00 pm, LutosAir Quintet, one of the National Forum of Music resident ensemble, will perform in the concert hall of the Krakow Academy. The quintet founded in 2013, on the centenary of Witold Lutosławski’s birth, is one of the most active and versatile Polish wind ensembles. It is made up of the soloists of the NFM Wrocław Philharmonic: Jan Krzeszowiec – flute, Wojciech Merena – oboe, Maciej Dobosz – clarinet, Alicja Kieruzalska – bassoon, Mateusz Feliński – French horn. During the concert in the Academy in Katowice, Tomasz Żymła will join the band on the bass clarinet. The musicians will perform the Quintet for wind instruments by Tadeusz Szeligowski, Six bagatelles by György Ligeti and Sixtuor by Jean Françaix.

The following day the chamber ensembles of the Wind and Percussion Instruments will perform. The conference will also include chamber workshops, which will be led by prof. dr hab. Zbigniew Płużek, prof. Roman Siwek and Vadim Simongauz. During the conference sessions, papers will be delivered by: Adrianna Lis, adt dr hab. Krzysztof Fiedukiewicz, as. Tomasz Żymła, dr hab. Michał Mazurkiewicz, prof. AM.

Full programme is available here.