Gdańsk Music Festival 2024

ARTISTS

Daniel Ciobanu
Daniel Ciobanu

Daniel Ciobanu

Daniel Ciobanu 

Daniel Ciobanu first appeared on the international stage in 2016 after sweeping gold medals at the renowned Unisa International Piano Competition (South Africa) and BNDES International Piano Festival (Rio de Janeiro). Daniel then went on to win both the Audience Prize and Silver Medal at the Arthur Rubinstein Competition in Tel Aviv in 2017. He subsequently appeared at Carnegie Hall, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Gewandhaus Leipzig, Konzerthaus Berlin, St John’s Smith Square in London, Enescu Festival in Bucharest, and toured in Japan, China, Taiwan, South Africa and Brazil.

Ciobanu’s distinctive musical personality and technical command has led to performances with renowned orchestras such as Gewandhausorchester Leipzig where he has performed under the baton of Omer Meir Wellber. Recent and future highlights include debuts with the Netherlands Philharmonic, Mineria Symphony Orchestra, Tonhalle-Orchester, Volksoper Wien, and Tiroler Symphony Orchestra, as well as concerts at the Enescu Festival with Cameristi della Scala, Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León, Israel Symphony Orchestra and BBC National Orchestra of Wales. In recital, highlights include performances at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Brucknerhaus Linz, Festival Radio France Occitanie Montpellier and a semi-staged performance of Strauss’ Enoch Arden at the Leipzig Gewandhaus with Isabel Karajan.

Previous highlights include concerts with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Konzerthausorchester Berlin; Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen; Polish Baltic Philharmonic; Israel Camerata; Royal Scottish National Orchestra; George Enescu Philharmonic, Romanian National Radio Orchestra and at the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival. In April 2022, Ciobanu stepped in with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra for four significant dates in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem with Omer Meir Wellber. In August 2021 Ciobanu made his Lucerne Festival recital debut and he was invited for his Vienna Konzerthaus debut, playing Beethoven violin and piano sonatas with Julian Rachlin.

Ciobanu also made his Royal Festival Hall debut in 2010, and since then he has given solo recitals in venues such as Munich Gasteig, Salzburg Mozarteum, De Bijloke in Gent, Auditorium de Radio France, Salle Cortot, Fazioli Hall in Sacile, Teatro Massimo Palermo, Bucharest Atheneum, Duszniki Chopin Festival, Teatro Municipal in Rio de Janeiro, Bronfman Auditorium in Tel Aviv and the Taipei National Concert Hall.

Ciobanu’s artistry extends beyond his performances and in 20/21 he was announced as the first ever Artist in Residence at the George Enescu Philharmonic in Bucharest for a period of three seasons. His opening season of residency included concerts under Cristian Macelaru and Gabriel Bebeselea.

Furthermore, Daniel is a visionary and has created a fresh and innovative international platform for young artists, founding the #SharpFestival. The biennial festival features not only classical programming but also embraces other sympathetic art forms, including jazz, video-mapping, painting, and dance.

In September 2020 he released his first CD, a solo disc of works by Prokofiev, Debussy, Liszt and Enescu, which was released on the Accentus label. It received outstanding critical acclaim including the following quote from Deutschlandfunk: “With this debut album, Daniel Ciobanu introduces himself as a clever and extremely emotional artist. A closer look reveals the clever conception and careful thought about the pieces. Musically, the narrative will of the pianist absolutely grabs one's attention, and nothing stands in the way of his technical ability. With Daniel Ciobanu, music becomes an experience”.

In 2015 he received the 1st Grand Prix, Public Prize and Orchestra Prize at the Morocco Philharmonic International Piano Competition - becoming the first pianist in the history of the competition to have won all the Special Prizes along with being unanimously voted by the jury for the Top Prize.

Ciobanu started learning the piano at the age of nine in Piatra Neamt, Romania, initially with Magdolna Cosma and Delia Balan, and later with Mihaela Spiridon and Iulian Arcadi Trofin. He went on to win scholarships to study in Scotland with Graeme McNaught and subsequently with Aaron Shorr and Petras Geniusas, graduating from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He completed his studies at the École Normale de Musique “Alfred Cortot” in Paris with Marian Rybicki and in the Universität der Künste in Berlin with Pascal Devoyon and Markus Groh. 

 

Amelia Jakobsson
Amelia Jakobsson

Amelia Jakobsson

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Amelia Jakobsson is a musician of rare gifts who has successfully transitioned her career from that of instrumentalist to that of singer. She is in the unique position of having won the Malmö Conservatory’s concerto competition twice, as both cellist and soprano. After finishing her cello studies with a Masters in Performance at McGill University in Montreal and Soloist Degree at The Royal Danish Academy of Music, she later studied at the University College of Opera in Stockholm and with Anna Larsson, Britta Johansson, Kerstin Meyer and Edda Moser. 

Since establishing herself as a professional singer, Amelia has worked in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Italy, France, Algeria, Poland, Germany, the UK and the USA. She has appeared as a soloist with the Malmö, Norrköping and Helsingborg Symphony Orchestras, the Nordic Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestra della Toscana (Florence), Kuopio Symphony Orchestra, Pori Sinfonietta, Västerås Sinfonietta,  Jönköping Sinfonietta, Musica Vitae and the Lund Academic Orchestra. 

Amelia has appeared at the Algiers Opera, Vattnäs Konsertlada and Skåne Opera. She has collaborated with conductors Eva Ollikainen, Stefan Solyom, Ryan Bancroft, Patrik Ringborg, Eugene Tzigane, Tung-Chieh Chuang, Karl-Heinz Steffens, Wolfgang Wengenroth, Fredrik Burstedt and Mats Rondin. 

In 2021 she sang the role of Minna Wagner in the world premiere of ”Im Treibhaus”, composed by Staffan Storm and librettist Ebba Witt-Brattström, as well as the role of “Princess Yang” in composer Reine Jönsson and librettist Patrik Sörlings opera “Tre knivar från Wei”.

Amelia’s concert repertoire includes Strauss’s Four Last Songs, Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder, Poulenc’s Gloria, Requiems by Mozart, Verdi and Karl Jenkins, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, Lars Erik Larsson’s Förklädd Gud and symphonies by Beethoven, Carl Nielsen, Mahler and Shostakovich. 

Amelia is a multiple prizewinner both as a cellist and singer, and the recipient of amongst others the Lasse Löndahl Prize, the Torsten Tegstams Stipend, the Sparbanksstiftelsens Culture Prize for Music and OVIS Voice 2013. 

Johannes Held
Johannes Held

Johannes Held

johannesheld_byjensoellermann4564psm-scaledfot. Jens Oellermann

 

Johannes Held began his training with the Stuttgart Hymnus choirboys, then studied in Freiburg and completed his studies in Copenhagen at the Opera Academy with Susanna Eken. His coaches include Mikael Eliasen, Fiona MacSherry, Ouri Bronchti, Tim Ribchester and Christopher White.

After completing his studies, Johannes Held was a member of the ensemble at the Oldenburg State Theatre and has since worked as a soloist at many international theatres, including the Royal Danish Opera, Wermland Opera (Sweden), Oldenburg State Theatre, Mainz State Theatre and Bolzano Theatre (Italy).

In recent years, Johannes has made a name for himself as a Lied interpreter and his work with Schubert’s Winterreise in particular has received international recognition.

In concert, Johannes recently performed Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen under the direction of Kolja Blacher with the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano in Milan. Johannes was also a guest at the chamber music festival KAMARA.HU at the Liszt Academy in Budapest, where he sang songs and chamber music by Brahms, Wolf, Bussoni and Schoenberg.

Johannes Held is the founder and artistic director of the Liedfestival Sindelfingen (formerly DER ZWERG), which takes place every two years in Sindelfingen. Starting this year, in collaboration with Prof. Götz Payer, he is setting up the Lied Akademie Sindelfingen, which aims to inspire people of all ages and all levels of performance for the Lied.

Johannes Held is grateful for the diverse support he has received from the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes, the Evangelisches Studienwerk “Villigst”, the Richard Wagner Stiftung and the Kunststiftung BW.

Jan Łukaszewski
Jan Łukaszewski

Jan Łukaszewski

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© Grzegorz Mehring

Jan Łukaszewski has come to be accepted as one of Europe’s most accomplished choral music specialists.

He is conductor and director of Polski Chór Kameralny. Much in demand as a guest conductor, he e.g. regularly worked with the Polish Radio Choir and works with the Philharmonic Choir Cracow and the Philharmonic Choir Wroclaw as well as guest conducting abroad.  As an orchestral conductor he enjoys cooperating with such ensembles as, for examle, the Polish Chamber Philharmonic Sopot, the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, The Academy of Ancient Music, or Venice Baroque Orchestra.

His main artistic interests lie in the fields of romantic and of contemporary music, and, especially in connection with Polski Chór Kameralny he has gained a reputation of being able to make possible the impossible and prepare musically valid interpretations of even the most complex of works in a very short time, indeed. Hence the number of premier performances directed by him is vast.

He regularly receives invitations worldwide to hold master classes and seminars for choral conductors (in Japan, for example or as a lecturer at the 'World Symposium on Choral Music').

Jan Łukaszewski holds the title of Professor of Musical Arts. Taking an educational interest in amateur singing, he frequently works in the juries of internationally renowned choral contests, among others in Japan [Takarazuka, Karuizawa], Wales [Llangollen], Lithuania, Italy, Switzerland, and of composers’ competitions in Poland, England [Cambridge], and in France [Rouen].

While advertising abroad the musical heritage of his nation and of his home town of Gdansk (e.g. the choral works of Andrzej Hakenberger), in Poland, Jan Łukaszewski is regarded as one of the few that propagate the music of such composers as Schönberg, Messiaen, Xenakis, Globokar, Castiglioni, Takemitsu, R. Strauss, Pepping, Tippett, Ives, and Barber. His abundant recordings for Polish Radio, Dutch Radio, Sender Freies Berlin, Bayrischer Rundfunk, Südwestrundfunk, and Westdeutscher Rundfunk and for Polish and German Television as well as his numerous CD-, MC-, LP- and video recordings reflect the quality of his work, for which, in addition, he has received countless prestigious awards. The high artistic level of Polski Chór Kameralny under his direction time and again inspires composers to write works for unaccompanied choir and world premiere performances conducted by Jan Łukaszewski are counted in their many hundreds.

Apart from all that, always keen to share his unique knowledge and appreciation of music with the public, Jan Łukaszewski has given many a stimulus to musical life in general. In Gdansk alone, to date he initiated and directed, among others, 10 International Symposia on Choral Music, the “Bach Days”, the “Chopin Festival”, and last but not least is founder and director of the hugely popular annual International Mozart Festival “Mozartiana” which attracts thousands of visitors every year.

Georgijs Osokins
Georgijs Osokins

Georgijs Osokins

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Born on 25 April 1995, in Riga. He began learning piano at the age of five and made his concert debut as a ten-year-old in Mozart’s Concerto in D minor, K466 with the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra. He is a student of Sergejs Osokins and since 2009 has also taken lessons from Mikhail Voskresensky. Since September 2015, he has been continuing his studies at the Juilliard School of Music. He has won the 9th International Chopin Competition for Young Pianists in Moscow (2014), the Scriabin Competition in Paris (2009) and the Jurmale International Piano Competition in Latvia (2010). He has also won the special prize for the best performance of a work by Chopin in the ‘Rina Sala Gallo’ International Piano Competition in Monza, Italy. He has performed in concert with the Lviv Symphony Orchestra, the Amber Orchestra of Liepāja, the Armenian National Orchestra and the Wratislavia Chamber Orchestra, among others. He has won a reputation for his prizes and appearances in international festivals and has also been distinguished by an award from the Latvian Minister of Culture. He has attended masterclasses given by Dmitry Bashkirov, Sergei Babayan, Bernd Goetzke, Georg Friedrich Schenck and Einar Steen-Nøkleberg.

In 2015 he was a finalist of 17th International F. Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw.

Marek Pijarowski
Marek Pijarowski

Marek Pijarowski

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© Łukasz Rajchert

Marek Pijarowski - born in Wrocław. During his education in the High School of Music he mastered playing several instruments, including the piano (as the main one), violin, oboe and organ. He graduated with honours from the Academy of Music in Wrocław with Tadeusz Strugała and completed his conducting studies in 1971-1973 at the International Music Courses in Weimar, working under the supervision of the excellent Latvian conductor Arvid Jansons.  In 1977 he received a scholarship from the Austrian government and stayed in Vienna for 9 months, improving his skills with Professor Carl Oesterreicher at the famous Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst. During this time, he had the opportunity to experience directly the art of conducting and to meet personally such masters of the baton as: Herbert von Karajan, Leonard Bernstein, Zubin Mehta, Georg Solti or Claudio Abbado. He started his full-time work in 1974 as the assistant conductor of the Wrocław Philharmonic. The same year, in December, he took part in the 2nd Polish Conducting Competition in Katowice, where (being the youngest participant) he won the 1st prize and a special prize of the Silesian Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra. This success resulted in numerous invitations to many philharmonic institutions, e.g. the Warsaw National Philharmonic and the National Symphonic Orchestra of Polish Radio in Katowice.

In 1975 he took a position of the second conductor of Wrocław Philharmonic and in 1980 he was promoted head and artistic director of this institution, which he led till 2002. He was also the artistic director of the Duszniki International Chopin Piano Festival (Poland) and the first conductor of the Cracow Philharmonic. During years 1980-2000 he was the artistic director of the Polish Contemporary Music Festival in Wrocław and from 2002 to 2005 the artistic director of the Arthur Rubinstein Philharmonic. Currently he is the Chief Conductor of the Poznań Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra.

For almost 50 years, he has been continuously active as a conductor, performing with all philharmonic and radio orchestras in Poland. He has also conducted numerous concerts with Polish ensembles abroad, including the Warsaw National Philharmonic (Germany), the National Symphonic Orchestra of Polish Radio (Spain, France), the Cracow Philharmonic (France), Sinfonia Varsovia (Spain), the Łódź Philharmonic (Italy, Spain) and a number of tours with the Wrocław Philharmonic Orchestra, including Spain, France, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands. He has made many archival recordings for the Polish Radio. He has cooperated closely with the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro and the Texas Music Festival in Houston (USA), as well as with the Presidential Orchestra in Ankara.

Marek Pijarowski’s conducting art could be known to music lovers in most European countries as well as in Egypt, Israel, Canada, China, the USA, Mexico, South Korea and Cuba.

In 1997, he obtained the title of professor of musical art from the President of Poland. For many years he has been affiliated with the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław, where he is a professor. He holds a conducting class, at the same time being the Head of the Chair of Conducting and, previously, the Deputy Rector of the Academy. He is the initiator, artistic director and chairman of the Jury of the National Competition for Students of Conducting organised by the Academy of Music in Wrocław every three years. In 2006-2019, he was also professor of conducting at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. Many of his alumni hold leading positions in music institutions in Poland and abroad.

Marek Pijarowski has been a supervisor or reviewer of many doctoral theses, habilitation proceedings, proceedings for obtaining the title of professor of musical arts, as well as a laudator or a reviewer in the proceedings for obtaining the doctor honoris causa title of Polish music academies for outstanding masters of baton, among others: Jerzy Semkow, Tadeusz Strugała, Gabriel Chmura, Helmut Riling, Neville Marriner, Joshua Rifkin, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Kurt Masur and Stanisław Skrowaczewski.

He has repeatedly chaired the Jury of the Witold Lutosławski International Review of Young Conductors in Białystok. He is also a Jury member of the Grzegorz Fitelberg International Competition for Conductors in Katowice.

He was honoured, among others, with the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta and the Gold Medal for Merit to Culture - Gloria Artis.

Piotr Pławner
Piotr Pławner

Piotr Pławner

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Piotr Pławner plays the violin made by J. B. Guadagnini in 1772. He made his stage debut at the age of nine; he was the student of Iwona Wojciechowska, Zenon Płoszaj; studied in Igor Ozim's master class in Switzerland.

He is the winner of various competitions including the Second Polish Competition for Young Violinists in Lublin (1990), the Tenth H. Wieniawski's International Competition in Poznan (1991), International Music Competition in Bayreuth (1991), 44th ARD International Competition in Munchen (1995). In 1995 the special award "Tschumi Preis" was awarded to Piotr Plawer for the best diploma conferred on a soloist at a Conservatory in Bern.

The artist gives concerts both as a soloist and as a member of chamber orchestras in Poland and abroad. He performed in nearly all European countries and in Arab states. He worked with such orchestras as: Berner Symphonie-Orchester, Sinfonia Helvetica, Deutsches Kammerorchester, Sinfonia Varsovia, National Symphonic Orchestra of the Polish Radio in Katowice, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Nederlands Kamerorkest, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Suedwestrundfunk Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart.

Piotr Pławner was applauded in such renowned concert halls as Tivoli Hall w Copenhagen, Liederhalle in Stuttgart, Chatelet in Paris, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.

Marek Toporowski
Marek Toporowski

Marek Toporowski

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Marek Toporowski was born in Warsaw in 1964. He teaches harpsichord at the Academies of Music in Cracow and Katowice, as well as harpsichord and organ at the Warsaw Chopin Conservatory of Music. He studied with Leszek Kędracki, Aline Zylberajch and Bob van Asperen (harpsichord), Martin Gester (basso continuo and chamber music) and Józef Serafin and Daniel Roth (organ).

He won first prize in the 1st Wanda Landowska National Harpsichord Competition, and was also a finalist of the 1st Wanda Landowska International Competition in 1994.

In 1991, he formed his own chamber ensemble Concerto Polacco—one of the pioneering ensembles of baroque music in Poland. The group very soon became the leading orchestra which was joined by the chamber choir Sine Nomine specializing in performing baroque cantatas and oratorios. With those two ensembles, Marek Toporowski made numerous recordings of early Polish music, including such works as the opera Agatka by Johann David Holland, the oratorio Christiani poenitentes ad sepulchrum Domini by Jan Tomasz Żebrowski, and sacred music by Grzegorz Gerwazy Gorczycki, Amando Ivančič Józef Zeidler, and Marcin Józef Żebrowski.

As harpsichordist, he made the first-ever recording of Charles Noblet’s Livre de clavecin. As an organist, he records extensively on historical organs. His participation in the documentary project Orgeln in der Niederlausitz, or the first recording on the Silbermann organ in Oederan are well worth mentioning.

His latest recording—Bach’s organ trio sonatas BWV 525-530 on the historical Joachim Wagner Organ in Siedlce (a version with added continuo instruments) received the prestigious prize of the Polish recording industry—Fryderyk (the fifth time in his career).

Marek Toporowski is the chamber partner of many renowned soloists. He’s also very active in the field of preservation of national heritage. In 2012, he founded Fortepianarium—a unique collection where his own instruments are exhibited and used for concert and teaching purposes.

Berlin Piano Trio
Berlin Piano Trio

Berlin Piano Trio

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Nikolaus Resa – piano

Krzysztof Polonek – violin

Katarzyna Polonek – cello

 

„…one reacts at thoughts, that have not even been transformed into notes yet.“
- (Badische Neueste Nachrichten regarding the Berlin Piano Trio)

 

Founded in 2004 as „Berolina Trio“, the Berlin Piano Trio counts as one of the leading piano trios. With their charismatic style and warm tone, this trio impresses the audience and press alike. In 2007 the trio won the biggest international chamber music competition in Poland, the international competition created by Krzysztof Penderecki. As a special recognition the trio also received the interdisciplinary Grand Prix. During that year the trio also won the first prize as well as the audience award of the European Chamber Music Competition in Karlsruhe.
In 2009 the Berlin Piano Trio obtained the highly coveted “Prix Marguerite Dütschler” in Gstaad, Switzerland. Furthermore the Berlin Piano Trio tied in for first (ex aequo) at the international Joseph-Haydn- Competition in Vienna, where they also were honored with the audience award of the Esterhazy Foundation.

The Berlin Piano Trio studied in Professor Markus Becker’s chamber music class at the University for Music, Theater and Media in Hannover. In 2007 the Berlin Piano Trio became a permanent member of the widely renowned European Chamber Music Academy, which promotes leading string quartets and piano trios at an international level by working together with chamber music ensemble founders such as Prof. Hatto Beyerle (Alban Berg Quartett), Prof. Shmuel Ashkenasi (Vermeer Quartett), Prof. Peter Cropper (Lindsay Quartett), Prof. Eckart Heiligers (Trio Jean Paul), Prof. Avedis Kouyoumdjian, Prof. Anner Bylsma and Prof. Ferenc Rados. Besides their chamber music activity, the Berlin Piano Trio’s musicians are academic lecturers, regularly invited to lead masterclasses.

 

Nikolaus Resa is an internationally successful German concert pianist and chamber musician. In various formations and especially as member of the Berlin Piano Trio, he always impresses with spontaneity, energetic playing and an exceptionally beautiful sound. He is frequently invited to substitute in several prestigious orchestras like the Berliner Philharmoniker or the Deutsches Sinfonie-Orchester (DSO) Berlin. Additionally, he is teaching at the Berlin University of the Arts and the Orchestra Academy of the Berliner Philharmoniker. Born in 1980 in Berlin, Nikolaus Resa had his first piano lessons at the age of four and started playing the violin shortly thereafter. He studied piano with Georg Sava at the Academy of Music „Hanns Eisler”, Berlin, and took on his postgraduate studies at the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media with Markus Becker. Nikolaus is winner of many competitions, e.g. the International Johannes Brahms Competition in Pörtschach (Austria), the International Joseph Haydn Chamber Music Competition in Vienna (Austria) and the International Rimsky-Korsakov Competition in St. Petersburg (Russia). He was “Featured Soloist” in Howard Shore’s soundtrack for “A Dangerous Method” (2011).

 

Krzysztof Polonek is concertmaster of the Berliner Philharmoniker. He is lecturer of the Karajan Academy of the Berliner Philharmoniker. Krzysztof Polonek initially studied as a young student at the Julius-Stern-Institute, University of the Arts, Berlin with Prof. Tomasz Tomaszewski before he obtained his degree at this university. He played his concert exam (Konzertexamen) under the supervision of Prof. Thomas Brandis at the Lübeck University of Music. Furthermore he has attended masterclasses with the professors R. Kussmaul, K. Węgrzyn, K. Sassmannshaus, I. Gitlis and Z. Bron. Krzysztof has performed as soloist with the Sinfonie Orchester Berlin, the Lübeck Philharmonic Orchestra, the State Orchestra at Frankfurt (Oder), the Baden-Baden Philharmonic Orchestra, the Cracow Philharmonic Orchestra, among others. As a chamber musician and soloist he has been invited to renowned festivals like the “Music in old Cracow” festival, the Hubermann Violin Festival, the Aspen Music Festival, the Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad and the Max-Reger Tage at Weiden.
Krzysztof Polonek is the co-founder of the Berlin Piano Trio, which, after multiple international competition victories, is considered one of the leading piano trios. Up to 2009 he taught at the Music Academy in Wrocław, where he successfully defended his doctoral thesis under the supervision of Prof. Jarosław Pietrzak. Krzysztof Polonek obtained his habilitation  at the Music Academy Poznań.  Before joining the Berliner Philharmoniker he was concertmaster of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra and the Deutsche Oper Berlin as well as a principal player of the Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin.

 

Katarzyna Polonek is one of the most interesting musical personalities of her generation. She is a laureate of International Cello as well as Chamber Music Competitions in Liezen, Pörtschach, Poznań and Brno, including First Prize and Grand Prix at the 11th International Competition of Contemporary Chamber Music in Kraków, winner of the J. Haydn International Chamber Music Competition in Vienna. She is an accomplished soloist,  made recordings for Polish, German, Swiss, Austrian and Japanese Radio and Television. As a chamber musician she has participated in many renowned music festivals and performed in the most important European concert halls. Playing as a guest in the Berliner Philharmoniker or Staatskapelle Berlin orchestras, she collaborated with such conductors as Daniel Barenboim, Bernhard Haitink, Pierre Boulez, Michael Sanderling, Ivan Fischer and Sir Simon Rattle.
Katarzyna Polonek received her music education from i.a. Mstislav Rostropovich, Natalia Shakovskaya, Angelica May, Markus Nyikos, Wolfgang Aichinger, Wolfgang Boettcher, Zara Nelsova, Miloš Sádlo. Her artistic development was particularly influenced by collaboration with Daniel Barenboim at the Staatskapelle Berlin Orchestra Academy. Katarzyna Polonek is the co-founder of the Berlin Piano Trio, which, after multiple international competition victories, is considered one of the leading piano trios. After she has finished her doctoral dissertation and habilitation, Katarzyna teaches as a professor for cello at the Music Academy Poznań and leads masterclasses at the International Music Course in Opole. Her students go on to win first prizes at international solo and chamber music competitions.

 

Polski Chór Kameralny
Schola Cantorum Gedanensis
Polski Chór Kameralny Schola Cantorum Gedanensis

Polski Chór Kameralny
Schola Cantorum Gedanensis

Polski Chór Kameralny Schola Cantorum Gedanensis

POLSKI CHÓR KAMERALNY is a full-time professional chamber choir of international standing. Founded in Gdansk in 1978 and since 1983 under the direction of Jan Łukaszewski it keeps going from strength to strength. 

The declared aim of the 24 professional musicians making up the ensemble is to work at an instrumental, ‘orchestral’ level, which besides other skills requires total control of the vocal instrument, thus allowing all musical and technical demands of a score to be met.  They 'specialise in variety' performing music from all genres and periods, a cappella or accompanied, sacred or profane,  Gregorian chant, motets, opera, oratorio, film music, jazz, pop, etc. from medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music through Romantic and late Romantic to 20th and 21st century compositions. The world premiere performances sung by them are about to top the 620 mark  and include works by such composers as Henryk Mikołaj Górecki and Krzysztof Penderecki, Wojciech Kilar, Augustyn Bloch, Krzysztof Meyer, Andrzej Koszewski, or Paweł Łukaszewski, and many more who have dedicated  compositions to Polski Chór Kameralny. Frequent guests at some of the most renowned of international festivals they perform at events like the Warsaw Autumn, Ruhr-Festival, or TENSO Days.  The number of their CD recordings, several winning awards like Orphée d’Or or Fryderyk (plus many more nominations) by 2016 had well exceeded 80. Countless radio and TV recordings in Poland, Europe (additionally some concerts as EBU live broadcasts), and North America complete the picture.

Polski Chór Kameralny prepares around 40 different programmes a year and co-operates with orchestras like NOSPR (Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra), the Polish Baltic Philharmonic, The Polish Chamber Philharmonic Sopot, Sinfonia Varsovia, the Polish Radio Chamber Orchestra “Amadeus”, The Academy of Ancient Music, Venice Baroque Orchestra, the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, and many more as well as with some of the cream of international choral conductors like Eric Ericson, Uwe Gronostay, Frieder Bernius, and Stephen Layton to name but a few.

Polski Chór Kameralny also organises its own music festivals, most notably, since 2006 they have been running their own annual 7-Day “Mozartiana” International Festival presenting Mozart’s Music in various guises and every year drawing thousands of visitors to the historic city centre of Gdansk, to Oliva Park, the Abbots’ Palace, and to Oliva Archcathedral.

In 2023, Polski Chór Kameralny celebrated the 45th anniversary of its artistic activity.

Chamber Choir of The Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz
Chamber Choir of The Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz

Chamber Choir of The Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz

Chór Kameralny Akademii Muzycznej im. Feliksa Nowowiejskiego w Bydgoszczy

Chamber Choir of The Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz is a five-time Grand Prix winner and multiple winner of the highest awards in prestigious international and national choral competitions. He is distinguished by extraordinary performance precision and above-average musicality, which he expresses in a wide and varied repertoire. The Chamber Choir performs both a cappella choral music and vocal-instrumental works. Contemporary music is particularly close to the Choir, which is why composers willingly entrust it with the first performances of their works. When performing vocal and instrumental works, the Chamber Choir cooperates with the Capella Bydgostiensis Chamber Orchestra and the Pomeranian Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra.

For 37 years, the Chamber Choir has been actively giving concerts in Poland and abroad, constantly taking up new artistic challenges, participating in numerous choral competitions, concert projects, recordings and world premieres. The Chamber Choir has performed in various parts of the world - Japan, South Korea, USA, Argentina, Russia, Greece, Ireland, Spain, Slovenia, Austria, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Italy, Switzerland. The choir also recorded music for the theater play "Judaszek" (music by Piotr Salaber), the computer game  

"The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings" (music by Marcin Przybyłowicz) and the film "Emily" (music by Abel Korzeniowski, directed by Frances O'Connor ).

Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra
Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra

Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra

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© Piotr Skórnicki

During the opening concert, which was held on 10 November 1947, the Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra performed under the baton of its first conductor, Stanisław Wisłocki. He was later succeeded by Jerzy Katlewicz, Robert Satanowski, Witold Krzemieński, Zdzisław Szostak, Renard Czajkowski, Wojciech Rajski, Wojciech Michniewski, Andrzej Boreyko, Mirosław Jacek Błaszczyk, José Maria Florencio and Grzegorz Nowak. In the 2007/2008 artistic season, Marek Pijarowski became Chief Conductor of the Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra. Łukasz Borowicz is the ensemble’s First Guest Conductor.

One of the most famous and recognised Polish symphonic ensembles, the orchestra performs at major music centres at home and abroad. It has toured almost all European countries, and performed at several leading international music festivals, incl. the Romaeuropa-Villa Medici, Kissinger Sommer, Ankara Sanat Festivali, Festwochen in Herrenhausen, Bregenzer Frühling, Dresdner Musikfestspiele, Choriner Musiksommer and Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival, International Music Festival Janáčkův Máj, Smetanova Litomyšl International Opera Festival.

The Orchestra accompanied participants of the first post-war edition of the Chopin Competition in Warsaw; since 1952, it has regularly played with the finalists of International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competitions in Poznań.

The ensemble has performed with such illustrious conductors, as Hermann Abendroth, Walerian Bierdiajew, Andrzej Boreyko, Marco Erede, János Ferencsik, Reinhard Goebel, Zdzisław Górzyński, Eivind Gullberg Jensen, Christopher Hogwood, Pietari Inkinen, Jacek Kaspszyk, Kazimierz Kord, Jan Krenz, Zygmunt Latoszewski, Zdeněk Mácal, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Sir Neville Marriner, Paul McCreesh, Rafael Payare, Jérémie Rhorer, Witold Rowicki, Ainārs Rubiķis, Jerzy Semkow, Stanisław Skrowaczewski, Václav Smetáček, Antoni Wit, Carlo Zecchi, as well as with outstanding soloists: Piotr Anderszewski, Martha Argerich, Piotr Beczała, Rafał Blechacz, Gábor Boldoczki, Pavol Breslik, Bertrand Chamayou, Sarah Chang, Andrzej Dobber, Helen Donath, Wojciech Drabowicz, Franco Fagioli, Jean Fournier, Malcolm Frager, Alexander Gavrylyuk, Monique Haas, Ida Haendel, Anita Hartig, Andrzej Hiolski, Philippe Jaroussky, Sumi Jo, Ryszard Karczykowski, Antonina Kawecka, Simone Kermes, Olga Kern, Gidon Kremer, Konstanty Andrzej Kulka, Aleksandra Kurzak, Sergei Leiferkus, Julia Lezhneva, Christian Lindberg, Bernard Ładysz, Adam Makowicz, Witold Małcużyński, Annick Massis, Albrecht Mayer, Francesco Meli, Johannes Moser, Leszek Możdżer, Victoria Mullova, Sergei Nakariakov, Wiesław Ochman, Garrick Ohlsson, David and Igor Oistrakhs, Gerhrad Oppitz, Emmanuel Pahud, Ewa Podleś, Maurizio Pollini, Samuel Ramey, Vadim Repin, Rugierro Ricci, Sviatoslav Richter, Mstislav Rostropovich, Artur Rubinstein, Gil Shaham, Göran Söllscher, Martin Stadtfeld, Akiko Suwanai, Henryk Szeryng, Maxim Vengerov, Arcadi Volodos, Wanda Wiłkomirska, Ingolf Wunder, Pretty Yende, Narciso Yepes, Christian Zacharias, Krystian Zimerman, Nikolaj Znaider.

The ensemble have made numerous recordings of symphonic, opera, and ballet pieces for the radio, television, and record companies (Sony Classical, Polmusic, Wichtel Records, Polskie Nagrania, Muza, Largo Records, DUX, CD Accord, Naxos). In 2015, the recording of World Opera Stars: “Ewa Podleś. Live with the Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra” (recorded in Poznan at a concert conducted by Łukasz Borowicz) was awarded the L’Orphée d’Or by the French Académie du Disque Lyrique.

Conducted by Łukasz Borowicz, the Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra together with the Choir of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic, as well as soloists—Wioletta Chodowicz, Robert Gierlach and Wojtek Gierlach—made in 2016 the world première recording of Quo vadis oratorio by Feliks Nowowiejski. Released in 2017 by the German record company cpo, in 2018 the two-CD album was awarded one of the most prestigious record prizes in the world: the International Classical Music Award.

2019 saw the release of “Stanisław Moniuszko, Cantatas Milda/Nijoła”, which was the pieces’ world phonographic premiere. Conducted by Łukasz Borowicz, the Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra recorded the two-CD album with the Choir of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic, as well as with soloists: Wioletta Chodowicz (soprano), Maria Jaskulska-Chrenowicz (soprano), Ewa Wolak (mezzo-soprano), Sylwester Smulczyński (tenor), Robert Gierlach (baritone), and Szymon Kobyliński (bass). In May  2020, the album made the Editor’s Choice list of the best records selected by the prestigious British classical music monthly Gramophone.

Two world phonographic premiere albums were recorded by the Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra in 2020: “Michał Bergson, Concerto symphonique pour piano et orchestre op. 62 /Music from the opera Luisa di Monfort” (Jonathan Plowright – piano, Jakub Drygas – clarinet, Aleksandra Kubas-Kruk – soprano, Łukasz Borowicz – conductor, Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra), and the concert version of the opera Faniska by Luigi Cherubini. Conducted by Łukasz Borowicz, the Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra made the recording with Natalia Rubiś (soprano), Krystian Adam Krzeszowiak (tenor), Katarzyna Belkius (soprano), Robert Gierlach (bass-baritone), Tomasz Rak (baritone), Justyna Ołów (mezzo-soprano), Piotr Kalina (tenor), Poznań Chamber Choir (prepared by Bartosz Michałowski).

Amadeus Chamber Orchestra
Amadeus Chamber Orchestra of Polish Radio

Amadeus Chamber Orchestra of Polish Radio

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Amadeus Chamber Orchestra of Polish Radio was founded by Agnieszka Duczmal in Poznań in 1968. Initially supported by the Polish section of the Jeunesses Musicales movement, and later by the Poznań Music Society, following the silver Herbert von Karajan Medal awarded at the International Young Orchestra Meeting in West Berlin in 1977, the ensemble conducted by its founder was transformed first into Polish Radio and Television Orchestra, and later into Amadeus Chamber Orchestra of Polish Radio. In 2009, Anna Duczmal-Mróz became the ensemble’s second conductor. The female conductor duo makes the orchestra an enterprise truly unique in the world.

In April 2023, the album Music for Chamber Orchestra vol.III with works by Grażyna Bacewicz performed by the Orchestra, conducted by Maestra Agnieszka Duczmal, was chosen as the best world orchestral recording according to the BBC Music Magazine Awards.

The ensemble’s artistic achievements include many first performances, such as the first world recording of Josef Koffler’s transcription of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Goldberg Variations for chamber orchestra. Covering repertoire from the Baroque to contemporary music, Amadeus’ regular recordings for Polish Radio have produced more than ten thousand minutes of music, as well as hundreds of concert broadcasts. The ensemble has collaborated with foreign radio stations, including the German NDR, WDR, and SFB, the BBC in London, the CBC in Montreal, and the Mexican Radio (for which the orchestra recorded mainly Polish repertoire).

The ensemble’s television recordings include over a hundred concerts and programmes for the Polish Television, five hours of music for Télévision Française 1, as well as onehour programme of Polish music for the Japanese NHK TV station.

With over fifty records to its credit, the Orchestra has given concerts in most European countries, the USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Kuwait, Taiwan, and Japan, as well as collaborated with such world-class soloists, as Maurice André, Martha Argerich, Avi Avital, Patric Gallois, Charles Richard-Hamelin, Steven Isserlis, Gary Karr, Kevin Kenner, Konstanty Andrzej Kulka, Mischa Maisky, Wynton Marsalis, Jeremy Menuhin, Igor Oistrakh, Piotr Paleczny, Michala Petri, Ivo Pogorelić, Alexandre Rabinovitch, Vadim Repin, Grigory Sokolov, Guy Touvron, Henryk Szeryng, Maxim Vengerov, Ingolf Wunder, Gheorghe Zamfir, and leading Polish soloists.

The Orchestra has performed at such renowned concert venues, as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, philharmonic concert halls in Berlin, Cologne, Munich and St. Petersburg, the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, the Musikvereinsaal in Vienna, Pollack Hall in Montreal, Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, La Scala in Milan, or Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. The ensemble regularly appears at numerous European music festivals.

The Symphony Orchestra of the Pomeranian Philharmonic in Bydgoszcz
The Symphony Orchestra of the Pomeranian Philharmonic in Bydgoszcz

The Symphony Orchestra of the Pomeranian Philharmonic in Bydgoszcz

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The Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1946 and after years found its home in the building of the Pomeranian Philharmonic.

The orchestra was co-created and conducted by Robert Satanowski, Zbigniew Chwedczuk, Witold Krzemieński, Antoni Wit, Tomasz Bugaj, Mieczysław Nowakowski, Jerzy Salwarowski, Michael Zilm, Roman Kofman, Marek Pijarowski, Tadeusz Wojciechowski, Kai Bumann and Mykola Diadiura.

Concerts with outstanding conductors and composers are the testimony of the position of the musicians. The performances have featured: Ernest Ansermet, Roberto Benzi, Benjamin Britten, Aram Chaczaturian, Riccardo Chailly, Juozas Domarkas, Jerzy Katlewicz, Kazimierz Kord, Jan Krenz, Witold Lutosławski, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Krzysztof Penderecki, Kurt Redel, Witold Rowicki, Jerzy Semkow, Stanisław Skrowaczewski, Saulius Sondeckis, Leopold Stokowski, Tadeusz Strugała, and Carlo Zecchi.

The performances in Italy, Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Spain, Scotland, Switzerland, Russia, South Korea and Cyprus have also met with applause and appreciative reviews.

The orchestra has performed in the renowned concert halls of the Berlin Philharmonic, the Konzerthaus Berlin and the Golden Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna.

It has numerously appeared at national and international music festivals such as Wratislavia Cantans, Warsaw Autumn, Berliner Festwochen, International Summer Festival Ljubljana, Schweriner Musiktage, Frankfurter Festtage der Musik.

The musicians of the orchestra have recorded the following pieces for Polish and international record companies: Yun’s symphonies (for Bild-Kunst, Bonn), Lutosławski’s "Chain 2" (awarded Diapason d’Or, Thorofon), Szymanowski’s works (for DUX), albums for Polskie Nagrania, Veriton, CPO Osnabrück and Naxos.

In 2013, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Pomeranian Philharmonic the Orchestra, conducted by Jerzy Maksymiuk, recorded the Symphony in B minor "Polonia" by Ignacy Jan Paderewski (DUX).

On 29 June 2018, as part of the celebration of 100 years of Polish Independence, Mozart's "Requiem" was performed and dedicated to the Patron of the Philharmonic on the 77th anniversary of his death. The performance included the Orchestra of The Pomeranian Philharmonic, leading Polish soloists and the Chamber Choir of the I. J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań conducted by Kai Bumann. The concert was held in Archcathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Warsaw where the patron of the Philharmonic and Poznań University rests.

An important event was the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of the World War II with three concerts of the Pomeranian Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra with the participation of soloists and the Singakademie Frankfurt (Oder) Choir in Potsdam, Bydgoszcz and Toruń in 2019. The large audience listened to Wojciech Kilar - Missa pro pace, conducted by Rudolf Tiersch.

In February 2020, the Pomeranian Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra together with the Berliner Cappella Choir, conducted by Sergi Gili Solé, gave a concert at the Berlin Philharmonic. The program included such compositions as Brahms - Schicksalslied Op. 54, Nänie Op. 82 and Gija Kantscheli - "Styx" for viola, choir and orchestra.

The Baltic Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra in Gdańsk
The Baltic Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra in Gdańsk

The Baltic Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra in Gdańsk

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Formed in 1974, the Gdansk Symphony Orchestra changed its name the next year to The Symphony Orchestra of Polish Philharmonic Hall. The founder, and for many years the artistic director, was Zygmunt Rychert. The work of the young conductor and the orchestra quickly won recognition among critics and music lovers not only in Poland but also abroad.
Artistic direction has been under the auspices of: Zygmunt Rychert (1976-1981; 1998-2003), Bogusław Madey (1981-1983), Jerzy Salwarowski (1983-1984 an artistic consultant), Wojciech Czepiel (1984-1986), Wojciech Rajski (1987-1989), Paweł Przytocki (1989-1991), Janusz Przybylski (1992-1993), Roman Perucki (1993-1998), Michał Nesterowicz                ( 2004- 2008), Kai Bumann (  2008 - 2012 ), Ernst van Tiel ( 2012 - 2017), George Tchitchinadze ( from 2017 )  
Many superb conductors have been invited to work with the Baltic Philharmonic Hall Orchestra - mention has to be made of work conducted by: Witold Rowicki, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Kazimierz Kord, Krzysztof Missona, Karol Teutsch, Jerzy Katlewicz, Andrzej Markowski, Jerzy Salwarowski, Wojciech Michniewski, Tadeusz Wojciechowski, Tadeusz Strugała, Marek Pijarowski, José Mario Florencio, Mirosław Błaszczyk, Tomasz Bugaj, Kai Bumann, Franco Ferrara, Enoch von zu Gutenberg, Carlo Zecchi and Felix Carrasco.
The Baltic Philharmonic Hall boasts a host of guest performers, including among the others: Ewa Pobłocka, Konstanty Andrzej Kulka, Krystian Zimerman, Krzysztof Jakowicz, Piotr Paleczny, Janusz Olejniczak, Leszek Możdżer, Piotr Pławner, Kaia Danczowska, Andrzej Bauer, Krzysztof Jabłoński, Bożena Harasimowicz, Leonard Andrzej Mróz, Jadwiga Rappé, Elżbieta Towarnicka, Vadim Brodski, Valery Oistrach, Edward Auer, Barbara Hendricks, Nigel Kennedy, Ann Murray, Lucia Aliberti and Helen Bickers.
The musicians from the Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra have been guests at many festivals in Poland and in Europe, such as Poznan Spring, Vratislavia Cantans, Warsaw Autumn, Oratorio Festival in Denmark, Scandinavian festival "Nordteile", or famous "Aspekte"           in Salzburg. They have been invited to tour in Germany, France, Switzerland and Italy, and to Concert Halls in Vienna, Salzburg, Paris, Berlin, Bremen, Frankfurt and St Petersburgh. During the 11th Music Biennale in Berlin (1987) the Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Wojciech Michniewski won the critics prize for the best Orchestra for the performance of Krzysztof Penderecki's 1st Symphony. In 1989 during a European tour,     the orchestra gave aco ncert with a choir "Cecilien Verein" from Fankfurt in Munich Philharmonic Hall, Alte Oper in Frankfurt and Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. In 1991 thet performed Verdi's Requiem inTours, Marseille, in Switzerland - Zurich, Basel, Lausanne, Bern and concerts in Italy crowned by a performance for His Holiness Pope John Paul II.
In 1988 the orchestra represented Poland at the world exhibition Expo in Lisbon.               For a couple of years the orchestra has given concerts In many German cities, including Schleswig, Bayreuth, Bremen and Berlin.
The Polish Philharmonic Hall and its musicians often initiate and create many cultural events in Gdansk and along the coast. On the 1000th anniversary of the City of Gdansk in 1997, in cooperation with other Gdansk artists, they prepared music for the mass in Rome celebrated by John Paul II, which opened the celebration of the city's millennium. During a cycle of concerts organized with the Polish-German Foundation "Millennium Musical Meetings" the president of Germany Roman Herzog and president of Poland Aleksander Kwasniewski were present .
During the celebration of 25 years of Solidarity and the Events of August '80 in Gdańsk Polish Philharmonic Hall took an active part in the biggest artistic events. The musicians conducted by Michal Nesterowicz took part in two spectacular events- Jean Michael Jarre's concert " Space of Freedom" (26.08.05) and the world's first performance of J. A. P. Kaczmarek's "Cantata of Freedom" at the Solidarity Square next to the Monument of the killed shipyard workers.

Sinfonietta Rīga
Sinfonietta Rīga

Sinfonietta Rīga

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According to the orchestra’s website, “Joy of learning and discovery of new horizons are the traits that best describe the Grammy-winning State Chamber Orchestra Sinfonietta Rīga.” Normunds Šnē has been the artistic director and conductor of the orchestra since its founding in 2006 and has stated that “Latvia has never had an ensemble like Sinfonietta Rīga; our repertoire is being created today, and this is a responsible and strategic mission.”

Sinfonietta Rīga’s repertoire consists of music from the Baroque, Classical and Romantic eras as well as the 20th and 21st centuries, including much Latvian music. In its desire to promote the development of the chamber symphony genre in Latvian music, each year the orchestra commissions a new score from two Latvian composers. Defining the chamber symphony as a genre in which a small orchestra can convey important ideas, Sinfonietta Rīga has premiered chamber symphonies by Andris Dzenītis, Anitra Tumševica, Linda Leimane, Santa Ratniece, Nic Gotham, Kristaps Pētersons, Santa Bušs and Oskars Herliņš. It has developed a close creative collaboration with the Latvian Radio Choir and its conductor Sigvards Kļava, staging several concert programmes each year, including premieres of new Latvian sacred music.

Sinfonietta Rīga has received the Latvian Grand Music Award four times (2007, 2008, 2015, 2018) and won a Grammy Award for its participation in the recording of Arvo Pärt’s Adam’s Lament (ECM).

Sinfonietta Rīga regularly and with great pleasure collaborates with guest conductors Paavo Järvi, Heinz Holliger, John Storgårds, Christoph Poppen, Olari Elts, Juha Kangas, Tõnu Kaljuste and others.

Among the brilliant soloists who have performed together with Sinfonietta Rīga are singers Julia Lezhneva and Inga Kalna; pianists Kristian Bezuidenhout, Nelson Goerner and Yevgeny Sudbin; organist Iveta Apkalna; violinists Isabelle Faust, Kolja Blacher, Baiba Skride, Pekka Kuusisto and Thomas Zehetmair; cellists Sol Gabetta, Jean-Guihen Queyras and Matthew Barley; violinist Vineta Sareika and violist Gregor Sigl of the Artemis Quartet; and Ukrainian violist Maxim Rysanov. The orchestra has also enjoyed collaborations with clarinetist and composer Jörg Widmann; trombonist Christian Lindberg; percussionists Martin Grubinger, Evelyn Glennie and Peter Erskine; accordionist Ksenija Sidorova; Argentinian bandoneon player Marcelo Nisinman; oboist Alexei Ogrintchouk; and early music experts Andrew Lawrence-King and Enrico Onofri.

Sinfonietta Rīga performs not only in Latvia but throughout the Baltic states. It has also performed at the Elbphilharmonie and the Laeiszhalle in Hamburg, the Kölner Philharmonie, the Herkulessaal in Munich, the Alte Oper in Frankfurt, the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic and Lincoln Center in New York City. The orchestra has performed several times in the Netherlands, including at the Muziekgebouw in Amsterdam and De Doelen in Rotterdam. As a part of Latvia’s centenary celebrations in 2018, it played at concert halls in Budapest, Malmö, Gothenburg and Örebro.

Sinfonietta Rīga has participated in festivals of various size in Latvia and abroad, including the Pärnu Music Festival, the Baltic Sea Festival in Stockholm, Lux Aeterna in Hamburg, Kissinger Sommer in Germany, the Café Budapest Festival and others.

The orchestra regularly collaborates with the Wergo and Ondine labels to record the music of Pēteris Vasks. Its performances can also be heard on albums released by BIS, Edition Records, Challenge Records, Signum Records and Hyperion. In collaboration with the Latvian national recording label Skani, it has released an album of music by Jānis Ivanovs as well as the Chamber Symphonies album featuring music by Andris Dzenītis, Anitra Tumševica and Linda Leimane.

The Silesian Chamber Orchestra
The Silesian Chamber Orchestra

The Silesian Chamber Orchestra

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Artistic director / Conductor / Soloist – Piotr Pławner

Honorary Director of the Silesian Chamber Orchestra – prof. Jan Wincenty Hawel

 

It is the youngest of the three artistic ensembles of the Silesian Philharmonic. It was established in 1981 by Professor Jan Wincenty Hawel, composer and conductor, who was its artistic manager for many years. In 2006 an Italian conductor, Massimiliano Caldi, the winner of the 1st prize at the Grzegorz Fitelberg International Competition for Conductors, was appointed its artistic manager for the next four years. At present the orchestra operates under the leadership of Piotr Pławner, one of the most outstanding and most creative violinist in his generation who performs also as a soloist.

The broad repertoire of the ensemble is originally diversified: besides the great classics of chamber music, it comprises music that is not played so often /G. Holst, A. Piazzolla, O. Respighi/, as well as string arrangements of virtuoso chamber music oeuvres by F. Schubert, F. Mendelssohn, P. Tchaikovsky, D. Shostakovich. 

The essence of the activities of the orchestra falls within the range whose one side is determined by an enthusiastic statement of a reviewer:

“(…) the awareness that we have a very good chamber ensemble in Silesia is truly reassuring .”

/A. Nowok, 2013/

– and the other by the album “Górecki” /DUX/, nominated to the Fryderyk 2013 award, on which the orchestra presents the musical portrait of Henryk Mikołaj Górecki’s family under the baton of Professor Mirosław Jacek Błaszczyk, promoting the achievements of these distinguished figures from Silesia. 

At the same time, the Silesian Chamber Orchestra has established itself on the international arena and has been invited to numerous festivals and periodical music events, such as: Festival Murten Classics, Le Festival des Voutes – Sud-Vendée, “Schubertiade” – Schloss Eyb, International Music Festival in Rialp, International Music Festival in w Český Krumlov, Festival in Łańcut, Chamber Music Festival “Silesian Quartet and its Guests”, or Festival”Music in Old Krakow”. It has also performed in the most prestigious concert halls of Europe – Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, “Sala Verdi” in the Milan Conservator, as well as “Konzerthaus” in Berlin.

The orchestra has had the honour to cooperate with the whole pantheon of excellent soloists, among whom there have been: Ivan Monighetti, Kevin Kenner, Garrick Ohlsson, Eugen Indjić, Bruno Canino, Marianna Vasilieva, Wolfgang Güttler and Konstanty Andrzej Kulka, Krzysztof Jakowicz, Kaja Danczowska, Agata Szymczewska, Leszek Możdżer, Andrzej Jagodziński. It has also been conducted by distinguished conductors: Paul Esswood, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Mirosław J. Błaszczyk, Tadeusz Wojciechowski, as well as  Marek Moś.

The orchestra has made numerous recordings, which have been appreciated by music fans as well as the critics. Several albums of the Silesian Chamber Orchestra were nominated to the Fryderyk award during the last few years – in 2006 an album with a cello concerto by Stanisław Moryto with the participation of Tomasz Strahl conducted by Mirosław J. Błaszczyk, in 2013 an album with the music by Henryk Mikołaj Górecki and Mikołaj Górecki with the participation of Kaja Danczowska, also conducted by Mirosław J. Błaszczyk, and in 2014 “Missa de Maria a Magdala” by Paweł Łukaszewski. 

Šarūnas Šapalas
Šarūnas Šapalas

Šarūnas Šapalas

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Young baritone Šarūnas Šapalas was born in Lithuania and studied opera singing at Vilnius Music and Theatre Academy with Vytautas Juozepaitis. Later he completed his studies at University of Music and Dramatic Arts in Bratislava, Slovakia, in class of Dagmar Bezačinska.Šarūnas made his debut in part of Morales in G. Bizet's opera Carmen at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre in 2014.In the same theathre he performed other roles,( Il Barone) G. Verdi's La Traviata, (Bretigny) J. Massenet's Manon, (Shaudard ) G. Puccini's La Boheme, (Danilo) F. Lehar's Die lustige Witwe, (Dr. Falke) J. Strauss's Die Fledermaus, ( Il Deputato ) G. Verdi’s Don Carlo, ( Mr. Ben ) R. Šerkšnyte’s opera Five Miracles of Merry. G. Puccini’s Turandot (Ping), L. Bernstein’s Candide (Maximilian)In 2015 Šarūnas was named The most Promissing young singer of the Year “in Lithuania. In 2016 he started also cooperate with Vilnius City Opera where he sang role of Sciarrone from G. Puccini‘ s Tosca and Wagner in Ch. Gounoud‘s Faust.

In May 2017 Šarūnas introduced himself for Slovak audience too. He was invited to sing role of Aleko- opera written by S. Rachmaninoff ,in Banska Bystrica State Theathre. After his Slovak debut was named as„Discovery of the Year „ by Slovak critics.In Klaipeda Musical Theatre sings role of Marcello and Shaunard in G. Puccini’s La Boheme, Silvio in R. Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci. Mazetto in W.A.Mozart’s opera “Don Giovanni”, V. Ganelin’s musicale “Velnio nuotaka” he sang Girdvainis role. B. Kutavičius “Lokys” he sand Count Šemeta, G. Donizetti “Lesir damore” he sang Dulcamara.
In 2018 Šarūnas made he’s debut for Portugal audience with P. Tchaikovski’s opera “Eugen Onegin”- Viseu and Bataglia open air festivals. 2021 he sang role of Don Giovanni in W. A. Mozart’s opera “ Don Giovanni”.

2020 baritone had pleasure to introduce him self also to Switzerland public with the role of Escamillo in G. Biset opera Carmen- Bucks summer festival open air.

Alexandre Tharaud
Alexandre Tharaud

Alexandre Tharaud

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His extraordinary discography of over 25 solo albums, most of which received major awards from the music press, features repertoire ranging from Couperin, Bach and Scarlatti, through Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Brahms, and Rachmaninov to the major 20th century French composers. The breadth of his artistic endeavours is also reflected in collaborations with theatre makers, dancers, choreographers, writers and film makers, as well as with singer-songwriters and musicians outside the realm of classical music.

Alexandre is a sought-after soloist, appearing with many of the world’s leading orchestras: upcoming highlights include concerto performances with Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, National Symphony Orchestra Taiwan, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse & Hong Kong Sinfonietta. Recent concerto engagements include Aurora Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Les Violons du Roy, Sao Paulo State Symphony, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Royal Concertgebouworkest, Cleveland and Philadelphia Orchestras, Cincinnati Symphony, London Philharmonic and hr-Sinfonieorchester Frankfurt.

As a recitalist, Alexandre Tharaud is a regular guest at the world’s most prestigious venues. Highlights include recitals at the Philharmonie de Paris, Wigmore Hall, Frankfurt Alte Oper, Bayreuth, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Casa da Música Porto, Zankel Hall and extensive touring in Japan, China and Korea. Alexandre continues his long collaboration with the cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras for an extensive European tour.

Following the critically acclaimed production of ‘Unstill Life’, a collaboration with the choreographer Benjamin Millepied in Paris, Lyon & Spoleto, Alexandre will bring this production to Walt Disney Hall in Los Angeles. He also continues his collaboration with the singer Angelique Kidjo. This season Alexandre will be Artist in Residence at Muziekgebouw Amsterdam where, alongside recitals and chamber music, he will bring a range of projects including an electronic project with the artist Para One, accompanying a silent film and a meditation on sleep entitled ‘Dodo Tharaud’.

Alexandre is an exclusive recording artist of Warner Classics. This season his highly anticipated recording of the two Ravel concerti with Orchestre National de France & Louis Langree, will be released to celebrate the Ravel anniversary. In October 2020, ‘Le Poète du Piano’ was released and features some of Alexandre’s best-known recordings on one album. His discography reflects an eclectic affinity to many musical styles, with recent recordings including Versailles, which pays tribute to composers associated with the courts of the French kings Louis XIV, XV and XVI, a tribute to singer-songwriter Barbara, a Brahms duo album with Jean-Guihen Queyras (a regular chamber music partner for 20 years), and Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2. Over the course of his career he has made critically acclaimed recordings of Rameau, Scarlatti, Bach’s Goldberg Variations and Italian Concerto, Beethoven’s three final sonatas, Chopin’s 24 Preludes, and Ravel’s complete piano works.

In 2017, Alexandre published Montrez-moi vos mains, an introspective and engaging account of daily life as a pianist. He had previously co-authored Piano Intime, with journalist Nicolas Southon. He is the subject of a film directed by Swiss film maker Raphaëlle Aellig-Régnier: Alexandre Tharaud, Le Temps Dérobé, and appeared in the role of the pianist “Alexandre” in Michael Hanneke’s celebrated 2012 film Amour.

In 2021, Alexandre won the Instrumental Soloist of the year award at the Victoires de la Musique Classique.

Inma Hidalgo
Inma Hidalgo

Inma Hidalgo

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She performed Magnificat de Rutter, Harmonia Caelestis de Pàll Estherazy, Rossini's Stabat Mater, Beethoven's Fantasia Coralle, on the Theatres such as Teatre Principal in Palma de Mallorca, Brandenburg, Augsburg and the Berlin Philharmonic; and has also performed such roles as Marcellina in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, Paggio in Verdi's Rigoletto, Rosita in F. M. Torroba's Luisa Fernanda, Encarna in La Revoltosa by R. Chapí, Irene in La Doña Francisquita by A. Vives, Prima Dama in La Flauto Màgico, Donna Elvira in Mozart's Don Giovanni (reduced version), Anna in Verdi's Nabuco, Rowan in Britten's The Little Sweep, Mercedes in Bizet's Carmen in Festival Musica Mallorca, Clotilde in Bellini's Norma under the baton of Andres Salado and directed by Lorenzo Amato, Sacerdotessa in Verdi's Aida and La Ciesca in G. Puccini's Gianni Schicchi.

She has had the opportunity to sing in venues such as: Grand Hall of the Tchaikovsky Conservatoryin Moscow, National Opera of Latvia, Livings Arts Center in Toronto, Casa da Musica in Porto with the Orchestra do Atlantico, Campoamor Theatre in Oviedo, Theatre Ancient Theatre in Vilnius, Dzintari Hall in Jürmala and Kolarac Concert Hall in Belgrade.

Anastasia Kobekina
Anastasia Kobekina

Anastasia Kobekina

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© Julia Altukhova

Described by Le Figaro as an "unrivaled musician", Anastasia Kobekina is known for her breath- taking musicality and technique, her extraordinary versatility and her infectious personality. As soloist, Anastasia performed with worldwide renowned orchestras like Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Wiener Symphoniker, BBC Philharmonic, Kremerata Baltica, Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra Moscow, Wiener Kammerorchester, Symphoniker Hamburg, Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Barcelona Symphony, National Orchestra d’Ile de France and under the guidance of Krzysztov Penderecki, Heinrich Schiff, Omer Meir Wellber, Vladimir Spivakov,
Charles Detoit, Jean-Christophe Spinosi, Xian Zhang and Dmitrij Kitajenko.


Highlights of the 2023/24 season include concerts with the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich
conducted by Paavo Järvi, the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Jakub Hrusa, the Orchester National du Capitole de Toulouse, the Gstaad Festival Orchestra, the Orchester National de Belgique, as well as appearance at the Gstaad Menuhin Festival, Rheingau Music Festival and Dvořák Prague International Music Festival.


Anastasia is prizewinner at international competitions such as Tchaikovsky Competition (St.Petersburg 2019) and Enescu Competition (Bucharest 2016).
She has been a BBC New Generation Artist from 2018-2021 and became Borletti-Buitoni Trust Artists by receiving an award in 2022.


Anastasia performs at the major venues and festivals, including the Concertgebouw
Amsterdam, the Lincoln Center, Konzerthaus Berlin, Tonhalle Zurich, Les Flâneries Musicales de Reims, Easter Festival of Aix-en-Provence, Wigmore Hall and Festspiele Mecklenburg Vorpommern, Gstaad Menuhin Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival and Rheingau Music Festival.


Anastasia is an exclusive Sony Classical artist, her debut album will be released in early 2024. Born in Russia, she received her first cello lessons at the age of 4. Anastasia studied with Frans Helmerson and Prof. Jens-Peter Maintz in Germany and then in Paris with Jerome Pernoo. Currently, she is studying baroque Violoncello with Kristin von der Goltz in Frankfurt.

Kobekina performs on Violoncello Antonio Stradivarius from 1698 generously loaned by Stradivari Stiftung Habisreutinger.

Egle Wyss
Egle Wyss

Egle Wyss

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Lithuanian mezzo-soprano Egle Wyss impresses with her intense and dramatic performances in the repertoire of Mozart, Donizetti, Bellini, Verdi, Wagner, Tchaikovsky and Strauss. Her most recent engagements include Venus "Tannhäuser" at the New National Theatre Tokyo, Jeanne d'Arc "Die Jungfrau von Orleans" at the Domstufen Festspiele Erfurt, Romeo "I Capuleti ed i Montecchi" at the Lithuanian National Opera in Vilnius and Eboli "Don Carlos" at the Lithuanian National Opera, the Latvian National Opera, Riga, and the Estonian National Opera, Tallinn. Her roles in Germany and Austria have included covering Elina Garanča as Venus Tannhäuser at the Salzburg Easter Festival alongside Jonas Kaufmann; Fenena "Nabucco" at the Freiburg Theatre and the Third Lady "Die Zauberflöte", Flower Girl "Parsifal" and Sonyetka "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk" at the Staatstheater Kassel.

She covered Ekaterina Gubanova in a production of Don Carlos at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino under the baton of Zubin Methas.

Future engagements in 2024 include Mère Marie de l'Incarnation "Dialogues des Carmélites" at Teatro Cervantes Málaga, her debut at Teatro Comunale Bologna for Rheingold and Walküre, Amneri's "Aida" at MTS Belgrade, Charlotte "Werther" at Teatro Sassari and finally in 2025 her debut at Teatro della Scala "Walküre".

Borun Li
Borun Li

Borun Li

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Borun Li, born in 1994 in Luoyang, China. He started piano lessons at the age of 4. He completed his elementary and junior high school at the Wuhan Conservatory of Music, then went to Poland and studied with Professor Alicja Kledzik at the Genius High School of the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznan. Since 2013, He has been enrolled in Prof. Gerrit Zitterbart’s class at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hannover and has completed Bachelor and Master studies and now is studying with Prof. Arie Vardi at Solo Class. During the Study, he received important artistic impulses from pianists such as Andrea Bonatta, Matti Reakallio, Pavel Gililov, Bernd Goetzke, Klaus Bäßler etc. In 2011 he won Sixth prize in 9th Arthur Rubinstein In Memoriam International Competition for Young Pianists in Bydgoszcz Poland and Third Prize in Zabrze Piano competition Poland and in 2019 received the scholarship from the "Dr. Gerda Rohde Prize for the Promotion of Young Musical Talents" for Outstanding University Graduates in 2019. In 2023 he won third prize in 5th Baltic Piano Competition in Gdańsk. He has performed concerts in many cities in China such as Beijing, Wuhan, Luoyang etc. also in Germany such as Hannover, Göttingen, Leipzig, Bielefeld, Verden etc.

Ewa Marciniec
Ewa Marciniec

Ewa Marciniec

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Ewa Marciniec graduated from two faculties: The Composition and Musical Theory, The Vocal – Actor’s in Zofia Janukowicz – Pobłocka’s class. She got diplomas with distinction.

She was continuing learning on the artistic post – graduated studies thanks to the DAAD scholarship in Musikhochschule in Stuttgart in Luisa Bosabalian’s class ( the diploma with distinction in 1996 ).

Ewa Marciniec was making progress of her musical knowledge and vocal skills art the master’s courses led by such authourities like Carlo Bergonzi (Accademia Musicale Chigiana – Siena ), Paul Esswood ( Internationale Haendel Akademie – Karlsruhe ), Helmuth Rilling (Stuttgarter Bach Akademie – Kraków ), Adele Stolte ( The J. S. Bach Music Interpretation – Gdańsk ).

She took part in such prestige vocal contests as: The Performing of Polish Artistic Songs in Warsaw ( 1st prize and two special prizes - one of them from Krystyna Szostek – Radkowa  “ for the best performing and the most beautiful voice “), The Ada Sari Contest – prize in Nowy Sącz ( distinction ), IVC’ s-Hertogenbosch ( final), ARD Munich ( final ).

Ewa Marciniec is keen on old – time music ( Bach – St. Matthew Passion; Haendel – The Messiah, Alcina, Rodelinda; Vivaldi – Griselda ), romantic ( Mahler – Das Lied von der Erde, Kindertotenlieder, Brahms – Rhapsody for Alto) and modern one ( Penderecki – The Seven Gates of Jerusalem, Credo; Elżbieta Sikora – Omnia tempus habent – pre-original performance oratorium which was composed for the Gdańsk millenium ; Wojciech Kilar – Missa pro pace ).

Great forms of sacral music are presented on the stages in Poland ( Warsaw: The National Philharmonic, The Concert Studio of The Polisch Radio S1; Katowice: The Silesia Philharmonic, NOSPR ( National Symphonic Orchestry of Polish Radio; Kraków, Gdańsk, Poznań ) and abroad ( Germany: Berliner Philharmonie, Konzerthaus Berlin, Rundfunk – Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken; Belgium: Palais des Beaux-Arts, Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, Orchestre Philharmonique de Liege, Charlemagne Orchestra; Switzerland: Kunsthaus Luzern, Kongresshaus Zürich, Casino Basel, Casino Bern; Italy: Teatro La Fenice di Venezia, Filarmonica della Scala, Vatican, Spain: Real Filharmonia de Galicia, Croatia, Denmark, Netherlands, France, Israel ).

Her interpretation and vocal skills are used by international opera theatres. She was present on the Italian stages ( Theatro dell’Opera di Roma, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Teatro Comunale Giuseppe Verdi di Trieste, Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine ), German ones ( Oper Frankfurt, Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden, Staatstheater Oldenburg ) and Austrian ( Landestheater Linz ).

Ewa Marciniec is a guest on different musical festivals. The most important are: The International Festival Wratislavia Cantans, The Europalia Festival 2001 – Brussels, The Culture Festival Bornholm, Bard SummerScape 2008 – Annandale-on-Hudson/New York, The Krzysztof Penderecki Festival – Kraków 2000, Abu Ghosh Vocal Music Festival – Israel, The Days of Organs Music – Kraków, Musica Sacra Europea – Norymberg, The Organs Music Festival in the Oliva Cathedral, The Chamber Music Festival Musica nos unit – Gdańsk.

She cooperates with such conductors as Marc Albrecht, Tomasz Bugaj, Frans Brüggen, Myung-Whun Chung, Daniele Gatti, Christopher Hogwood, Toshiyuki Kamioka, Jacek Kaspszyk, Jerzy Katlewicz, Kazimierz Kord, Jan Krenz, Wojciech Michniewski, Gabor Ötvös, Marek Pijarowski, Stefan Anton Reck, Jerzy Salwarowski, Jerzy Semkow, Stanisław Skrowaczewski, Tadeusz Strugała, Antoni Wit, Tadeusz Wojciechowski.

She performs on the concerts and stages with well – known – world and famous stars – Susan Annthony, Eva-Maria Bundschuh, Albert Dohmen, Zdzisława Donat, Wojtek Drabowicz,  Simon Estes, Sabine Hass, Julia Juon, Hans-Joachim Ketelsen, Chris Merritt, Wiesław Ochman, Kenneth Riegel, Kurt Rydl, Elżbieta Szmytka, Alan Titus, Endrik Wottrich.

“… dark and warm “ Ewa Marciniec alto voice can be heard on the archives records of Polish Radio ( pieces of Polish composers ) and also on the CD’s ( Rossini – Messa di Gloria; Haendel – The Messiah by Mozart; Mahler – Symphony No. 8 “Symphony of a Thousand”; Penderecki – Credo; Seven Gates of Jerusalem; Szymanowski – Demeter;  Stabat Mater ).

 

Martin Mkhize
Martin Mkhize

Martin Mkhize

martin-mkhize

 

South African baritone Martin Mkhize has been a member of the opera studio at the Dutch National Opera. For the Dutch National Opera he has been featured in the following productions: Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Madama Butterfly, Il Martimonio Segreto, Carmen,  The world-premiere of Il Ritratto ,Belcore in L’elisir d’amore ,The Rape of Lucritia, The world premiere of How Anansi freed the stories of the world , Ping in Turandot , Bill in Mahagonny . Prior to joining the DNO Studio he appeared in the 2017-2020 season at the Bregenz Festival Studio as Figaro in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia. In that same season he appeared as Papageno in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro, both with the Cape Town Opera and Peter in Hänsel und Gretel. 

Past performances have included Dandini in La Cenerentola, Betto di Signa in Gianni Schicchi, Don Prudenzio in Il viaggio a Reims, Marchese d’Obigny in La Traviata. He appeared in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. In concert Martin has appeared in various recitals with the Sic Itur ad Astra Foundation.

Martin Mkhize studied at the University of Cape Town, where he won the first prize and the audience award at the Schock Foundation Competition.

Chuan Wang
Chuan Wang

Chuan Wang

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Chuan Wang  is the first Chinese tenor ever to sing on the stage of Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy. Graduated from Xinghai Conservatory of Music in Guangzhou, China and Conservatorio di Milano, Italy.

Chuan Wang has won rewards of multiple international competitions,  at the 3rd Bazzini International Opera Competition,  at the 7th Salvatore Licitra International Lyric Opera Competition and the prize and special Plácido Domingo prize at the 58th Tenor Viñas International Lyric Opera Competition. In April 2017, he entered Teatro alla Scala's young artist programme, becoming the first Chinese opera singer to attend this programme.

On prestigious European opera stages including that of the Teatro alla Scala, Chuan Wang has sung an extensive repertoire including Don Pasquale, L'Elisir d'Amore, Il Barbier di Siviglia, Cendrillon, Rigoletto, Gianni Schicchi, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieres, II viaggio a Reims, Armida, Ermione, L'inganno Felice and Cavilli. In 2021, he performed on the stages of the Rossini Festival. Highlights in the 2023-24 season include Puccini's Turandot, Gianni Schicchi and Rossini's L'Italiana in Algeri in various opera houses including the Teatro alla Scala.

George Tchitchinadze
George Tchitchinadze

George Tchitchinadze

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© Gela Megrelidze

He has won both public and critical acclaim thanks to his brilliant music skills coupled with personal charisma and his warm and sensitive way of communicating with musicians and audience.

George Tchitchinadze started his career as an opera conductor in 1998, when he conducted the Gala Concert at the International Opera Festival in Tbilisi, Georgia. Since the artistic season 2017/18, he holds a position as chief conductor and artistic director of the Polish Baltyc Filharmonic in Gdansk. He is now widely recognized as being responsible for the increasing popularity and quality of the concerts by the Baltyc Filharmonic Orchestra. In April 2022 he made his successful debut in Aida with the Opera Baltycka Gdansk. He is a professor at the Tbilisi State Conservatory and head of the Opera Department. Tchichinadze has been successfully conducting several Polish orchestras, such as the Polish Sinfonia Iuventus Orchestra, Sinfonia Varsovia and the Wroclaw Philharmonic Orchestra, where he is a regular guest. He toured Israel with the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Theatre, performing in Jerusalem, Quiriat Haim, Herzelia and Rishon LeZion. He also conducted the Netherlands Radio Filharmonic Orchestra, the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Orchestra in Vilnius, the Lithuanian National Chamber Orchestra and the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Syrian National Symphony Orchestra in Damascus. He conducted operas for the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Theatre, including performances of Verdi’s Aida, Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci and Mozart’s Don Giovanni. He conducted Saint Christopher Chamber Orchestra at the International Music Festival “Alternative” in Vilnius, Lithuania. George Tchitchinadze was a Music Director of the International Music Festival in Saga, Japan.

Eugene Tzigane
Eugene Tzigane

Eugene Tzigane

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© Neda Navaee

Born in Japan, raised on both sides of the Pacific and now based in Europe, Eugene Tzigane has a diverse background both culturally and musically. From an early age, he was surrounded by music of vastly different origins from Jazz (his first love) to orchestral music both classical and cinematic, and folk music and dance of Eastern European.

Eugene started studying music relatively late but was fortunate to be surrounded by inspiring mentors and teachers. He studied conducting at Juilliard School with James DePreist, earning a Masters in Conducting. Later, he studied with Jorma Panula at the Royal Music School, Stockholm, earning a Post Graduate Diploma. During this time, Eugene won several conducting prizes including at the Gzegorsz Fitelberg, Georg Solti and Lovro von Matačić competitions. Soon after, he was elected Chefdirigent of the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie (Herford) as the youngest chief in Germany at the time.

Since then, he’s been hailed as

 

“a poised orchestral leader” - (Berliner Morgenpost)

with an

“almost fanatical precision… along the lines of the young Carlos Kleiber” - (Neues Volksblatt)

His engagements have taken him all across the globe including the Bruckner Orchester Linz, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Netherlands Philharmonic, Orchestre National d'Ile de France, Tonkunstler Orchestra, Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, Sinfonia

Lahti, and the Symphony-Orchestra of the MDR Radio, Tokyo Metropolitan, Frankfurt Radio, Norwegian Radio, Adelaide, West Australian SO, Basel, Helsingborg, Gavle, Aarhus and Tampere to name a few.

In 22/23 Eugene debuted with the Philharmonia Prague Orchestra, and returned to Prague Symphony, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Finland and Sweden.

Collaborations include with soloists such as Isabelle Faust, Ronald Brautigam and Oliver Triendl.

Eugene has been fortunate to work with some of the great soloists of our times including Mischa Maisky, Alban Gerhardt, Leif Ove Andsnes, Vilde Frang, Hyeyoon Park, Baiba Skrida, Hakan Hardenberger, Roland Pontinen, Lucas Debargue, Alessio Bax, Inon Barnatan, Arabella Steinbacher, and Lise de la Salle.

Eugene Tzigane is designated chief conductor and artistic director of the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra in Finland.

Roman Perucki
Roman Perucki

Roman Perucki

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© Magdalena Czaja

Graduated in 1985 from the Music Academy in Gdańsk in the organ class of prof. Leon Bator. He started teaching there in 1985, now as the professor of the organ class. He continued his studies  in master classes in Poland and abroad.

He is the chief organist in the cathedral in Gdańsk Oliwa and the counselor of President of the Gdansk City in a band of organ.  He is managing director of the Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra (with it’s new seat Gdansk’s Congress-Music Centre; www.filharmonia.gda.pl), the President of Society „Musica Sacra” and Society of Friends of the Cathedral in Gdańsk Oliwa. He contributed to the creation new instruments in Gdańsk and in it’s neighbourhood.

Professor Roman Perucki is the manager of the oldest in Poland, the International Organ Music Festival in the Cathedral in Oliwa and International J.P. Sweelinck Competition in Gdańsk, as well as other international organ-music cycles (in Gdańsk, Frombork, Jastarnia, Stegna, Rumia, Jastrzębia Góra and Żarnowiec). He is a member of the jury of the many organ competitions in Poland and abroad (France, Russia). He also does lectures master - courses in Poland, Portugal, Mexico, Croatia, Russia and France.

Till present day he played more than 2500 organ concerts: solo recitals, concerts with accompaniment of chamber and symphonic orchestras, soloists and duo-concerts, among others with his wife Maria Perucka (violinist). He performed in the entire Europe,   Russia,  Japan, China, Mexico, USA and Australia. Among others he played in the Notre Dame in Paris and in the Gent’s cathedral, Mariinski Theater in St. Petersburg. and most famous concert halls and churches all around the world.

He has  recorded a lot of CD’s. He made recordings for national radio and television, as well as foreign phonographic producers and medias. He was given the Culture Prize from Ministry of Culture, many prizes  from the authorities of the Town of Gdańsk and the highest Vatican’s distinction “Pro Ecclesiae et pontifice”, and Order of St. Sylwestre which he appreciates the most.

Daniel Smith
Daniel Smith

Daniel Smith

daniel-smith 

European-based, Australian conductor Daniel Smith rapidly gained international acclaim after winning First Prize, the Golden Baton and the Orchestra’s Choice Prize, in UNESCO’s International Conducting Competition (in memory of Grzegorz Fitelberg), as well as Second Prize in the prestigious Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition. His third success was First Prize in the Mancinelli International Opera Conducting Competition along with the Orchestra’s Choice Prize in the Lutosławski International Conducting Competition. He then went on to become Direttore Principale Ospite of Teatro Carlo Felice in Italy (2017-2019). Daniel’s musicality, energy and spirit create an infectious rapport with musicians and audiences alike. Following his highly successful debut as the first Australian to conduct The Mariinsky Orchestra, he has also conducted the Czech Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Spain’s Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana at the Palau des les Arts Reina Sofía, Italy’s RAI National Symphony Orchestra, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Teatro San Carlo, Opera Australia, Norwegian National Opera, Warsaw National Philharmonic, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, New Japan Philharmonic, RTÉ National Symphony of Ireland, Indianapolis Symphony, Danish National Symphony, Royal Seville Symphony Orchestra and the Greek National Opera, among others. Daniel has also conducted at festivals including World Expo, Stars of the White Nights, Mozarteum Festspiele, Järvi Summer Festival, Estate Musicale Chigiana Siena, Aspen Music Festival, Sydney Olympic Arts Festival, MiTo Festival and the Proms, Kraków. Upcoming eagerly awaited performances include a new production of Don Giovanni, directed by John Fulljames with the Greek National Opera, a symphonic tour with digeridoo virtuoso William Barton and the Filarmonica Toscanini, and performances with the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra, Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra and Opera Australia. Daniel’s debuts at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, The Mariinsky Theatre and at the Sydney Opera House conducting Rossini’s Il viaggio a Reims (with director, Damiano Michieletto) affirmed his success as an opera conductor. In recent seasons, he has worked on operatic repertoire including La traviata and Tosca (alongside late director Franco Zeffirelli); as well as Il barbiere di Siviglia, Cavalleria rusticana, Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte, Don Pasquale, L’elisir d’amore, La fanciulla del West, Der fliegende Holländer, Gianni Schicchi, La Rondine, Der Rosenkavalier, Suor Angelica, Turandot, Il viaggio a Reims, Wozzeck and An American in Paris. Recently, Daniel launched his new charity foundation: “The Daniel Smith ‘Gift of Music’ Foundation”, personally purchasing and donating hundreds of tickets to those who could not normally attend due to financial constraint, terminal illness or disability. Daniel studied conducting with Jorma Panula, Neeme Järvi, Gianluigi Gelmetti, Hugh Wolff, Peter Gülke, Imre Palló and Harry Spence Lyth. He holds a Master of Music degree from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and Fellowships from the Trinity College London, American Academy of Conducting in Aspen and the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg.

Łukasz Długosz
Łukasz Długosz

Łukasz Długosz

Lukasz-dlugosz 

He is considered one of the greatest flautists by critics. He is also the most awarded Polish flautist in the history. The Luxembourg magazine Pizzicato hailed Łukasz Długosz “one of the greatest flautists in the world” for the album Flute Stories.

A graduate of solo studies at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich and master studies at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse in Paris, and at Yale University in New Haven.

He is the winner of several prestigious international flute competitions, e.g., in Paris, Odense, Munich, and Viggiano.

He performs as a soloist and chamber musician in Poland and abroad. He works with a number of renowned orchestras. As a soloist he has performed in, among others, Carnegie Hall, the Musikverein Goldener Saal and Konzerthaus in Vienna, Konzerthaus in Berlin, Gasteig Carl Orff Saal and Herkulessaal in Munich, Poly Theatre in Beijing, Xinghai Concert Hall in Guangzhou, Shanghai Concert Hall, Opera House in Qatar, Shin Kobe Oriental Hall in Kobe, Pyotr Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow.

He has played under the baton of such stars as Zubin Mehta, James Levine, Mariss Jansons, Valery Gergiev, Jesús López Cobos, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Jan Krenz, Jerzy Semkow, Jacek Kaspszyk, Gabriel Chmura, Agnieszka Duczmal, and Mirosław Jacek Błaszczyk. He was often invited to perform Krzysztof Penderecki’s Flute Concerto under the baton of the composer himself. He performed this concerto i.a. in New York, Beijing, Doha, Berlin, Koblenz, Paris, London, Riga and Helsinki.

In 2010, Łukasz Długosz had his phonographic debut with the London Symphony Orchestra, with which he recorded a CD with Michael Colina’s Flute Concerto. The artist has made many archival, radio, and television recordings in Poland and abroad. The artist has recorded 48 albums containing mostly Polish music, which have been recognised by Polish and European critics and for which he received many prestigious international phonographic awards, including the International Classical

Music Award (ICMA), Pizzicato Supersonic Award, and Fryderyk awards.

On a number of occasions, his concerts have been broadcast by the most important radio stations, such as BBC Radio 3, NDR, SWR, BR4, Deutschland Radio Kultur, Polish Radio 2, Radio France, or RMF Classic.

So far, 132 pieces have been composed dedicated to him and his wife Agata Kielar-Długosz. Most of the works are symphonic pieces, which are still promoted and recorded after their world premieres. The Main Board of the Association of Polish Artists Musicians awarded the artist with the Orpheus 2016 statuette for his outstanding artistic achievements in the field of flute music performance, including the works of Polish composers. The Presidium of the Main Board of the Polish Composers’ Union awarded the artist this year’s (2021) Honorary Award of the Polish Composers’ Union for special merit in promoting Polish music and for expanding the repertoire of contemporary flute compositions; for stimulating compositional creativity in this area and promoting new Polish music in the world. In 2022 he has obtained Order of Polonia Restituta.

Łukasz Długosz was honoured with the Medal for “Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis” for his outstanding cultural activity and promotion of Polish culture. In 2019, he received the title of Professor of Art from the President of the Republic of Poland.

Agata Kielar-Długosz
Agata Kielar-Długosz

Agata Kielar-Długosz

agata-kielar-dlugosz 

Agata Kielar-Długosz is a leading Polish flautist. A propagator of Polish music. She is a graduate of the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich as well as of postgraduate studies at the Hochschule für Musik in Weimar and the Yale University in New Haven.

She is a laureate of a number of international flute competitions, e.g. in Uelzen, Viggiano, Padua, Ovada, and Timisoara.

She was first flautist of the Bayerisches Symphonieorchester München. She also works with the Münchener Kammerorchester and the Bach Collegium München. She has played under the baton of such conductors as: Jacek Kaspszyk, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Jerzy Salwarowski, Marek Pijarowski, Agnieszka Duczmal, and Łukasz Borowicz.

So far, she has recorded 16 albums. This is mainly contemporary work, but also the music of the 19th century composers, which is worth popularising. The album For You, Anne-Lill, released by the DUX phonographic publishing house, has been recognised by music critics as one of the most interesting chamber music albums of recent years. In 2017, she was nominated for the prestigious ICMA phonographic award (International Classical Music Award) in the solo concerto category for the album Flute Reflections (DUX). In 2021 she was awarded the Bronze Medal “For Merit to Culture - Gloria Artis”. The album with the artist's participation, Roman Palester Concertinos, released by the Anaklasis label was nominated to the Fryderyk 2021 Award.

She is also a propagator of the latest music; over 100 works dedicated to her have been created so far. On many occasions, she was the first performer of concertos dedicated to her by Polish and foreign composers (Enjott Schneider, Igor Shcherbakov, Paweł Mykietyn, Jerzy Kornowicz, Paweł Łukaszewski, Mikołaj Górecki, Grażyna Pstrokońska-Nawratil, Piotr Moss) which were broadcast by leading radio stations. She has made numerous recordings for television, radio and record industry archives.

She has received numerous grants and awards for her artistic achievements from the “Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now” Foundation, the Fulbright Commission, the “Young Poland” programme of the Polish Ministry of Culture DAAD, KAAD, All Flutes Plus, Jeunesses Musicales, and Top Wind. She was nominated for a phonographic award Fryderyk 2021.

Agata Kielar-Długosz together with her husband Łukasz Długosz developed an innovative project in the form of the Flautoforte educational portal, which consists in premiering, recording and sharing Polish contemporary flute music by renowned composers, thus promoting it in the world.

The Presidium of the Main Board of the Polish Composers Union awarded the artist the 2021 Honorary Award of the Polish Composers Union for special merit in promoting Polish music and expanding the repertoire of contemporary flute compositions; for stimulating compositional creativity in this area and promoting new Polish music in the world. She obtained in 2023 Order of Polonia Restituta.  In 2023, he received the title of Professor of Art from the President of the Republic of Poland.

Sandra Sarikovaite
Sandra Sarikovaite

Sandra Sarikovaite

portrait_sarikovaite-sandra-2

 

Sandra Sarikovaite is a young dramatic soprano, born in Kaunas, Lithuania and studying at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg at the moment. Her musical temperament was rewoken in 2014 by the Prof. Vincenzo Manno in Milano. At the initial stages of her carreer the Lithuanian soprano was led and technically trained by the opera singer Egle Wyss, who is her current vocal tutor and artistic inspiration. In the last few years the soprano‘s intensive intepretations and dramatic performances on the stage were influenced by her singing coach Alessandro Misciasci.
Her magnetic energy on the stage and powerful vocal abilities has been recognized  by The Georg Solti Academy 2023, when she was selected as one of the twelve singers to receive musical guidance from Leo Nucci, Richard Bonynge, Barbara Frittoli, Jonathan Palmer Lakeland, Jonathan Papp and Stefano Baldasseroni.   
Since January 2024 Sandra Sarikovaite has joined the siaa-foundation after her successful performance at the Opera Gala organized by the Christopher’s Summer Festival 2023 in the Old Theater of Vilnius (alongside Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Jonas Janulevicius).
The young performer aims to continuously achieve milestones in her carreer path by auditioning for different opera projects and consistently challenging herself.