SUSAN SVRCEK –CONTEMPORARY POLISH MUSIC CHAMPION

Two important performances featuring piano music by Polish composers were presented recently in the Los Angeles area. The first took place on March 17 at the Zipper Concert Hall on the campus of the Colburn School of Music. The second concert was held at the Alfred Newman Recital Hall on the USC campus on March 28.

The common denominator for these two events was provided by Susan Svrček, a local pianist who throughout her career has specialized in performing modern music. She is one of the founding members of Piano Spheres, a gifted group of Southern California musicians who exclusively program contemporary music, now enjoying its fifteenth season.

The first half of Ms. Svrček’s Zipper Hall program was devoted to piano compositions by Tom Flaherty, Jeffrey Holmes, and Virko Baley. Flaherty’s opening Nightstars (1996) was the longest and most amorphous of the three piano essays, with moments of arresting beauty interspersed by episodes of creative wasteland. It was followed by Cyan by Jeffrey Holmes, a work composed in 2007 especially for Ms. Svrček. According to notes provided by the composer, Cyan is meant to convey “a general feeling of the coldness of winter, the motions of water, the darkness of the night, and nihilism that I see and feel everywhere.” Such diverse phenomena certainly add up to an ambitious agenda, perhaps more appropriate for a large-scale symphonic work. The first half of the program closed with Virko Baley’s Nocturnal No. 2, “Tears” originally dating from 1960 but revised in 1998, and a more recent Pajarillo (2001). The Nocturnal’s poetic opening and its tighter formal layout provided some framework for the composer’s ideas, whilst the post-modern Pajarillo beguiled the listener with its flamenco-inspired rhythms and its tongue-in-cheek humor.

After the intermission, the charmingly familiar suite, Melodie ludowe [Folk Melodies] by Lutosławski brought the audience back in time to the mid 1940s, when Polish composers were forced to inventively use folk idioms in order to keep the communist censors and cultural czars at bay. Lutosławski’s language here is delicate and discriminating with finely-wrought harmonies, and just as sophisticated as it would be two decades later, when Lutosławski could compose without any formal diktats. The concert closed on a strong and effective counterpart to Lutosławski, a 2003 composition by Krzesimir Dębski, entitled Organismi. With it, Dębski, a prolific composer of concert, stage and film music, provided a welcome surprise for the Zipper Hall audience. Organismi is a compositional tour de force—both as a brilliant piano piece and as an efficient use of a very traditional formal design. Listening to the well-structured motivic development, one had a sense of hearing a modern-day Chaconne, with all its power, sweep, and irrefutable consequence of every musical gesture. The work received its American premiere that evening, and it certainly should surface on concert programs again.

Pictured above: Krzesimir Dębski and Susan Svrček greet a fan at Zipper Hall
Photo by Barbara Myszynska. Used by permission.

Throughout the evening, Susan Svrček successfully coaxed beautifully nuanced and colorful textures from the Colburn Steinway. In addition to her discriminating touch, Ms. Svrček’s search for understanding within complex modern works and her desire to permeate her interpretations with personal engagement proved a big bonus for the listener.

These very qualities were once again evident in Ms. Svrček’s appearance at the Spring Concert organized by the Polish Music Center at USC on March 28. The program was devoted exclusively to works by Grażyna Bacewicz, in celebration of the centenary of her birth and the fortieth anniversary of her passing. Bacewicz’s towering Second Piano Sonata stood at the center of the program that also included her String Quartet no. 4 and Quintet for Winds. The Sonata is a complex and challenging piece with three substantial movements, demanding considerable pianistic prowess from the performer. The work was premiered in 1953 by the composer, who is chiefly remembered these days as a virtuoso violinist and a prolific composer, not as a concert pianist. Susan Svrcek’s ability to shape the music’s narrative thread and bring its rousing content to the audience was much appreciated on both occasions of her recent appearances at Zipper and Newman concert halls alike.

[MZ]

PMC CONCERT REVIEW
by Kenneth Requa

During the Bacewicz Centenary Concert on Saturday, March 28, the Polish Music Center at USC’s Thornton School of Music celebrated two women who have left their marks on Polish music in different but significant ways. Honoring the 100th anniversary of the birth of Grażyna Bacewicz and the recent passing of PMC Founder Wanda Wilk, the concert at Newman Recital Hall was a fitting tribute to both of these extraordinary women.  

After a brief introduction by PMC Director Marek Zebrowski, Diane Wilk-Burch offered a touching remembrance of her mother, who was certainly "smiling down at everybody who is here at the concert." As Ms. Wilk-Burch read a page from her mother’s voluminous notes and reflections, her words showcased the late Mrs. Wilk's deep love of music as well as her great appreciation for musical humor.

As one of the most celebrated female Polish composers, and one of the most prolific, Bacewicz's works offer virtuosic challenges to the performer yet remain instantly accessible and enjoyable by any audience. Such was the case with this all-Bacewicz program, which featured selections that demonstrated the composer's range of musical expression and her facility with multiple forms and ensembles. The Luther Quartet opened the afternoon with an impressive performance of the String Quartet No. 4, a composition that won Bacewicz the First Prize at the International Composers Competition in 1951. This piece features a remarkable range of emotion, and the performers deftly brought this to life to the delight of the audience.

Above: Cosima and Chris Luther of the Luther Quartet in Newman Hall
Photo by Charles Bragg. Used by permission.

The second composition on the program, Sonata No. 2 for piano, is an example of the composer pushing the performer technically as well as emotionally, and challenging the audience with more dense and complex tones. Susan Svrček gave a lively performance, clearly taking delight in the energy and richness of the material.

The afternoon concluded with a performance of an earlier work, the Quintet for Winds. Bacewicz was only 24 years old when she composed this piece, and it maintains a youthful playfulness while demonstrating her emerging talent for composition. The performance by Midnight Winds was a rousing finale to the afternoon. Taken as a whole, this celebratory concert demonstrated both the enduring qualities of Grażyna Bacewicz's music and the lasting effect of Wanda Wilk’s mission to preserve and promote the work of Polish composers.

* * * *

Kenneth Requa comes from a deeply musical family and has a background in piano, saxophone and bassoon.  He currently works in post-production for film and television. He is an honorary Pole by marriage.

A TOAST TO PADEREWSKI

Come raise a Toast to Paderewski with a Back Roads wine tasting, great Polish food, and an exclusive concert on Saturday, April 25, at the new Pear Valley Winery in Paso Robles.

The Paderewski Festival and the Back Roads Wineries of Paso Robles present a select wine tasting and a chamber music concert. Performers will be pianist Marek Zebrowski, a Steinway artist and director of the Polish Music Center at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, with chamber musicians Joel Pargman - violin, Tom Lea - viola, Simone Vitucci - cello, and Stephanie Payne - bass. Chamber music compositions by Ignacy Jan Paderewski and Franz Schubert will be on the program, including Zebrowski’s arrangements for strings and piano of Paderewski’s Nocturne and Mélodie. The concert’s highlight will be Franz Schubert’s celebrated Trout Quintet.

Proceeds of the event will benefit the Paderewski Festival Exchange Program with Poland. Selected finalists from the 2007 and 2008 Paderewski Youth Piano Competition in Paso Robles will participate in piano workshops and master classes held at Paderewski’s manor house in Kąśna Dolna, near Tarnów, Poland, in June of 2009. Together with young pianists from Poland, the California youth will also perform in concerts at the manor house and at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. The cities of Paso Robles and Tarnów signed a sister city agreement in November 2008 to explore cultural and business opportunities.

The event celebrates the opening of the Pear Valley Winery and will include a VIP tasting of wines from 20 Back Roads Wineries of Paso Robles complemented by Polish-themed appetizers provided by Cass Catering.  A live auction of premium wine and tour packages will follow the concert.

Polish appetizers created by Cass Winery Chef Jacob will include Waffled Potato Crisps with a Smoked Herring Mousse, Gołąbki [Stuffed Cabbage Leaves] with a Modern Twist, Kiełbasa w koszulkach [Polish Sausage in Puff Pastry] served with Whole Grain Mustard, Barszcz [Polish Beet Soup], Bacon-Wrapped Prunes, and Pierogi [Polish Dumplings].

Back Roads Wineries is a consortium of 20 boutique vineyards located between Paso Robles and Creston, specializing in creating unique, handcrafted, limited edition wines. More information about Back Roads Wineries is available at: www.backroadswineries.com.

The Paderewski Festival in Paso Robles is a non-profit organization that sponsors annual series of concerts, featuring internationally acclaimed artists, the Paderewski Youth Piano Competition, and other Paderewski-themed events. The 2009 Paderewski Festival will be held in a number of venues in Paso Robles and vicinity from November 12-15. Concerts of solo piano and chamber music, exhibit of Paderewski’s memorabilia, film screening and lectures are planned. Winners of the Paderewski Youth Competition will be presented in a free and open to the public concert that will be followed by the Festival Gala Concert on Saturday, November 14th. Both events will be held at the historic Ballroom of the Paso Robles Inn.

Toast to Paderewski - Event Details:
Date:                   25 April 2009, 6 p.m.
Address:              Pear Valley Winery, 4900 Union Road, Paso Robles, CA 93446
Admission:           $75 and $45 for youth and seniors
Tickets:                 www.paderewskifest.com, (805) 227 2888, or Back Roads Wineries
Parking:                Free parking available

For questions or additional information please contact:
Cri Cri Solak-Eastin, Paderewski Festival Media Contact
Email:                   cri2@wildblue.net
Phone:                  (805) 434 5301
Cell:                      (805) 712 2121

ZIMERMAN IN L.A.

World-renowned Polish pianist Krystian Zimerman, who won the Chopin Competition in Warsaw at 19 years old in 1975, will give a rare performance at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 26th at 7:30pm. The evening’s program will include: Bach - Partita No. 2 in C minor, BWV 826; Beethoven - Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111; Brahms - Klavierstücke, Op. 119; and Szymanowski - Variations on a Polish Theme, Op. 10. This solo recital presented by the Los Angeles Philharmonic is a part of the Colburn Celebrity Series.

Krystian Zimerman in Recital
Sunday, April 26 | 7:30pm
Walt Disney Concert Hall
111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA
Phone: (323) 850-2000

Zimerman will also perform the same program in:

• Philadelphia, PA at the Verizon Hall- Kimmel Center on Wednesday, April 1 - CANCELLED due to illness
• Cleveland, OH at the 14th Street Theatre on Friday, April 3 at 7:30pm
• New York, NY at Carnegie Hall on Monday, April 6 at 8:00pm
• Washington, D.C. at the Music Center at Strathmore on Wednesday, April 8 at 8:00pm
• Boston, MA at NEC’s Jordan Hall on Friday, April 10 at 8:00pm
• Berkeley, CA at Zellerbach Auditorium on Friday, April 24 at 8:00pm

FESTIVAL OF PREMIERES

The 3rd edition of the “Festival of Premieres – Poland’s Newest Music” took place in Katowice between March 27 and 29. The festival, organized and hosted by the Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra (NOSPR), featured solely Polish contemporary music, with many of the works receiving their World premieres or Polish premieres. The festival accepts only works written after 2002, to preserve the “newest music” formula.

In addition to introucing rarely programmed music, another aspect of the Festival's intention is to bring together mutliple generations of the best compsers in Poland. The featured composers this year included: Joanna Wnuk-Nazarowa, Weronika Ratusińska, Piotr Moss, Włodzimierz Kotoński, Krzysztof Herdzin, Krzysztof Meyer, Zygmunt Krauze, Wojciech Blecharz, and Jan Krenz, among others. The compositions were performed by some of the best Polish musicians: Rafał Kwiatkowski (cello), Jadwiga Kotnowska (flute), AUKSO orchestra, Marek Moś (conductor), NOSPR, the Silesian Quartet, Tomasz Strahl (cello), and many others.

For more about the festival and a full list of works performed, please visit the official website of NOSPR: www.nospr.org.pl.

[Sources: muzyka.onet.pl, pwm.com.pl, polskieradio.pl]

POLSKA! YEAR IN UK

The “Polska! Year” in Great Britain, organized by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute in co-operation with the Polish Ministries of Culture and the National Heritage and of Foreign Affairs, will officially open in May 2009 and will continue until May 2010. However, the musical part of the Polska! Year, which already began in March, will continue in April with Rafał Blechacz’s recital in London, performances by the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the Sounds New Festival and ‘Polish Music Since 1945’ conference, among others. See more details on each event below. For all full listing of all events of the Polska! Year, visit www.polskayear.pl

The objective of the Polish Year in the UK is to present Polish contemporary culture and heritage in one of Europe’s most influential, opinion-forming and affluent European countries. The presentation is also relevant in the context of Poland’s membership in NATO and the European Union, as well as the opening of the British labor market which resulted in a wave of Poles looking for work in the UK.

Cultural events held throughout the Year will show Poland as a dynamic and modern country which, at the same time, has a rich tradition, culture and history. These, in turn, will be proven to have far more in common with Great Britain than is usually considered on the basis of widespread opinions and stereotypes. It is important to show that Polish culture, although founded on the same values as the British society, created its own currents and gave birth to creators and works which contribute to the European heritage. Using culture as a vehicle to picture Poland as a free, democratic, open, tolerant and modern state is a part of a promotional campaign which will foster co-operation in other fields, such as business, science, and tourism.

Michael Nyman + Motion Trio: Films To Write Music To
Wednesday, April 8 at 7:00 pm
The Barbican, London

During the Kinoteka Film Festival, London’s Polish film festival, British film composer Michael Nyman and Polish accordion ensemble Motion Trio will collaborate on a concert of some of Nyman’s most acclaimed soundtracks plus new premieres.

The evening begins with Nyman and the Motion Trio (pictured at left) revisiting some of his most celebrated scores for Peter Greenaway’s films, including The Draughtsman’s Contract (1982), Drowning by Numbers (1988) and Prospero’s Books (1991), followed by the world premiere of a new version of his piece MGV (Musique à Grande Vitesse). The phenomenal technique, imagination and avant-garde approach of the Motion Trio adds a totally new aural dimension to these classic Nyman scores.

The climax to the evening is the World Premiere of Nyman’s latest musical work, a personal celebration of classic Polish cinema. Nyman has composed his new work to a montage of extracts from the Polish films which have inspired him, featuring many remarkable and visually stunning images from great Polish filmmakers such as Andrzej Wajda, Andrzej Żuławski, Krzysztof Kieślowski and Andrzej Munk.
KinotekaUK.jpg

Royal String Quartet concert
Tuesday April 21 at 7:30 pm
St. George’s Hall, Liverpool

The Royal String Quartet established in 1998 by graduates of the Warsaw’s Frederick Chopin’s Music Academy is one of the most interesting ensembles of such kind in the world. The concert is organized by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and will take place in the prestigious St George’s Hall. The programme includes Karol Szymanowski’s String Quartet No. 1 in C-major op. 37.

Rafał Blechacz at Wigmore Hall
Wednesday, April 22 at 7:30 pm
Wigmore Hall, London

Polish pianist Rafał Blechacz will perform a solo recital at London’s Wigmore Hall on April 22nd. The first Polish pianist since Krystian Zimerman to win the Chopin Competition (in 2005), Rafał Blechacz is one of the most exciting pianists of his generation. In this concert he presents a program of music for which he has earned not only international acclaim but also an exclusive recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon. Program: Bach - Italian Concerto in F, BWV 971; Mozart - Piano Sonata in B flat, K. 570; Szymanowski - Variations in B flat minor, Op. 3; and Chopin - Ballade No. 3 in A flat Op. 47, Nocturne in B Op. 62 No. 1, Nocturne in E Op. 62 No. 2, 4 Mazurkas Op. 17, and Polonaise in A flat Op. 53 'Heroic.'

Andrzej Bauer's Recital (cello), Cellotronicum Project
Tuesday, April 28
Cardiff University, Wales

Andrzej Bauer is an extraordinary figure on the Polish music scene –a soloist, composer, pedagogue, artist experimenting with new media, laureate of the ARD International Music Competition in Munich in 1992, a Witold Lutosławski fellowship holder... The artist’s repertoire includes pieces from Baroque to contemporary times, many of which have been written especially for him. Cellotronicum is the composer’s project to inspire and perform music written for the solo cello and electronic media, thus expanding the Polish repertoire for these instruments.

NOSPR concert
Thursday, April 30 at 7:30 pm
Cadogan Hall, London

The Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (NOSPR) and their conductor Jacek Kaspszyk join violinist Tasmin Little for a special concert celebrating the 3rd May Constitution Day and the inauguration of Polska!Year. The program will include Andrzej Panufnik’s Heroic Overture and Witold Lutosławski’s Concerto for Orchestra, as well as Karłowicz’s entrancing Concerto (2009 marks the 100th anniversary of the composer’s birth). The evening’s soloist, Tasmin Little, was one of the first violinists outside of Poland to appreciate Karłowicz’s Concerto, including it in her repertoire as far back as the early 1990s.

Sounds New Festival
April 23 - May 3
Canterbury

As a part of the Polska! Year celebrations, the motto of this year’s Sounds New Contemporary Music Festival is “Polish Connections.” Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki is the honorary guest, and the Festival will culminate in a performance of Penderecki’s St Luke Passion in Canterbury Cathedral on May 2, as performed by the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra (NOSPR), a Polish choir and soloists, and conducted by the composer himself. In addition to Penderecki, the festival will feature works by Grażyna Bacewicz, Henryk Mikołaj Górecki, Witold Lutosławski, Paweł Mykietyn, Andrzej Panufnik, Karol Szymanowski and Paweł Szymański. In addition to outstanding British performers there will be a plethora of Polish artists including: Olga Pasiecznik (soprano), Maciej Grzybowski (piano), Silesian Quartet, “Camerata Silesia,” Warsaw Boys Choir, NOSPR and Motion Trio. In addition to classical concerts the festival will feature movie screenings and jazz concerts.

Polish Music Since 1945
April 30 – May 2
Christ Church University, Canterbury

The Music Department of Canterbury Christ Church University will hold a conference on the subject of “Polish Music Since 1945.” The conference is organized by Dr Eva Mantzourani in association with the Sounds New Music Festival and the Institute of Musical Research (IMR), and supported by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute of the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. The conference opening address will be delivered by Professor Charles Bodman Rae (University of Adelaide) and the key-note address will be delivered by Professor Adrian Thomas (Cardiff University). Topics for discussion will include: compositional practice of Polish composers, such as Penderecki, Górecki, Lutosławski and Panufnik, among many others; Polish film music; Jazz, popular and ‘world’ music in Poland; Music, politics and identity in the Soviet and post-Soviet eras; the global influence of Polish music; and more.

[Sources: www.polmic.pl, www.iam.pl, culture.pl, muzyka.onet.pl, muzyka.onet.pl, kinoteka.org.uk]

WWII-RELATED PREMIERES IN KRAKÓW

On April 19 and 20 in the Kraków Opera there will be two premieres of works directly connected to the tragedy of the Holocaust. The first piece, Der Kaiser von Atlantis [Emperor of Atlantis], is an opera written in 1944 in the Terezina camp by Viktor Ullman, who eventually was killed in the Auschwitz camp. The second is an oratorio by contemporary American-Jewish composer, David Eddleman—Kolot min HaShoah [Voices of the Holocaust].

Ullman wrote his opera to the text of his Terezina camp-mate, Peter Kien. Terezina was a “transit” camp, which served as a holding point for the other Nazi death camps. It served as a propaganda tool for the regime by allowing considerable artistic freedom, including concerts, plays and other artistic activities. The rehearsals for the opera had even started in the camp, but before it was staged, Ullman and Kien were transferred to Auschwitz and killed in the gas chamber.

Eddleman’s oratorio is based on religious texts sung in Hebrew and Yiddish. The work also contains sections referring to the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. It was premiered in New York in 1995. The composer will be present in Kraków for the Polish premiere of his work.

[Source: muzyka.onet.pl]  

FINALLY, A HOME FOR SINFONIA VARSOVIA

According to the news service of Polskie Radio:

Warsaw City Council has given its go-ahead to the purchase of a property which is to be handed over to Poland’s leading orchestra Sinfonia Varsovia.

Located on the right bank of the Vistula River, it consists of five listed buildings which were used until recently by the Institute of Veterinary Studies of the Warsaw School of Agriculture. The decision marks a breakthrough in the history of Sinfonia Varsovia which has had no permanent home since its establishment in 1984. Plans speak of constructing a concert hall in the future. (mk, 3/3/09)

Legendary violinist Yehudi Menuhin arrived for concerts in Poland as a soloist and conductor in April 1984 year on the invitation of the Polish Chamber Orchestra functioning already for some time. To meet the planned repertoire’s needs the orchestra enlarged its composition by inviting distinguished musicians from around the country. With initial concerts of the ensemble conducted by Yehudi Menuhin meeting with an enthusiastic applause of the audience and critics’ appreciation, delighted Lord Yehudi Menuhin expressed his desire to continue cooperation with the new formation. The idea of creation a standing orchestra made of stringed instruments and doubled wind instruments had become a fact. Yehudi Menuhin without any hesitation accepted proposal of the Ensemble Director Franciszek Wybrańczyk and took up duties of the first visiting conductor and the orchestra was named SINFONIA VARSOVIA.

Marc Minkowski is the the Musical Director (pictured above), Janusz Marynowski is the Managing Director, and Krzysztof Penderecki is the Artistic Director of the orchestra.

[Sources: polskieradio.pl, sinfoniavarsovia.org]

KACZMAREK HONORS IRENA SENDLER

Oscar-winner Jan A.P. Kaczmarek has recently been in Poland for the recording of his music for the new American film The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler [a.k.a. Miss Irena’s Children] with the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice. This movie will premiere on CBS Television on April 19th. Watch a behind-the-scenes preview here: www.cbs.com The news service of Polskie Radio provides the following details below:

 Jan A.P. Kaczmarek told Polish media that as the project is very important for Poles he did not hesitate for a moment when offered the opportunity to have a share in it. He said he himself selected the Polish Radio SO under Borowicz as performers.

Miss Irena’s Children is based on the story of Irena Sendler, a Polish woman who saved two and a half thousand Jewish children from the Holocaust in Nazi-occupied Poland. The film’s director and co-scriptwriter is John Kent Harrison, whose credits include a feature about Pope John Paul II starring Jon Voight.

The role of Irena Sendler is played by Anna Paquin. Several Polish actors appear in supporting roles (Krzysztof Pieczynski, Jerzy Nowak, Danuta Stenka, Maja Ostaszewska).

Irena Sendler died last year at the age of 98. She held the Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s highest state distinction, and an honorary citizenship of the State of Israel. (mk/pg, 3/31/09)

[Source: polskieradio.pl]

WROCŁAW OPERA IN TROUBLE

In evidence of the strong impact the international economic crisis is having on cultural institutions, the Wrocław Opera, one of Poland’s first victims, is facing money shortages in the amount of 2 million PLN (ca $600,000 USD). As a result, the company will have to postpone their planned productions of Amilcare Ponchielli’s Gioconda and Modest Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov. Additionally the company will have to lay off 30 employees, including singers, dancers and musicians, to save it from total collapse.

[Source: muzyka.onet.pl]

PENDERECKA INTERVIEW

Read an interview with Elżbieta Penderecka, originator and Director General of The Ludwig von Beethoven Easter Festival, entitled “A unique undertaking...” This interview was conducted by Maciek Proliński and discusses the festival’s role in the musical life of Warsaw, the highlights this year and how the global economic crisis might affect the festival in the future. Read the entire article here: www.polishmarket.com.pl. Read more about the Festival in the Festivals section.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: CHOPIN IN POETRY

A new anthology of original, contemporary poetry—entitled Chopin in Poetry—is being compiled by editor Maja Trochimczyk. The book will be released in March 2010 to honor the 200th Anniversary of Chopin’s Birth. Details for submission and publication are below:

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• Original poetry about any aspect of music and life of Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849), Polish pianist and composer  
• Deadline – August 1, 2009
• Language – English
• Length –  maximum 39 lines per poem, 3 poems
• Format – email to majat@verizon.net, with the poem both in the body of the message and attachment in MS Word or rtf
• Address  and contact information of the author included in the body of the message

PUBLICATION DATA

1. The book will be published by Moonrise Press, Los Angeles, CA, with an ISBN number.
2. The authors will retain individual copyright, granting permission to print in the anthology only.
3. The book will be distributed by online print-on-demand company and available through a network of partners, including Bowkers Book in Print, lulu.com, Amazon, etc.
4. The authors will receive an off-print of their submission, and a 30% discount on the book price.

SKOWRONSKI ON SZYMANOWSKI

In the April 2009 issue of Strings Magazine, violinist Vincent P. Skowronski contributes his expertise to another "Masterclass." An important and valuable tribute to the music of Szymanowski, this article is entitled "Master Class: Myth Buster - Learn to Scale Szymanowski’s Suite from the ‘Dance of the Mountaineers’ " and tackles some of the most challenging aspects of playing Szymanowski's music for violin.

An excerpt from the artice:

Starting in the early 1960s, VINCENT SKOWRONSKI, an American of Polish heritage, became infatuated with the works of Szymanowski when he discovered an unusual, fairly modern recital piece written by none other than Karol Szymanowski---the Taniec z Harnasiow (Dance of the Mountaineers). “I became hooked on his stuff because it was quite good,” he says, “but the drawback is that it needs a gestation period for it to sink in, before you really begin to like it.” Moreover, “Szymanowski was a wonderful pianist, but he didn’t know beans about the violin,” Skowronski says. “Thanks to Kochanski, this work is beautifully written for the instrument.” The music is Szymanowski’s, the technical assurances are Kochanski’s.

Read the entire article on the artist's website: www.skowronskiplays.com.

ADA SARI COMPETITION

70 singers from 14 countries have signed up for the 13th International Ada Sari Vocal Competition in Nowy Sącz, Poland. The competition and festival will take place between April18 and 25. Since the first edition of the competition, it has been judged by an international jury chaired by Helena Łazarska, a professor of Salzburg Mozarteum and Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Vienna and also the creator of the competition.

The Ada Sari Competition is one of the most prestigious and most competitive vocal competitions in Europe. Participants must have not only great vocal technique, but also performance repertoire in a wide variety of styles and genres.

Concurrent with the competition, the 15th edition of the Ada Sari Festival will be held. The Festival will feature seven opera performances, including Victor Ullman’s Emperor of the Atlantis (see more information about this opera in the News Section above) and an outdoor staging of Moniuszko’s Halka. Also performing at the Festival will be opera ensembles from Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary and Germany.

The festival and competition are partially funded by the European Union. To find out more, please visit www.adasari.pl.

[Source: wiadomosci.polska.pl]

CHOPIN COMPETITION ANNIVERSARY CONCERT

The Kosciuszko Foundation will present a Gala Concert on Sunday, April 5, at 8:30 P.M., in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. The concert will mark the 60th anniversary of the Foundation's Chopin Piano Competition, and will feature eight Laureates—from the most recent winner to Roy Eaton, who won the very first Competition. The evening’s program will highlight the music of Chopin. Performers include Jonathan Floril, Igor Lovchinsky, Magdalena Baczewska, Yael Weiss, Andrew Armstrong, Joel Fan, Daniel Epstein, and Roy Eaton.

The Chopin Piano Competition was inaugurated on October 17, 1949, by the great Polish pianist Witold Malcuzynski, who performed a candlelight recital in the Foundation House on the centennial of Chopin's death. Held annually, Competition Laureates include some of the greatest performers of the century, including Van Cliburn, Murray Perahia, Daniel Pollack, Ian Hobson, and Joel Fan. The great majority have gone on to successful performing and teaching careers.
Open to pianists 16 to 22 years of age, the Competition promotes the music of Chopin and Szymanowski, and other Polish composers. Contestants prepare a program of 75 minutes, selected from baroque, classical, and romantic repertoire through contemporary Polish and American works. The Laureate receives a cash scholarship prize and, when possible, recital invitations in the United States and Poland.

Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Competition 60th anniversary Concert
Sunday, April 5, at 8:30pm
Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall—New York, NY
Tickets: 212-247-7800 or CarnegieHall.org
(for Kosciuszko Foundation member discount, call (212) 734-2130)

GACH RETURNS TO CHOPIN

Pianist Peter Gach, Palomar College’s Artist-in-Residence, will present a recital of music by his favorite composer, Frederic Chopin. The program, entitled “Return to Chopin,” will include the powerful 4th Ballade, the Berceuse Lullaby, and a lively collection of Mazurkas.

Because of his Polish heritage, Peter Gach feels a special affinity for Chopin as well as 20th century composers like Karol Szymanowski. He holds a degree in Slavic languages, which enabled him to study at the same conservatory that Chopin attended, the Warsaw Conservatory in Poland. Fluent in Polish, he frequently returns there to perform.

Return to Chopin – a recital by Peter Gach
Sunday, April 26 | 2:00 pm
California Center for the Arts - Escondido, CA (CCAE)
Advance Tickets: Online at www.palomarperforms.com or Howard Brubeck Theatre Box Office (760.744.1150 x2453); tickets also available on day of performance at CCAE Box Office.

[Sources: daphne.palomar.edu, www.nctimes.com]

LY PERFORMS CHOPIN

On April 10th at 7:00 pm, child prodigy Olivia Ly will present a solo recital of Chopin’s music at the Strathmore Mansion in North Bethesda, MD. The extensive program, dedicated to the memory of Frederic Chopin (1810-1849), will include his Sonata, Op. 35 no. 2; 12 Etudes, Op. 10; 12 Etudes, Op. 25; and Trois nouvelles Etudes.  

Olivia Ly, 12 years old, began her piano study from age 3 at the European Academy of Music and Art (EAMA), Inc, Maryland, under the tutelage of Dr. Bella E. Oster, Professor of piano performance and theory of music with Professor Roberto Perez. This young pianist has performed along with a group of Dr. Oster’s students at many prestigious stages in the United States and abroad. She performed a large number of concerts at embassies in Washington, DC, twice at the United Nations, twice at the White House, the State Department, the U.S. Capitol, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, NY, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Lincoln Center, Strathmore, International and National Congresses, Forums and Conventions, universities such as Harvard, Columbia, Georgetown and many other universities and colleges, and other venues. With a group of Dr. Oster’s students, Olivia has been profiled on international and national television programs, magazines, newspapers, and has been recorded on many educational CDs.

In 4 consecutive years 2004-2008, Olivia was Winner of International Contest from the International Association for Musically Gifted Children, Inc. (IAMGC, Inc.), and received gold medals for best performances with pieces by Franz Liszt and Felix Mendelssohn. In the years 2002-2003, she earned gold medals for best program presentations with various composers from the Music Teachers Associations International, Inc (MTAI). For 9 years of studying music, she has held the position of the International Honor student from MTAI and IAMGC, Inc. In 2001, at age 4, Olivia won first place in the 21st Bartók-Kabalevsky-Prokofiev International Piano Competition. In 2001, Olivia received first place in the “Concours International De La Musique.” Olivia is the youngest ever to win the first place in the history of these competitions. She also has been awarded with many top prizes (gold medals and first places) from national and state competitions.

Olivia Ly in an All-Chopin Recital
Fiday, April 10th at 7:00 pm
Strathmore Mansion
10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda, MD 20852
Free Admission – reserve a seat by emailing: Alexoster@comcast.net
Information: call Dr. Bella E. Oster at (301) 421-0960 or (301) 362-3633

OPERAS IN POLISH CINEMAS

Audiences in six major Polish cities will have the chance to view performances from the Royal Opera House Covent Garden without leaving the country. The Cinemaestro Project will present performances of the Royal Opera, recorded live, on the big screens of Polish mulitplexes in  Warsaw, Łódź, Kraków, Poznań, Bydgoszcz and Gdańsk. The honorary patron of this operatic-cinematic project is Polish musicologist and specialist in the field of opera and operetta, Bogusław Kaczyński.

The shows will take place between March 26 and June 26 and will present three operas: Bizet’s Carmen, Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni, and two ballets: Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet and Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty.

[Source: rmfclassic.pl, www.cinemacity.nl]