Members of the Warsaw Villiage Band from the cover of their new CD, Uprooting
L to R: (top) Piotr Gliński, Maciej Szajkowski, Wojciech Krzak,
(bottom) Maja Kleszcz, Sylwia Swiatkowska, Magdalena Sobczak
Photo by Maryna Bulyah

Stéphane Fougčre, a reviewer for the French magazine Ethnotempos, had summed it best: "Warsaw Village Band has such vitality and freshness that it would be stupid not to be seduced by it," and the Rheinische Post/Germany in a January 2004 review praised the artistic approach of this uniquely talented group: "The success of the WARSAW VILLAGE BAND stems from its musicians' great love for their national musical heritage and their will to preserve the old musical traditions. For these musicians, however, preservation does not mean restoration but. . . the transportation of the old songs spirit into the here and now. Polka gets a shot of Techno, and despite the acoustic instruments, the band conjures up sounds that have electronic impact."

Seasoned veterans of many concert stages and featured performers on a variety of television broadcasts, the Warsaw Village Band are also have a series of CD recordings, including Kapela ze wsi Warszawa [The Band from the Village of Warsaw], People's Spring, and Uprooting. With tracks such as Polka from Sieradz Region, Lament, When Johnny went to Fight the War, and their artistic homage to Józef Lipiński or Kapela Mariana Pelki, the Warsaw Village Band have conquered the public with their imaginative music making and garnered many prestigious awards, including the BBC3 World Music Award in 2004.

The musicians say that "Our activity not only concentrates on music, but also focuses on everything which is associated with Polish roots, especially what is condemned to be forgotten, and yet can inspire and enrich contemporary culture. Our passion is traveling to small villages and visiting old musicians who tell us about their tradition, customs and ancient habits which are passing away. They hand down to us the part of this tradition in form of music, which is the base and main inspiration for our further works."

The Los Angeles area premiere of Warsaw Village Band will take place on August 18th at 8:00 PM at the Skirball Cultural Center, as part of the Sunset Concert Series. Further information on the concert can be obtained by calling Skirball at (310)440-4500, ext: 4976, or e-mailing extern@skirball.org. The Polish Music Center is organizing a group to attend this concert, and as a group we will receive free parking for up to 10 cars (carpooling is preferred) - please let us know if you would like to join us by emailing polmusic@usc.edu. The WVB will also play two shows on August 19th at the California Plaza in Downtown LA at noon and 8:00 pm, as a part of the Grand Performances series. All concerts are offered with free admission.

[MZ]

• Symphony for mixed choir and symphony orchestra by Marcin Błażewicz

• Khadn for strings and percussion by Monika Kędziora

• HeartPiece - Double Opera by Krzysztof Knittel / John King

• The Study of space II for string orchestra by Bartosz Kowalski-Banasewicz

• Assieds-toi, Mariette for soprano and instruments by Artur Kroschel

• E-motion for two button accordions and electronic media by Ryszard Osada

Monsieur Chopin, a new play featuring the romantic story and music of the Polish pianist-composer Frédéric Chopin, will have its world preview premiere at Chicago's Royal George Theatre on August 30, 2005. Monsieur Chopin marks the second in a trilogy about composers and their music, which was preceded by George Gershwin Alone and will culminate with Beethoven. George Gershwin Alone will have its final performance on Sunday, July 31, 2005, following a year-long residency at the same theatre.

Created by the same team that brought George Gershwin Alone to life, (Hershey Felder, author and Joel Zwick, director) Monsieur Chopin begins at Frédéric Chopin's salon at 9 Square d'Orléans in Paris. Monsieur Chopin will teach a piano lesson that actually took place on 4 March, 1848, just days after the February 1848 revolution. As Monsieur Chopin's piano lesson unfolds, he reveals secrets about the art of the piano and composition, as well as secrets about himself. Considered by his contemporaries, and now by history, as the true "Poet of the Piano," Monsieur Chopin features some of the pianist-composer's most beautiful and enduring music.

Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) was born in Żelazowa-Wola just outside of Warsaw, Poland to a French father and Polish mother. At the age of two, the family took up residence in Warsaw and by the age of seven, the young master had his first composition published. He played regularly for royalty and was feted as one of Poland's true geniuses. He began musical travels through Europe in 1829 and by 1831, he arrived in Paris where he became the most sought after piano teacher and salon pianist of his day. In 1836, at Paris' Hotel de France, he met the country's most famous novelist, the authoress George Sand. Six years older than Chopin, Sand was the sensitive, elegant and reserved artist's opposite in every possible way. However, it was only a matter of time before a romance blossomed and Sand became the most loving and giving partner that Chopin would ever have. Chopin died of a long-term illness on October 17, 1849 in Paris at the age of 39. Frédéric Chopin's incalculable contribution to the world of music will forever be a life-long study for anyone who comes in contact with the most beautiful music which he gave the world.

Hershey Felder is an actor and Steinway Concert Artist and former Scholar in Residence at Harvard University's Department of Music, as well as composer. Mr. Felder comes from a traditionally classical musical and theatrical background, appearing in stage roles on Broadway, Off-Broadway and regionally. His studies on Chopin have taken him across the world and include studying the composer's history, period history, manuscripts and living in Chopin's still existing residences. Included in the creative process, is a scholarly relationship with the United States' foremost author and professor of Chopin Studies, Jeffrey Kallberg. Mr. Kallberg is both a Professor of Music and Chairman of the Music Department at the University of Pennsylvania.

Monsieur Chopin
Royal George Theatre, 1641 North Halsted Street, Chicago IL
Performance schedule: Tuesday-Saturday at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 3:00 p.m., beginning August 30, 2005
Tickets: theater box office at (312) 988-9000, or Ticketmaster at (312) 902-1500 or www.ticketmaster.com

Warsaw Uprising monument in Krasiński Square, Warsaw

Krzysztof Aleksander Janczak was born in 1983 in Warsaw and currently is a student of Musicology at the Warsaw University. He is an author of music to Polish and international short films presented in Cannes, Taipei and Los Angeles. He is also a co-creator of the Teges Tanges Quartet, which specializes in the tango compositions of Astor Piazzola.

Between the 6th and 9th of July, English film composer Michael Nyman was in Poland recording the music to a Polish movie entitled Jestem [I am], directed by Dorota Kędzierzawska. He personally conducted the 30-person Sinfonia Varsovia as well as recorded the piano tracks for the score.

Michael Nyman is regarded as one of the greatest film composers in the world. He is most famous for his score to Jane Campion's The Piano, but also for his cooperation with Peter Greenaway. Dorota Kędzierzawska admited before the visit, "We didn't have high hopes but we decided to show Jestem to Michael Nyman. I still can't believe that very soon this extraordinary composer will come to Warsaw to record music to my movie. Sometimes even the biggest dreams come true." The film will premiere at the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia.

The legendary Ensemble of the Marinski Theater in St. Petersburg, under the direction of Walery Giergiew, will be hosted by the F. Chopin Baltic Philharmonic at their Baltic Festival in Gdańsk. The Ensemble will perform Musorgski's Khovanschtchysna overture, Borodin's 2nd Symphony and Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony. The concert will take place on 11 August 2005 at 7:00 pm in the Arch Cathedral in Gdańsk-Oliwa.

Walery Gergiew, Russian Maestro and artistic director of the Marinski Theater in St. Petersburg, is considered to be one of the greatest living conductors. He is admired around the world for the incredible art, energy and passion of his conducting. From the opera house instrumental ensemble of the Marinski Theater he created the best Symphony Orchestra in Russia. Just like Metropolitan Opera Orchestra is considered one of the best in USA, the Marinski Theater Orchestra has no rival in Russia.

Saturday, August 6th at 8 pm

Internationally renowned Polish cellist Jakub Jerzy Omsky, Professor of Cello at the Beverly Hills International Festival and Masterclasses and accepting position of Professor of Cello and Chamber Music at the Wichita State University will perform Tchaikovsky's "Variations on a Rococo Theme" for cello and orchestra at the Beverly Hills International Music Festival. The great Rococo Variations, a staple of cello repertoire since it was first performed in 1877, is one of the most difficult virtuoso pieces ever written for cello. Last time Omsky played this piece it was at a sold out performance at the famous Chautauqua Festival with maestro Uriel Segal. Limited space, reserve your ticket early!

Beverly Hills International Music Festival
Beverly Hills Presbyterian Church
505 N. Rodeo Dr.
Beverly Hills, CA
Info and tickets: DMG Music Association, Inc.
Phone: (310) 779-7622
E-Mail: dmgfest@aol.com

Two ensembles of artists from the Silesian Opera have started their summer tournée around Europe. It will include 80 performances of Nabucco and Aida by Giuseppe Verdi in Germany, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Luxemburg and Denmark.