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Polish Music Newsletter |  |
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January 2011, Vol. 17, No. 1. ISSN 1098-9188. Published monthly. 2010 Review | Anders in Memoriam | Anniversaries Back to PMC Home Page | PMC Newsletter Archive
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2010 - YEAR IN REVIEW |
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Anniversaries Awards Festivals News Performances PMC Premieres Publications Recordings We Remember
By unanimous vote of the Polish Parliament, 2010 was designated the year of Fryderyk Chopin and the 200th anniversary of the birth of this extraordinary composer and pianist was celebrated t 2010 also marked the 150th birth anniversary of Ignacy Jan Paderewski—pianist, composer, statesman and humanitarian—and celebrations took place throughout California, the U.S., Poland, and the world.
The I. J. Paderewski Music Academy in Poznań celebrated its 90th anniversary with twenty distinctive concerts. The Stanisław Moniuszko Grand Theater turned 100 years old and, in celebration, Oscar-winning composer Jan A. P. Kaczmarek wrote a new gong tone to alert audiences. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of his birth, the premiere Polish composer Stefan Themerson’s only opera—Święty Franciszek i wilk z Gubbio [St. Francis and the Wolf from Gubbio]—was presented on April 7 at the Grand Theater in Poznań. The Adam Mickiewicz Institute celebrated its 10th anniversary with a 2-day festival of musicians and artists who promote Poland through their art. The small city of Szczecinek in the Pomeranian region celebrated its 700th Anniversary on June 22 with the premiere of Rhythmi urbani, an oratorio based on a poem that was used by Polish and German officials that jointly administered Szczecinek in the past, by Krzesimir Dębski
Polish pianist Krystian Zimerman was awarded the Gloria Artis Gold Medal of Cultural Merit after giving an all-Chopin recital at Teatro La Scala in Milan, Italy on Feb 1. Claire Huangci (19) from Lansdale, PA won the 8th US National Chopin Piano Competition in Miami on Feb 28. Magdalena Wor, mezzo-soprano, won First Prize in the 2010 Kosciuszko Foundation Sembrich Polish composer and percussionist Marta Ptaszyńska (at right) received the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Award in the Creative Arts - Music Composition category for 2010. The Maria Fołtyn Grand Prix of the 7th Stanisław Moniuszko Vocal Competition in Warsaw went to Polish-born/Italian-trained soprano Eliza Kruszczyńska. First Prize in the American Paderewski Piano Competition (APPC)—presented by the Paderewski Music Society in Los Angeles—went to Piotr Kosinski (21, Poland)
On May 24—“The Day of the Singer”—Bronze Gloria Artis Medals were awarded to the following vocalists: Joanna Cortés, Piotr Nowacki, Krystyna Starościk-Labuda, Alina Wieczorek-Januszewska and Jolanta Gzella The Music Academy in Bydgoszcz honored Prof. Mieczysław Tomaszewski, outstanding Chopin scholar and head of the Department of Musical Work Theory and Interpretation at the Music Academy in Kraków, with a honoris causa doctorate. Read more in the June Newsletter.
On June 30, the Polish Composers’ Union [ZKP] announced this year’s winners of its annual prize: composer Magdalena Długosz, musicologist Barbara Przybyszewska-Jamińska, and compser Jan Fotek (lifetime achievement) First Prize winner in this year’s Tadeusz Baird Competition for Young Composers was Ignace Zalewski – Zutibure muzyka słowiańskiego lasu for percussion and two pianos The 2010 Peabody Mason International Piano Competition featured an all-Chopin Janusz "Ptaszyn" Wróblewski—ground-breaking Polish jazz composer and saxophonist—was awarded the Jazz Lamb Statuette Festival Award at the 15th Annual Summer Jazz Festival at the Piwnica pod Baranami on July 4. The Main Prize of the 8th Tadeusz Ochlewski Composition Competition went to Magnetismo by Kamil Krzysztof Kosecki (b. 1984) on Sept 1. The 2010 Cyprian Kamil Norwid Prize in music was awarded to Maestros Antoni Wit (Lifetime Achievement) and Henryk Wojnarowski (for recordings of Moniuszko’s Masses, On Oct 21, professor Jan Ekier (right) and composer Henryk Mikołaj Górecki received the Order of the White Eagle from Polish President Poland Bronisław Komorowski, in recognition of their service to Polish culture.
Eduard Kunz won First Prize at the VIII International Paderewski Piano Competition in Bydgoszcz on Nov 21.
Based in Kraków, the Unsound Festival held its first ever North American edition from Feb 4-14 in venues around New York City
Entitled Wall to Wall Behind the Wall, the annual “Wall to Wall” marathon of New York’s Symphony Space showcased the wealth of music composed in Central and Eastern Europe from the end of The 53rd ‘Warsaw Autumn’ Int'l Festival of Contemporary Music [Warszawska Jesień], (September 17-25) featured a ‘keyboard’ theme during this Chopin Year, and hosted world premieres by Zygmunt Krauze, Paweł Szymański, Włodzimierz Kotoński, Marcin Bortnowski, Marcin Stańczyk, Jarosław Kapuściński, Agata Zubel, Hanna Kulenty, Lidia Zielińska, Wojciech Ziemowit Zych, and Jerzy Kornowicz. Read a review in the Oct Newsletter The Baltic Sea Festival “Östersjöfestivalen”—Scandinavia's biggest classical music festival—put Chopin in the spotlight on August 27. Tenor Piotr Beczała, soprano Aleksandra Kurzak and pianist Krystian Zimerman all performed at this year's edition of the prestigious Salzburg Festival in Vienna.
The theme of this year’s 48th Music Festival in Bydgoszcz (Sept. 10 – Oct. 3) was “Chopin – Paderewski: World Artists,” featuring K. Penderecki and many other leading Polish musicians. The 6th Annual Festival of Polish Music—Poland's biggest classical music festival devoted entirely to the works of Polish composers—took place in Kraków from Nov 5-11. During the 2010 Composers' Portraits Festival, world premieres of Advection for chamber orchestra (2010) by Tomasz Opałka and Syrinx śląska for flutists (1987/2009) and Bischen for flute and bass (2000) by were presented on Dec 9.
The Kosciuszko Foundation, based in New York and Warsaw, announced that it acquired the National Polish Center (NPC) in Washington D.C. The restored and modernized Frederic Chopin Museum was re-opened at the Ostrogski Castle in Warsaw. The Museum collection boasts over 5 thousand items, including manuscripts, first prints, correspondence, memorabilia, documents and important editions of Chopin’s works. A photo exhibit entitled “All That Jazz” by Ryszard Horowitz, one of the youngest known survivors of the concentration camp of Auschwitz and a pioneering photographer, was displayed in Pozn “New Music For New Players – Contemporary Works For Beginners”—a new, international project from the Polish Music Information Centre and ZKP promoting contemporary music repertoire for young musicians—was inaugurated at ArtMusFair 2010. To combat the trend of playing the obligatory 33% Polish music, Poland’s MKiDN proposed a bill that would require radio stations to play 75% of the required Polish music during primetime hours. In other reforms, the Nat’l Broadcasting Council [Krajowa Rada Radiofonii i Telewizji] was dissolved in hopes of replacing it with a smaller, competitively chosen Boards of Directors The new Online Museum of Lost Cultural Heritage [Muzeum Utracone] was launched during a special multimedia presentation in the Royal Castle in Warsaw on Saturday, May 15. Re:New Music, a European project aimed at promoting contemporary music and supporting the circulation and performance of existing high quality ensemble repertoire, created the MatchMaker Database to connect musicians with new compositions.
Although good cheer and praise abounded, not everyone was full of warm thoughts for Chopin and Paderewski this year…
The Chopin Year was inaugurated in Warsaw with a concert featuring international superstar pianist Lang Lang. Other hightlights amongst the thousands of Chopin performances around the British pianist Jonathan Plowright’s celebrated Paderewski 150th anniversary with the Warsaw National Philharmonic, playing music by Paderewski, Melcer and Dobrzyński in Feb. On March 18, conductor Yaniv Segal—son of Polish violinist Hanna Lachert—featured Penderecki’s Capriccio for Oboe and 11 Strings and Kilar’s Orawa on his Master’s recital at the University of Polish musician and USC graduate Karolina Naziemiec (right) performed jazz standards and Polish songs with Sam Most, one of the first and greatest jazz flautists, on April 16th. The Yale School of Music presented “Penderecki Conducts Penderecki,” featuring the composer conducing his Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima (1960), Symphony No. 4 (1989), Capriccio for Violin and Orchestra (1967), and Concerto for Horn and Orchestra “Winterreise” (2008). On May 22, the U.S. National Philharmonic, conductor Piotr Gajewski and pianist Piotr Paleczny performed a program entitled “The Polish Masters & Schumann.”
The Polish Gala at the World EXPO 2010 in Shanghai, China featured Ewa Pobłocka, laureate of the 10th International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1980, in concert with the Zhejiang Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Krzysztof Herdzin at the Shanghai Grand Theater Cantores Minores returned to America for the fifth time under the direction of founder and current conductor, Joseph A. Herter, for a coast-to-coast tour. Read a review here Polish piano artist Leszek Możdżer (right) was featured at L.A.’s premiere jazz venue, the Jazz Bakery, on June 7. Kinga Augustyn, violin, and Anna Shelest, piano, performed a recital of works by Chopin, Paderewski, Lutoslawski, and Wieniawski at the annual summer concert at the Kosciuszko Foundation – Philadelphia
Based on her recent recording of “Szymanowski Piano Works” (Arabesque Z6807), pianist Emily White featured Szymanowski's Masques in New York City recital on Oct 9. The Chopin & Paderewski 2010 committee presented An Evening of Music and Reflection in the elegant surroundings of the historic Newberry Library in Chicago, followed by the Chopin & Paderewski 2010 International Conference at Loyola University on Nov 12.
The Warsaw National Philharmonic celebrated Paderewski’s anniversary with a symphonic concert featuring Jonathan Plowright (Feb 5); a concert presentation of Paderewski’s only opera, Manru (Nov 6); and a recital by Hubert Rutkowski dedicated to Paderewski and his teacher, Teodor Leszetycki (Nov 9)
The Chopin Anniversary Marathon took place in Newman Hall, featuring outstanding performances by students and professors in the USC Thornton School of Music. Read a review here Polish Music History Series Vol. 10, Zygmunt Stojowski: Life and Music, received an excellent review in Muzyka, an esteemed Polish quarterly music journal. KUSC host Kimberlea Daggy sat down with PMC Director Marek Zebrowski to discuss Chopin and Paderewski during their anniversary year in two separate programs that were re-broadcast throughout the year. Major donations to the PMC library were announced in the July Newsletter. An original film score composed by Dir. Zebrowski for The Labyrinth, created by Director/Producer/Writer Jason A. Schmidt and Writer/Producer, Ron Schmidt, was premiered on Aug 13. Special concerts, lectures, exhibitions and panel discussions took place in L.A. and Paso Robles during the "Paderewski at 150" celebrations in Nov, featuring musicologist Dr. Perkowska-Waszek, pianist Jonathan Plowright, composer/violinist Krzesimir Dębski, singer Anna Jurksztowicz, and California historian Dr. Kevin Starr. Read a review here
Piotr Lachert’s Sieben Choräle für die linke Hand alleine [7 chorales for the left hand], dedicated to Pope Benedict XVI when he suffered a broken wrist, was premiered on Feb19 at the Auditorium “Petruzzi” in Pescara, Italy.
Spaces of Nothingness for string trio (2010) by Zbigniew Kozub and Rdza for 6 instruments and CD (2009) by Lidia Zielińska were premiered by the modern art sextet during the “Generations” cycle at the Polish Radio Lutosławski Concert Studio in Warsaw on March 29. Krzesimir Dębski had several premieres: Trzy siostry [Three Sisters] string quartet was premiered at the Poznań Spring Music Festival on March 22; Organismi transcendentali for Piano and Orchestra was premiered in Poznań on May 6; and Cosmopolis for soloists, chorus and orchestra was premiered on May 22 in Frombork, celebrating the re-interrment of The world premiere of Piotr Moss’ Double Cello Concerto “Passions” took place on May 6 at the contemporary music festival Île de découvertes in the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines theater in the Île-de-France region. CHOPIN, the Romantic artist, a ballet in two acts, was premiered on May 9 at the Grand Opera-National Theater in Warsaw, with music not only by Chopin but also composers who were influenced by his work.
Hypopnea for solo accordion by Wojciech Blecharz was premiered on May 12 at the Musica Polonica Nova Festival in Wrocław by its dedicatee, accordianist Maciej Frąckiewicz—other premieres at the Festival listed in the May Newsletter. On May 13, the Grand Theater-National Opera presented two new operas: Aleksander Hanna Kulenty's opera The Mother of Black-Winged Dreams had its Polish premiere on May 15 and 16 at the Wrocław Opera, and harpsichordist Goska Isphording and the Wrocław Chamber Orchestra “Leopoldinum” gave the world premiere of Kulenty's GG Concerto for harpsichord and string orchestra on October 3. This year’s Sounds New Contemporary Music Festival in Canterbury—entitled “Symbolism and Numerology in Music”—featured the world premiere of Septem – 7 miniatures by Szymon Brzóska, performed by Polish pianist Barbara Drążkowska, and the UK premiere of Lidia Zielińska’s Siedem wysp Conrada [Conrad’s Seven Islands], performed by Croatian contemporary music group Cantus Ensemble The “Warszawskie Spotkania Muzyczne” [Warsaw Musical Meetings] Festival (May 9-16) featured 3 premieres: Iwona Kisiel - 5 Pieśni [5 Songs] for soprano and piano, to the words of Marii Pawlikowskiej-Jasnorzewskiej (2009), Zbigniew Penherski - Lamentacje [Lamentations] for baritone or countertenor and string quartet, to selected fragments from the Book of Jeremiah (2003), and Paweł Strzelecki - Fanfara [Fanfare] for organ (2008). The “Mikołów Days of Music” Festival opened on May 22 with a premiere of a commissioned work by Aleksander Lasoń, entitled hyMMny
Three new compositions received their world premieres during the “Wawel: musica festiva” competition on July 15: Przestrzenie [Spaces] by Tomasz Jakub Opałka (Grand Prize winner), Misterium przestrzeni [The Mystery of Space] by Zbigniew Bargielski, and Szarże [Charges] The Bregenzer Festpiele presented the world premiere of The Passenger, the first opera by Mieczysław Weinberg (1919-1996), on July 21. Luminario Ballet premiered the ballet Fantasia on Polish Airs, created by “LA's revered ballet maestro,” Polish choreographer Stefan Wenta, on Aug 6. On Aug 29, the Polish Baltic Philharmonic gave the world premiere of IVO XXX by Paweł Mykietyn at the “Solidarity of Arts” Festival in Gdańsk. Also, Eva-Maria Zimmermann performed the US Premiere of Mykietyn’s Epiphora (1996) for piano and pre-recorded media at the Other Minds Festival (March4-6) in San Francisco. A new opera by Marta Ptaszyńska—Kochankowie z klasztoru Valldemosa [Lovers in the Cloister at Valldemosa]—was premiered at the Grand Theater in Łódź on Nov 18.
A new rock opera entitled Krzyżacy [Knights of the Cross], written by Hadrian Filip Tabęcki, was premiered on Dec 30
Former PMC Director Maja Trochimczyk published Chopin with Cherries: A Tribute in Verse (Moonrise Press), which led to several readings in California and Poland. A new edition of the definitive Chopin biography by Adam Zamoyski, Chopin: Prince of the Romantics (first published 1979, HarperPress), is available again after an absence of many years. Read a review in The Economist
The new monograph European ‘Fin de siècle’ and Polish Modernism. The Music of Mieczysław Karłowicz (Ut Orpheus Edizioni) examines the figure of composer Karłowicz (1876-1909) in the broader socio-cultural context which fostered his work. Musica Iagellonica has published a book by Małgorzata Sułek entitled Pieśni masowe Witolda Lutosławskiego w kontekście doktryny realizmu socjalistycznego [Witold Lutosławski’s Mass Songs in the context of doctrins of social realism] Polish-American musicologist Halina Goldberg’s book Music in Chopin’s Warsaw was published by Oxford University Press. Read a review here Chopinspire. Współcześni kompozytorzy polscy o Chopinie [Chopinspire. Contemporary A new monograph, Maria Szymanowska (1789-1831): A Bio-Bibliography, by Anna E. Kijas was published by The Scarecrow Press. Edited by Prof. Jan Ekier, the new Polish National Edition of the collected works of Fryderyk Chopin was published by PWM.
Too many new Chopin recordings to count were released this year – for a few of our fullest listings, see February, April, and October Newsletters.
Marston Records released “A Century of Romantic Chopin” (4 CDs), “The Complete Raoul von Koczalski vol. 1: Polydor Recordings 1924 – 1928” (2 CDs) and “The Complete Josef Hofmann: vol. 9” (2 CDs) Polish pianist Hubert Rutkowski prepared “Pupils of Chopin – Tellefsen, Mikuli, Filtsch, Gutmann” for Naxos Records (8.572344) British pianist Jonathan Plowright’s recording Hommage à Chopin (Hyperion Records CDA67803), which explores music composed in the style of Chopin by his contemporaries, landed on Gramophone Magazine’s weekly Specialist Classical Top 20 Chart for the week of March 13 and Editor’s Disk of the Month list for April
Chopin, a new jazz recording by the Filip Wojciechowski Trio—Filip Wojciechowski, piano, Paweł Pańta, bass and Cezary Konrad, drums—was released to much acclaim (PRCD1310) A listing of new works by Andrzej Panufnik is available in the June Newsletter. The Cracow Duo and pianist Marek Szlezer (performing on a Pleyel piano from 1845) released “Fryderyk Chopin: The Complete Chamber Works” (DUX 0755) Agata Zubel – soprano and Marcin Grabosz – piano released a recording entitled “Poems” (CD Accord ACD149-2) featuring Pawel Szymański’s Drei Lieder nach Trakl, which reviewer William Hedley says “create a hugely powerful atmosphere.”
Pianist David Greilsammer’s recording “Tansman-Boulanger-Gershwin” (Naïve Records V5224) features the world premiere recording of Tansman’s Piano Concerto No. 2. Kielce Philharmonic Records released “We Are From Here,” with music by W. Pawlik, and Vol. 4 of the “Album Polski” series, featuring works by M. Ptaszyńska and G. Bacewicz
Wanda Tomczykowska (29 Aug 1921 - 2 March 2010) – founder of the Polish Arts and Culture Foundation (PACF) in San Francisco
Henryk Mikołaj Górecki (6 Dec 1933 – 12 Nov 2010) – leading composer of Polish contemporary classical music Irena Anders - singer and actress who toured with Henryk Wars’ band during the WWII Górecki with PMC founder and first Director, Wanda Wilk
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IRENA ANDERS IN MEMORIAM |
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IRENA ANDERS (1920-2010)
With the passing of Irena Anders on 29 November 2010, an important chapter in the history of Poland came to a close. Although she will be mostly remembered as a widow of Poland’s famous World War II general, Władysław Anders, Irena’s career in music and acting represented a lifelong calling that brought her fame and recognition throughout the world. Irena Renata Jarosiewicz was born on 12 May 1920 in Freudethal, near Olomuntz, in the present Czech Republic. Her father, Mikołaj, was a Uniate (Eastern Catholic Rite) priest, whilst her mother, Helena, came from Polish-Ukrainian family of landowners. In 1926 Irena’s parents and four siblings moved to Lwów, where she attended local schools and later began voice studies at the Lwów Music Conservatory right as World War II broke out. Irena’s professional career was launched when she was recruited by Henryk Wars to perform with the Tea-Jazz orchestra he created in Lwów in 1940. Henryk Wars (1902-1977) Shortly after Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, the so-called Sikorski-Maisky Agreement provided the basis for the formation of a Polish Army composed of Polish citizens interned in the Soviet Union. Simultaneously, General Władysław Anders (1892-1970) was freed from the Lubianka prison in Moscow and appointed the Commander in Chief of the Polish Army in Russia. Under the name of Polish Parade, Wars’ ensemble accompanied Anders’ Army from Persia to Iraq, Egypt, and Italy, entertaining the troops with concerts and musical theatre shows. By that time Irena became a prominent Polish Parade soloist and a close friend of music director and composer Henryk Wars and his companion, Elżbieta. Through them she was introduced to General Anders whom she married in London a few years later on 12 May 1948.
Although after the war General Anders retired from the Army, he nonetheless continued to be an important leader of Poles in exile. In the meantime, After her husband’s death in 1970, Irena continued to represent the General at the annual commemorations of the battle of Monte Cassino in Italy and England. She also began to travel to Poland after 1989, when Poland’s communist government fell and her husband’s role in World War II was officially recognized. She visited countless schools and universities, gave interviews and was received with great warmth by the wide spectrum of Polish society. Always gracious, witty, and ever ready to perform the old favorites—mostly the songs from the Polish Parade days—Irena Anders never failed to delight her fans in Poland with her charming and elegant delivery. Irena’s intelligence and great warmth—both as a performer and in private—will be remembered by all who came to know her intimately. The hospitality of her London house and the inevitable wealth of anecdotes were always on full display for those who came across her path. Generously praising others and sometimes disarmingly realistic when referring to her own glamorous life, to the end of her days Irena was a living witness of Poland’s pre-war culture and society. She faithfully kept in touch with old friends like Henryk Wars and his wife who settled in Los Angeles, and With Irena Anders’ passing, we say farewell to the enduring symbol of Polish courage and sacrifice during the years of World War II, to a gifted and unique performer in the history of Polish music and, in my case, to a great personal friend. Irena Anders is survived by her daughter, Anna, and a grandson, both residing in the United States.
[Archival photos courtesy of Anders family. Current photos courtesy of Ryszard Szydło]
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NEWS |
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FOCUS! 2011: POLISH MODERN / KULENTY PREMERE FOCUS! 2011, Juilliard’s 27th annual mid-winter festival of ‘new’ music, presents Polish Modern: New Directions in Polish Music Since 1945. This year’s Festival will feature six free concerts from Saturday, January 22 – Friday, January 28, 2011. The composers presented on the FOCUS! festival represent several generations and a broad range of styles: from Krzysztof Penderecki, Bogusław Schaeffer, Kazimierz Serocki and others born before the mid-1930s; to composers Read an article about the genesis of the “Polish Modern” concept here: www.juilliard.edu. The FOCUS! 2011 festival is presented in collaboration with the Polish Cultural Institute in New York. The festival opens with the New Juilliard Ensemble, conducted by founder Joel Sachs, performing Grażyna Bacewicz’s Contradizione (1966); Tadeusz Wielecki’s The Time of Stones (2002); Wojciech Kilar’s Choral Prelude (1988); Zygmunt Krauze’s Terra Incognita (1994); and Elżbieta Sikora’s Canzona (1995). The closing concert program, performed by the Juilliard Orchestra and led by conductor Jeffrey Milarsky, is entitled “Portrait of Witold Lutosławski” and highlights the composer considered by many to be one of the greatest of the 20th century. The program includes Lutosławski’s Overture for Strings, Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, Partita for Violin and Orchestra, and the Symphony No. 4, featuring cellist Jeremiah Campbell and violinist Arianna Warsaw-Fan. Both the opening and closing concerts take place in Alice Tully Hall.
Other highlights of the festival include a film screening and a panel discussion about contemporary music in Poland with editor-in-chief of the Polish Music Publishing House and program director of the Polish Music Festival, Andrzej Kosowski; president of the Polish Composers’ Union, Jerzy Kornowicz; composer Elżbieta Sikora; and director of the Warsaw Autumn Festival, Tadeusz Wielecki, moderated by Joel Sachs.
[Source: Press release]
PENDERECKI PREMIERE CONCLUDES CHOPIN YEAR
The work is entitled Powiało na mnie morze snów... Pieśni zadumy i nostalgii [A Sea of Dreams has Fallen on Me... Songs of Reverie and Nostalgia] and is written for soprano, mezzo-soprano, baritone, choir and orchestra. It will be performed by Wioletta Chodowicz (soprano) Agnieszka Rehlis (mezzo-soprano), Mariusz Godlewski (baritone) and the Choir of the Warsaw Philharmonic, conducted by Henryk Wojnarowski. The singers are accompanied by the Sinfonia Varsovia. The evening is hosted by world famous Russian conductor, Valery Gergiev. [Source: chopin2010.pl]
KRZYSZTOF MEYER COMMISSION Eminent Polish composer, Krzysztof Meyer, has completed a major work for violin and piano entitled Imaginary Variations. The piece was commissioned by American violinist Janet Packer, an ardent champion of new music for the violin. Funded under the auspices of the Pro Violino Foundation, Inc., the work will receive many performances throughout the United States and abroad during Ms. Packer’s 2011-2012 concert touring season. Born in Kraków in 1943, Krzysztof Meyer has been a distinguished figure in European musical life for nearly a half century. A student of Krzysztof Penderecki, Witold Lutosławski and Nadia Boulanger, Meyer is one of the most prominent Polish composers of his generation. His oeuvre includes 4 operas, 5 symphonies, 12 string quartets, 2 violin concerti, 5 piano sonatas, and many other orchestral, chamber, and solo instrumental works. From 1985 to 1989 he served as President of the Polish Composers’ Union [ZKP].
In addition to being a virtuoso pianist and composer, Meyer is also a sought-after music historian and pedagogue. He has taught several generations of students in music history, theory and composition in both his native Poland and, from 1987 to 2008, at the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne. He is a frequent lecturer on the subject of contemporary music in many countries, including Russia, Germany, Austria, Brazil and Japan. He is also author of many books and articles. His monograph on the life and work of Dmitri Shostakovich (Paris, 1994), the first in Polish, has become an international bestseller and has been translated into six languages. With his wife, Danuta Gwizdalanka, he also published a two-volume biography of Witold Lutosławski. [Source: janetpacker.com]
POLISH MUSICIANS’ FORUM MEETING The first meeting of Polish Orchestra Musicians’ Forum was held on 28 November 2010 in Warsaw, with about 60 musicians representing over 20 orchestras and choral groups from all over Poland. It was organized by the musicians’ unions representing the Grand Theatre-Polish National Opera in Warsaw, the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice, and Sinfonia Varsovia. The main subject of the meeting was the proposed new law regarding the organization and management of cultural institutions. The musicians present maintained that the proposed law does not take into account the specific working conditions of musicians and does not reflect their needs, nor does it contain proposals advanced by the musicians or their representatives. Since the new law would extend preferential treatment to groups representing employers, the musicians gathered at the forum decided to appeal in writing to Poland’s Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, protesting the situation.
The letter was signed by the presiding officers of the First Forum of Polish Orchestra Musicians, including: Katarzyna Demus, Artur Gadzała, Jan Kacperczyk, Andrzej Konieczny, Bogusław Pstraś, Justyna Rogozińska-Czeżyk, and Damian Walentek. [Source: polmic.pl, Photo: premier.gov.pl]
POLISH FORGOTTEN MUSIC RECORDING COMPETITION
The competition is addressed to all performers, soloists and ensembles, regardless of their nationality, education, age, and place of residence, who have not released before, or are not in the process of releasing, a recording with music. In order to take part in the competition, you need to submit the following information to the Publisher (e-mails are acceptable) by
Acte Préalable will decide on the winner of the competition until 31 March 2011 and will announce the results in the May issue of the Muzyka21 magazine. The Publisher will record the project of the winner and then release it in CD format. The Publisher reserves the right to modify the project. Projects containing music by only one composer are favored. When submitting the project, the competitors must be in possession of all the score materials necessary for the recording process, the rights to perform and record it, as well as permission from all the artists who are going to take part in the recording. The winner of the competition will have four months to prepare the repertoire. Afterwards, the Publisher will set the date of the rehearsal, and then there will be a decision concerning the date of the recording sessions. The competition organizer's address:
SYLVESTRE/KAPLANEK DUO IN CALGARY
On January 7, 2011, Christ Church in Calgary will present the Sylvestre/Kaplanek Duo. The program will include works by Szymanowski, as well as the Sonate Posthume by Ravel and the Klavierstücke, op. 118 by Brahms. Violinist Jerzy Kaplanek is a member of the world-renowned Penderecki String Quartet and has performed throughout North and South America as well as Europe and Asia. He has partnered with Janina Fialkowska, Francine Kay, Jamie Parker, James Campbell and others. Mr. Kaplanek has recorded over two dozen CD’s and is an Associate Professor at Wilfred Laurier University. Pianist Stéphan Sylvestre enjoys an active performing career as a recitalist, orchestra
[Photo: poloniawcalgary.com]
GRELLA-MOZEJKO IN EDMONTON
SEE Magazine gives this report about the new work by Grella-Mozejko:
January 7, 2011 | 8:00 P.M. [Source: seemagazine.com, tonusvivus.com]
KACZMAREK ON KUSC
Listen live here: www.classicalkusc.org/stream/listen.html. [Source: kusc.org]
PENDERECKI IN L.A. The Da Camera Society of Mt. St. Mary's College presents the most recent in its "Chamber Music in Historical Places" series: a solo recital with cellist Peter Stumpf, performing Penderecki and Britten in the Keeler House.
[Source: Clickable Chamber Music Newsletter, dacamera.org, .laphil.com]
JANUARY AT KOSCIUSZKO FDN.
No conductor, no bow ties, just strings… On Sunday, January 23, the String Orchestra of New York City (SONYC) presents the following all-Polish program: Sonata by S. Szarzyński, Quartet Op. 9 for string orchestra by S. Noskowski, Concerto for String Orchestra by G. Bacewicz, and Sinfonietta for strings by K. Penderecki.
CHOPIN’S STORY TRAILER
Ian Gillan, the vocalist of rock band Deep Purple, takes you on the journey around Poland to show how his home country and the local people helped creating one of the most prominent artist in the history of classical music. The movie is a contemporary take on how a piece of local culture morphed into beloved treasure of European culture.
WORLD’S LARGEST PIANO?
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AWARDS |
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4th INT’L COMPOSERS’ COMPETITION IN POZNAŃ
On December 14, the jury—comprised of Lidia Zielińska (Poland - Jury President), Jacek Domagała (Germany), Aleksander Lasoń (Poland), Jerzy Kornowicz (Poland), Charlotte Seither (Germany), and Monika Kędziora (Poland - Jury Secretary)—announce the following finalists:
The identities of the composers will be made public when the compositions are performed at a special concert on April13, 2011 at the Aula Nova in Poznań. At that time, the jury will also designate the I, II and III Prizes. The concert will be accompanied by the International Music Conference "Musica practica - musica theoretica,” held from April 13-14. [Sources: amuz.edu.pl, polmic.pl]
STARR IN CALIFORNIA HALL OF FAME
Other honorees included: screen and music icon Barbra Streisand; actress Betty White; filmmaker James Cameron; businessman and philanthropist Levi Strauss; tennis champion Serena Williams; Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg; and former Governor Edmund G. “Pat” Brown, which was accepted by his son, Governor-elect Jerry Brown. [Sources: uscnews.usc.edu, sacbee.com, Photo: Hector Amezcua/The Sacramento Bee]
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FESTIVALS |
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“SOURCES & INSPIRATIONS” PERCUSSION FESTIVAL
The following ensembles have thus far confirmed their appearance at the festival: Ritmodelia and the West Africa Project are two percussion groups specializing in diversified ethnic percussion music. Their concert will be a combination of sources and inspirations, during which musicians from Poland and from Africa will perform on original African instruments. AKKU (Norway) - this mysterious name belongs to a highly original ensemble that performs excellent music inspired by the folklore of the north. It consists of a tuba player and of two charismatic singers who use the Inuit vocal techniques, such as overtone singing and hyperventilation. This kind of music is rarely head in our concert halls. It is trance-like and full of rhythm. [Source: amuz.krakow.pl]
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DISCOGRAPHY |
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NEW ON NAXOS
Polish by birth, Alexandre Tansman settled in France in 1919 where he soon joined the ranks of the most prominent French and other European composers and musicians of the time. After many years of undeserved neglect, his vast catalogue of music is being rediscovered and enjoyed today. Ranging from tranquil lyricism to tragic gravity, Tansman’s highly sophisticated 24 Intermezzi are a form of intimate musical diary, written at a time when the composer’s life was divided between Europe and the USA. His inventive Petite Suite and Ravel-like Valse-Impromptu are no less delightful. A laureate of numerous competitions, Eliane Reyes is recognised as a rising star of her generation both as a soloist and chamber musician, with concerts throughout the world.
Described by Gramophone as a ‘magician, bewitching our ears’, Russian-born American-based violinist Ilya Kaler has won 1st Prizes and Gold Medals at the Tchaikovsky, Sibelius and the Paganini Competitions and made many acclaimed Naxos recordings. He is an ideal soloist in Mieczysław Karłowicz’s attractive and spirited Violin Concerto. The Serenade, Karłowicz’s first orchestral work, signals the young composer’s extraordinary command of expressive ideas and opulent harmonies. Karłowicz’s Symphonic Poems Volumes 1 (8.570452) and 2 (8.570295) conducted by Antoni Wit are also available. [Source: classicsonline.com, naxos.com]
CHOPIN ON NEW STEINWAY LABEL
From a ClassicsToday.com review by Jed Distler:
[Source: classicsonline.com]
NEW BACEWICZ
[Source: classicsonline.com] |
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PERFORMANCES |
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TOTENBERG CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY MILESTONE A very special birthday celebration for the famous violinist Roman Totenberg took place at Boston College’s Symphony Hall on Saturday, November 21, 2010. A Centennial Celebration of Roman Totenberg marked this milestone birthday and a century of a life of music. The concert was also the first ever to be streamed lived from the Symphony Hall—the video is available at www.bu.edu/cfa/totenberg100.
In his review for the Boston Herald entitled “Totenberg gala honors legend” (11/23/10), writer Keith Powers gives this tribute.
[GF] [Sources: bu.edu, classical-scene.com, Boston Herald via LexisNexis; Photos: bu.edu, npr.org]
GREIVE HONORS POLISH ANNIVERSARIES
Included on the program were violin-piano versions of Chopin’s Nocturne, op. 55, no. 2; Mazurka, op. 33, no. 2; and Nocturne, op. 27, no. 2, arranged by famed violinists Jascha Heifetz, Fritz Kreisler and Pablo de Sarasate, respectively. Also on the recital were Wieniawski’s well-known Légende [Legenda], op. 17 from 1859 and Paderewski’s Sonata in A minor, op. 13 for violin and piano from 1885. In addition, the recital included Giuseppe Tartini’s 18th century Piccole Sonate No. 14 in G major for solo violin and cello bass line, and the Sonata for Solo Violin, op. 10, written in 1940 by American composer Vincent Persichetti. Professor Greive is active as a soloist as well as a musicologist, and a large number of his publications and performances are devoted to Polish music and the violin in Poland. His recent article, “The Appearance of the Violin in Poland and Italian Links to Paths of Polish Royal Patronage,” was published in the summer 2009 issue of the Journal of the Violin Society of America: VSA Papers, Vol. XXII, No. 1. Within the context of significant 16th-century violin-related activity in Poland (especially the "Golden Age" of violin making beginning in the second half of the century), the article examines cultural links between the 16th-century Italian and Polish royal courts and the possibility that they could have facilitated the import of the violin into Poland. Particular attention is given to the Italian born Queen Bona Sforza and her Polish husband King Zygmunt I Stary. See also Prof. Grieve’s article entitled “Kochański's Collaborative Work as Reflected Through his Manuscript Collection” in the Polish Music Journal, Vol. 1, No. 1.Summer 1998. Professors Grieve and Burmeister have also recently produced a recording of significant works for violin and piano by Polish composers across several centuries, entitled “The Polish Tradition” (Albany Records TROY754) – see the December Newsletter for more details. [Sources:music.wisc.edu, welltempered.wordpress.com; Photo by Katrin Talbot, Madison Symphony Orchestra]
STAŃKO - MUSIC FOR A GOOD WORLD
This is the second concert in the "Music for a Good World" project—in 2009, American violinist Joshua Bell performed at the Grand Theatre in Warsaw. The title of the concert series refers to one of the fundamental concepts of Judaism, namely "tikun olam" or "improving the world," made popular by Isaac Luria, the 16th century Jewish mystic. The world is not perfect therefore one should strive to make it better through everything one does, in particular education, art, philanthropy and interpersonal dialogue. The concert, held on the day of Hanukah which preceded Christmas, offered a great opportunity to meet and think how we can make the world a better place. The building housing the Museum of the History of Polish Jews was designed by a Finnish architect, Reiner Mahlamaeki. The construction works of the largest European museum devoted to the Jewish history started on June 30, 2009. Its shell has already been erected to the designed height and has just been roofed. The venue's characteristic entrance and curvy walls, which will make a sculptural, illuminated and metaphorical space, are already clearly seen. The future rooms have already been outlined, including the permanent exhibition featuring 1000 years of the Jews' history in Poland, as well as the remaining educational and cultural spaces including a large auditorium, projection, exhibition and workshop rooms, restaurant and a club. [Source: Polish Press Agency (PAP) via culture.pl] |
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to PMC Home Page PMC Newsletter Archive
Copyright 2011 by the Polish Music Center
Send your comments and inquiries to: polmusic@thornton.usc.edu
Newsletter Editor: Krysta Close
Translation Assistance: Marek Żebrowski
Contributions from:
Marek Żebrowski, Gary Fitelberg, Piotr Grella-Mozejko,
Joseph A. Herter,
Vladek Juszkiewicz, Joel Sachs
Sources of information: Polish Cultural Institute (NY & UK), Adam Mickiewicz Institute,
PWM,
Nowy Dziennik,
Polish Music Information Centre - Warsaw, Polish American Journal,
Poland.pl,
PAP,
ZKP, infochopin.pl, Ruch Muzyczny, Gazeta Wyborcza
Formatting by Krysta Close, January 13, 2011.
The Polish Music Center includes all content on a space available basis. We reserve the right to refuse any content submitted.
hroughout the world all year long.
The centenary of the birth of 
Katowice’s National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra (
Sting performed with the Polish Radio Orchestra on Dec 17 in Warsaw’s Polish Theatre at a concert marking the 
Voice Scholarship Competition
Four albums released by DUX Records were honored with Orphée d’Or [Golden Orpheus] Awards of the French “Academie du Disque Lyrique”: Krzysztof Penderecki – Dzieła Chóralne (
The Annual Award of 
program, and the Grand Prize went to Tsotne Tsotshalashvili 
DUX 
Yulianna Avdeeva (left) was awarded the Grand Prize of the 
The 25th anniversary edition of the 
WWI until the fall of Communism.
The 
ań
The Warsaw 
Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI.
As an end to the UK’s 
On August 29, 
On Nov 21, violinist Midori Goto (right) and pianist Robert McDonald presented 
The Polish Consulate General in L.A. and the La Jolla Symphony presented a concert honoring Poland’s musical legacy in the 20th century on March 13-14, featuring the US premiere of Krzysztof Penderecki’s Chaconne—In Memoriam John Paul II, as well as works by Szymanowski. Read a review 
Copernicus.
Nowak’s Sudden Rain and Agata Zubel’s Between.
by Łukasz Pieprzyk
ontinued effect on Polish contemporary composers, was published by ZKP, the 2009 Warsaw Autumn Festival, and the 
Aga Zaryan
President Lech Kaczyński, First Lady Maria Kaczyńska and the victims of the 
.jpg)
was the most famous Polish composer of film and cabaret music who escaped from a POW transport and managed to reach Lwów after the defeat of Poland in the Nazi blitzkrieg of 1939. Wars’ big band ensemble was composed of about two dozen musicians who also fled from Poland to the Soviet-occupied Lwów. Under the stage name of Renata Bogdańska, Irena began performing and touring the Soviet Union as a soprano soloist with the Wars’ Tea-Jazz orchestra. Her first and brief marriage to Gwidon Borucki (pictured on right with Wars in Baghdad in 1943), another member of Wars’ ensemble, dates from the early war years. 
About 100,000 Poles were released from a number of Soviet prison camps and gulags and assembled in the vicinity of Totskoye and Buzuluk in Southern Siberia, where General Anders organized the incoming refugees into combat units. Many Polish civilians who were at that time on Soviet territory decided to join the Anders’ Army. Together with the members of Wars’ Tea-Jazz orchestra, Irena made a perilous journey across Russia to join the Anders’ Army as well. A few months later, during the spring and summer of 1942, General Anders with his troops and the accompanying civilians were evacuated by ships across the Caspian Sea to the northwest coastal port city of Pahlevi in Persia (now Rasht in Iran). Anders’ soldiers joined the Polish Carpathian Brigade that already fought under British command in North Africa and formed the so-called Polish Second Corps that gallantly fought in Africa and Italy during the last two years of the war. 
Irena Anders continued to work as an actress and singer.She played the lead in the 1946 film Wielka Droga [A Momentous Journey] (pictured at right), depicting the history of Polish Second Corps during World War II. In her musical and theatre roles Irena Anders also worked with a number of distinguished writers and musicians who settled in London after the war, including Marian Hemar, Feliks Konarski, Włada Majewska, Zofia Terne, Fryderyk Jaroszy, Gwidon Borucki, and Irena Delmar among others. For several decades Irena Anders toured various Polish émigré centers throughout Western Europe, the Middle East, and the United States, and appeared on BBC World Service, Radio Free Europe, and Voice of America broadcasts. Until recently she regularly performed for the Ognisko Polskie [Polish Hearth Club] and POSK [Polish Social and Cultural Centre] in London, and other Polish émigré organizations worldwide. 
Feliks Konarski who moved to Chicago. Whenever at home in London, she happily received and entertained countless old friends who were passing by. Among the numerous accolades and awards she received, the two private audiences with Pope John Paul II in 1979 and 2004 and the Commanders’ Cross of the Polonia Restituta Order received from Poland’s President Lech Kaczyński in May of 2007 were most important. Irena’s 90th birthday party in London in May of 2010 (pictured at left) was a great occasion for all her friends and family to assemble and celebrate her long and extraordinary accomplished life. 
including Krzysztof Knittel, Aleksander Lasoń, Marian Sawa, and Stanisław Moryto from the 1940s; to Paweł Szymanski, Tadeusz Wielecki, and others born ten years later; and Paweł Mykietyn, Aleksandra Gryka, Wojciech Zimowit Zych, and the 1970s generation. The Festival will also include the World Premiere of 
From January 24 - 27, the FOCUS! festival presents four concerts of chamber and solo works by contemporary Polish composers, performed by Juilliard students. Works to be performed include: Krzysztof Penderecki’s Capriccio for Siegfried Palm for cello (1966); Tomasz Sikorski’s Euphonia for piano (1982); Kazimierz Serocki’s Swinging Music for clarinet, double bass, trombone, and piano (1970); Marian Sawa’s Ecce Lignum Crucis for organ (1986); selections from Wojciech Ziemowit Zych’s Homage a Gyorgy Kurtag for violin and bass clarinet (2005-06); Marta Ptaszyńska’s Six Bagatelles for harp (1979); Wojciech Blazejczyk’s Interlunium for guitar (2007); Marek Stachowski’s Musica Festeggiante for string quartet (1995) Paweł Mykietyn’s Sonata for Cello (2006); Hanna Kulenty’s Brass No. 4 (2007) for tuba solo; Aleksander Lasoń’s String Quartet No. 7 (2007); Paweł Szymanski’s Through the Looking Glass III for harpsichord (1994); Marcel Chyrzynski’s ForMS for cello (2001); Witold Szalonek’s Toccata and Chorale for organ (1988), in the 1990 version for piano; Krzysztof Knittel’s The Conqueror Worm (1976); Mateusz Bien’s Turdidae (1992); Marek Choloniewski’s Physical Modeling (2004); Andrzej Krzanowski's Relief V for cello (1986); Aleksandra Gryka’s Oxygen No. 369.1 for piano and electronic sounds (2000); Aleksander Nowak’s June-December (2005); Jakub Ciupinski’s Edo for violin and electronic sounds (2010); Henryk Mikołaj Górecki’s String Quartet No. 1, “Already It Is Dusk” (1986); Bogusław Schaeffer’s Sonata IV, “February” from The Four Seasons for organ (1986); Eugeniusz Knapik’s Filo d’Arianna for cello (2005); Joanna Bruzdowicz’s Erotiques for piano (1966); Tadeusz Baird’s Play for string quartet (1971); Stanisław Moryto’s Five Songs on Texts by Elias Rajzman for mezzo-soprano and piano (2002); Agata Zubel’s Ludia i Fu (1999); Jerzy Kornowicz’s The Shapes of the Elements for harpsichord and tape (2006/2011); and Augustyn Bloch’s Geige und Orgel for violin and organ (1988). Chamber music concerts take place in Juilliard’s Paul Hall (155 West 65th Street). 
Krzysztof Meyer (left) is the winner of numerous awards, including the First Prize at the Competition for Young Composers in France (1966), Second Prize at the Young Polish Composers' Competition for Symphony No.1 (1966), the Aaron Copland Scholarship (1966), Grand Prix at the Prince Pierre de Monaco International Composer's Competition for his opera Cyberiada (1970), twice Special Mention at Tribune Internationale des Compositeurs UNESCO for String Quartet No. 2 and String Quartet No. 3 (Paris, 1970 and 1976 respectively), First Prize at the Karol Szymanowski Competition for Symphony No. 4 (Warsaw,1974), the Gotfried-von-Herder-Preis (Vienna,1984), the annual Award of the Union of Polish Composers (Warsaw, 1992), the Alfred Jurzykowski Award (New York, 1993) and the Johann-Stamitz-Preis (Mannheim, 1996), among others. Adding to his already impressive discography, a recording of his music for cello and piano was recently released on the Toccata Classics label (
Dated 1 December 2010, the open letter to Prime Minister Donald Tusk (right) decries the lack of consultation with those who would be directly affected by the legislation and highlights several very controversial issues that would be enshrined by the new law. Among them are the provisions that require a 15-year waiting period before a tenured position could be obtained, or the obligation to obtain consent in advance for all free-lance work from the main employer. The letter further appeals to the Prime Minister to halt work on the proposed bill and instead draft new legislation that would follow European Union rules, which are much more favorable to working musicians. 
Also on January 7, in Edmonton, AB, the third concert of the Tonus Vivus Society’s 2010-2011 New Music Alberta Concert Series will combine works of Pierre Boulez with several pieces by local composers. Entitled “Boulez is Alive,” the program will include Boulez’s Dérive II; One Group Of A Number Of Beings (world premiere) and selections from Of Such A Group by Edmonton composer Ian Crutchley; In una rete di linee che s’intrecciono by Vancouver composer Jordan Nobles; and Tombeau sur la mort de Monsieur Górecki for Amplified Alto Flute Solo and Small Orchestra by Polish-Canadian composer Piotr Grella-Mozejko (left), who also lives in Edmonton. The concert will be performed by the Victoria, B.C.-based 
On Monday, January 10 at 9:00 pm, host Jim Svejda will interview Oscar-winning Polish composer Jan A.P. Kaczmarek on Classical KUSC, FM 91.5 during his coveted “Evening Program.” The interview will highlight his most recent score to 
Built on an “impossible” cliffside lot by one of Southern California’s most distinguished architects, the Keeler House creates a cascade of space that tumbles through the house amidst redwood and teak highlights, built-in furniture designed by the architect and ocean views. L.A. Philharmonic principal cellist 
On January 12, a jazz concert with the Bobby Avey/Samuel Blaser Duo will kick off their ensemble’s upcoming European tour with a concert at the Kosciuszko Foundation. Pianist Bobby Avey and trombonist Samuel Blaser come together to form an exciting duo of imaginative musicians, playing original compositions bathed in the 20th century milieu of Bartok and Messiaen, where improvisation plays a heavy role in the fabric of the music. 
The 
The trailer for a new documentary, Chopin's Story narrated by Ian Gillan, is now available on 
Poland has unveiled a giant piano weighing nearly two tons and with a height of six meters, which could be the world's largest ever piano. The musical instrument will attempt to beat the Guinness Record as the world's biggest concert piano. Daniel Czapiewski, manufacturer of wooden houses and author of the project, is an enthusiast of Polish history and promoter of the Kaszuby region. Polish jazz pianist 
In December 2010, the first stage of the Fourth International Composers' Competition of the I. J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań took place. This year, the Competition celebrated the 90th anniversary of the Academy. Due to a very high rate of participation as well as unexpected winter weather that stalled the travel of several jury members, the announcement of the three finalist compositions was delayed. 
On December 14, 
Between 17th and 20th February 2011, the Academy of Music in Kraków will organize the 
TANSMAN: 24 Intermezzi / Petite Suite
KARLOWICZ: Serenade / Violin Concerto 
CHOPIN: The Mazurkas
Duo Pontremoli: Bacewicz, Beach
Roman Totenberg was born in Łódź, Poland on January 1, 1911, and was recognized as a child prodigy by the time he was six. By the age of eleven, he had both made his professional debut with the Warsaw Philharmonic under conductor Grzegorz Fitelberg and had taken on his first student, and he has been sought after as a performer and pedagogue ever since. His performance prizes include the gold medal at the Chopin Conservatory in Warsaw and the Mendelssohn Prize of the Berlin Academy as well as the Wieniawski Prize and Ysaÿe Medal, leading to studies with such prestigious teachers as Carl Flesch and George Enesco. He has been friends with artists of every discipline—including Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Gertrude Stein, Igor Stravinsky and Yehudi Menuhin—has toured South America with pianist Arthur Rubinstein, and has given joint recitals with composer and pianist Karol Szymanowski. In 2000, he was awarded Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland, in honor of his contributions to Polish culture.
In addition to former students such as violinist Marcin Marckowicz and other fiends and colleagues, Roman Totenberg and members of his family were in the audience for the celebration. Totenberg is the father of National Public Radio journalist Nina Totenberg (pictured at right) and Melanie Totenberg, and the husband of the late Melanie Shroder Totenberg (1917-1996), who acted as business manager for her husband for 50 years. 
On November 8, 2010 
On December 8, 2010, Polish trumpet player Tomasz Stańko and his ensemble gave a special concert "Music for A Good World" at the