This November, a group of young, emerging artists—winners of the 1st and 2nd editions of the International Competition of Polish Music—will embark on a tour of the United States as part of the “Polish Music on Stage / US edition” project, organized by the National Institute of Music and Dance as part of the Inspiring Culture program.
The International Competition of Polish Music takes place since 2019 at the Artur Malawski Subcarpathian Philharmonic in Rzeszów. The Competition seeks to promote the legacy of sixty 19th– and 20th-century Polish composers among Polish and international audiences. Laureates of the Competition will be among the musicians featured in the Polish Music on Stage / Us edition program, projected to span two years and include a total of 16 concerts, slated between November 2022 and December 2023 in such cities as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Las Vegas. Showcasing their skills at the concerts will be the winners of two editions of the ICPM: Canadian pianist Carter Johnson, the Polish Violin Duo (Marta Gidaszewska and Robert Laguniak), Cracow Golden Quintet, as well as the winner of the 4th prize at the latest edition of the Chopin Competition in Warsaw, Jakub Kuszlik. The project also includes study visits to partners in the U.S. and Poland to exchange experience in the field of organizing and promoting musical events in both countries.
On the one hand, Polish Music on Stage / US edition is a presentation of previous editions of the ICCM as well as a preview of the third installment of the competition, scheduled to take place in July 2023 in Rzeszów. In addition to pieces by Chopin and Paderewski, the program of our concerts will include lesser-known but highly attractive works, such as Bacewicz’s dramatic Piano Sonata No. 2, Kilar’s youthful Wind Quintet and Wajnberg’s Sonata for Two Violins, Op. 69, – says Lech Dzierżanowski, Deputy Director of the National Institute of Music and Dance.
The tour is much anticipated by the artists themselves, too:
First and foremost, participation in the Polish on Stage/US Edition project, held as part of the Inspirational Culture program is a dream come true for us, as it involves international performances and a visit to the United States. The project will also enable us to showcase our abilities in front of a wider audience. It is of great importance for us to perform the Polish repertoire, which is so dear to our hearts. We are immensely pleased to be able to contribute to the promotion of Polish music on such a wide scale and introduce American audiences to the works of outstanding Polish artists such as Grażyna Bacewicz, Anna Rocławska-Musiałczyk, Henryk Wieniawski, Romuald Twardowski and Mieczysław Weinberg, – say Marta Gidaszewska and Robert Łaguniak of the Polish Violin Duo.
Among the partner institutions that will host Polish artists in 2022 are:
New York Dance & Arts Innovations Inc. (NYDAI), Paderewski Festiwal in Paso Robles, Paderewski Symphony Orchestra and Academy of Music of Chicago, Polish American Social Club of Las Vegas, and the San Diego Public Library. The project’s strategic partners are the Polish Music Center in Los Angeles and the Polish Cultural Institute in New York. Also lending its support to Polish Music on Stage / US edition is the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Los Angeles.
The Polish Music on Stage / US edition project is implemented by the National Institute of Music and Dance, subsidized by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage as part of the Inspiring Culture program. The project is presented in cooperation the Polish Institute in New York and the Polish Music Center in Los Angeles.
Contact person:
Lilianna Zalesińska – program specialist / Department of Music
+48 785 360 000 lilianna.zalesinska@nimit.pl
Media contacts:
NIMiT / Agata Szymczak: +48 785 310 000 agata.szymczak@nimit.pl
NIMiT/ Agnieszka Wyszomirska + 48 887 240 011 agnieszka.wyszomirska@nimit.pl