Calendar of Cultural Events

Please verify dates and times with The Kosciuszko Foundation Director of Cultural Affairs
Tom Pniewski -- (212) 734-2130 ext. 214

Szymanowski Gala Concert
Saturday, October 13 at 2 PM
Weill Recital Hall
Tickets are $25 / $15 - www.CarnegieHall.org
Discount tickets are available to students and KF members; please call (212) 734-2130.

A Szymanowski Gala is being presented on Saturday, October 13 at 2 PM at Weill Recital at Carnegie Hall. Marking the 125th anniversary of the great Polish composer's birth, the concert features internationally renowned musicians in piano solo, vocal, and chamber music. New York's Kosciuszko Foundation is organizing the concert, generously supported by the Cierpik Szymanowski Fund. Tickets are $25 / $15, and can be purchased at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, through CarnegieCharge at (212) 247-7800, or online at www.CarnegieHall.org. Discount tickets are available to students and KF members; please call (212) 734-2130.

Karol Szymanowski (1882 - 1937) was Poland's most significant composer of the first half of the 20th century, and the founder of her modern music tradition. Trained in Poland, he traveled extensively, and had a distinguished career as a composer and pianist. He took in the dominant musical styles of his day, including late Romanticism and Impressionism, but went on to combine them with elements of Poland's unique folk traditions to create a personal yet national style. His late works, including the piano Mazurkas, the opera King Roger, the ballet Harnasie, and the monumental oratorio Stabat Mater earn him a place alongside Bartok and Stravinsky in the European national tradition. His achievements link the Romanticism of Chopin and modern masters Lutoslawski, Gorecki, and Penderecki. Far many reasons, including Poland's difficult political situation after World War II, his music is not as known as it deserves to be. Recent years have seen a great growth of interest, including performances and recordings, and this concert, marking the 125th anniversary of his birth, is a response to that interest.

The Penderecki String Quartet, recognized as one of the finest international ensembles, was formed in Poland in 1981. Krzysztof Penderecki himself honored them by allowing them to use his name They are currently "in residence" at Wilfred Laurier University. (See the web site)

Pianist Anna Kijanowska, trained at the Szymanowski Conservatory in Poland and the Manhattan School of Music, teaches at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg. She recently released a CD of Szymanowski Mazurkas hailed as "amazingly virtuosic." - All Music Guide. (See Ms Kijanowska's web site)

Mezzo-soprano Edyta Kulczak and Steven Eldredge, Piano.
Mezzo-soprano Edyta Kulczak of the Metropolitan Opera, was trained at both the Chopin Conservatory in Warsaw and Northwestern University. She made her Metropolitan Opera debut in 2003 and has continued her international career in New York, Italy, and Poland, garnering numerous awards and prizes. (See Ms Kulczak's web site)

Violinist Hanna Lachert and Helene Jeanney, Piano.
Violinist Hanna Lachert of the NY Philharmonic, holds degrees with high honors from the Warsaw Conservatory and the University of Connecticut. She has recorded and performed the complete violin works of Szymanowski, and many works by leading composers, including Marta Ptaszynska and Penderecki. (See Ms Lachert's web site)

All events take place at the Foundation House, unless otherwise noted. Programs subject to change. Click here for directions.

Kosciuszko Foundation programs are supported by the Mary F. Koons Charitable Trust, the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), the Tadeusz Solowij Literary Fund, and the KF Cultural Fund.

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Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937)

Penderecki String Quartet

Anna Kijanowska

Edyta Kulczak

Hanna Lachert