The Warsaw Philharmonic, one of
Poland's largest and premier musical institutions, returns to the
United States under the direction of Antoni Wit with a 17-concert US tour that
began in Worcester, MA and ends in San Francisco. The orchestra will be joined
by 25-year-old Yulianna Avdeeva, the 2010 winner of the 16th International
Fryderyk Chopin Competition in Warsaw – the first woman to win this competition
in 45 years.
The Warsaw National Philharmonic
Orchestra (Orkiestra Filharmonii Narodowej w Warszawie was established in 1901 on the initiative of an assembly
of Polish aristocrats and financiers, as well as musicians. The first concert featured the world-famous pianist,
composer and future statesman Ignacy Jan Paderewski. Between 1901 and
the outbreak of World War II in 1939, outstanding
soloists and conductors from all over the world performed with the orchestra.
World War II interrupted the Philharmonic's activity and
robbed the orchestra of much of its prominence in European musical life. The
orchestra lost half its members to the war, as well as its elegant building, modeled
after the Paris Opera. Although the orchestra
resumed its regular season in 1947-48, it had to wait until 1955 for its home
to be finally rebuilt in a new style. When the building was dedicated on
February 21, the Philharmonic was proclaimed the “National Orchestra of Poland.”
The conductor
Witold Rowicki was responsible for helping modernize the ensemble and ensuring
the orchestra cultivated Polish music both old and recent, while refining its
mastery of the world repertoire. Apart
from outstanding Polish artists, the Warsaw Philharmonic has hosted many
eminent artists from
all over the world.
all over the world.
In addition to its concerts already performed in Worcester-MA, Greenvale,
NY and New Brunswick, NJ the following is a schedule of upcoming concert
appearances:
·
Amherst,
MA - October 22, 7:30 pm (6:30
pm: pre-performance talk): Fine Arts Center Concert Hall at University
Of Massachusetts – 151 Presidents Drive; www.fineartscenter.com
(presented by University of Massachusetts Amherst
Fine Arts Center and the Polish Cultural Institute New York)
·
Storrs,
CT - October 23, 7:30 pm: Jorgensen Auditorium at University of
Connecticut – 2132 Hillside Rd.; www.jorgensen.uconn.edu
·
Annapolis,
MD - October 25, 7:30 pm:
Alumni Hall
at United States Naval Academy; www.usna.edu/Music
·
Lansdale,
PA - October 27, 8:00 pm: North Penn High School – 1340 Valley
Forge Rd.
·
Purchase,
NY - October 28, 3:00 pm:
The Performing Arts Center at Purchase College – 735 Anderson Hill Rd.; www.artscenter.org
·
Troy,
NY - October 29, 7:30 pm:
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall – 32 Second Street; www.troymusichall.org
·
Atlanta,
GA - November 2, 8:00 pm: Schwartz Center for Performing Arts/Cherry
Logan Emerson Concert Hall – 1700 North Decatur Rd. NE; www.arts.emory.edu
·
Charleston,
SC - November 3, 7:00 pm: Sottile Theater at College of Charleston
– 66 George St.; sottile.cofc.edu
·
Gainesville,
FL - November 4, 7:30 pm:
Curtis M. Phillips Arts Center – 315 Hull Rd.; performingarts.ufl.edu
·
Aliso
Viejo, CA - November 7, 8:00 pm: Soka Performing Arts Center – 1
University Drive; www.soka.edu
·
Northridge,
CA - November 8, 8:00 pm: Valley Performing Arts Center – 18111 Nordhoff St.; www.valleyperformingartscenter.org
·
San
Francisco, CA -November 11 & 12, 7:00
pm: Davies Symphony Hall – Grove Street at
Van Ness Ave.;www.sfsymphony.org
The program includes: Witold
Lutoslawski - Little Suite, Fryderyk Chopin - Piano Concerto No. 2 in
F Minor, Op. 21, and Antonin Dvorak - Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op. 88.
The tour is under the auspices of Columbia
Artists Management Inc; for more
information: www.cami.com.
