Rathaus Festival

The Rathaus Festival is a continuation of the initiative organized by the Polish Chamber Musicians’ Association since 2021. The project aims to perform the music and share the stories of composers-emigrants of mixed Polish-Jewish heritage who endured the harrowing events of 20th-century history.

Many of these composers were emigrants, forced to flee totalitarian regimes. Uprooted from their homelands, they were never fully integrated into their new environments. The project seeks to bring them out of this “limbo,” reclaim their legacy, and introduce audiences to their music, which holds immense artistic value.

This edition is so far the largest and includes concerts in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Houston, Sarasota and Charleston. The project is supported by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and implemented in cooperation with Polish Cultural Institute New York, the Holocaust Music Lost & Found, The Polish Music Center at the USC, the Polish Consulates in Houston, New York and Los Angeles.

Graphics: Pan Kamiński/Jakub Kamiński

Concert No. 1
9.09.2025, 6 PM
JCC Staten Island
Performers:
Hanna Hipp (mezzosoprano), Grzegorz Mania (piano)
Works by S. Laks, M. Weinberg, R. Ryterband, Z. Noskowski, F. Chopin, M. Karłowicz

more info: https://tiny.pl/184b5pc1

Concert No. 2
September 10, 2025; 7:30 PM
Center for Jewish History
Performers:
Hanna Hipp (mezzosoprano), Grzegorz Mania (piano), Jarosław Nadrzycki (violin), Marcin Sikorski (Piano), Alan R. Kay (clarinet)
Works by S. Laks, M. Weinberg, R. Ryterband

more info: https://yivo.org/Polish-Composers

Concert No. 3
September 11, 2025; 7:00 PM
Cullen Hall, University of St Thomas, Houston
Performers:
Jarosław Nadrzycki (violin), Marcin Sikorski (piano).
Works by M. Weinberg, R. Ryterband, H. Wieniawski, F. Chopin, K. Szymanowski.

Concert No. 4
October 15, 2025; 7.30 PM
Southwestern College, Chula Vista – San Diego
Performers:
Bartosz Koziak (cello), Grzegorz Mania (piano).
Works by M. Weinberg, S. Laks, R. Ryterband, F. Chopin, I.J. Paderewski.

Concert No. 5
October 19, 2025; 7:00 PM
Newman Recital Hall, University of Souther California, Los Angeles
Performers:
Bartosz Koziak (cello), string quartet from USC Thornton School of Music, Grzegorz Mania (piano).
Works by S. Laks.

Concert No. 6
October 21, 2025, 7:00 PM
Dom Polski – Polish Home Association, Seattle
Performers:
Bartosz Koziak (cello), Grzegorz Mania (piano).
Works by S. Laks, K. Rathaus, I. J. Paderewski, F. Chopin

Concert No. 7
October 23, 2025, 7:00 PM
Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University
Ivey Auditorium, 2019 Boren Ave, Seattle, WA 98121
Performers:
Bartosz Koziak (cello), Grzegorz Mania (piano).
Works by M. Weinberg, S. Laks, R. Ryterband, K. Rathaus.

Concert No. 8
November 5, 2025; 12:15 PM
LeFrak Hall, Aaron Copland School of Music
Performers:
Marta Gidaszewska (violin), Robert Łaguniak (violin), Monika Gardoń-Preinl (piano).
Works by K. Rathaus, M. Weinberg, H. Wieniawski, A. Tansman, I. Waghalter, E. Sielicki.

Concert No. 9
November 7, 2025; 7:30 PM
Elebash Hall, Graduate Center
Performers:
Marta Gidaszewska (violin), Robert Łaguniak (violin), Monika Gardoń-Preinl (piano), Herbert Piano Trio: Bartłomiej Wezner (piano), Joanna Kreft (violin), Dominik Płociński (cello), Christopher Gross (cello), Steven Beck (piano), Lydia Saylor (soprano) Joseph Martin (piano)
Works by Jeff Nichols, Karol Rathaus, Bruce Saylor, Edward Smaldone, Katarzyna Krzewińska

Concert No. 10
November 9, 2025; 2 PM
Manhasset Library
Performers:
Herbert Piano Trio: Bartłomiej Wezner (piano), Joanna Kreft (violin), Dominik Płociński (cello).
Works by Edward Smaldone, Andrzej Panufnik

Concert No. 11
November 10, 2025; 12:15 PM
LeFrak Hall, Aaron Copland School of Music
Performers:
Herbert Piano Trio: Bartłomiej Wezner (piano), Joanna Kreft (violin), Dominik Płociński (cello), Monika Gardoń-Preinl (piano). Works by P. Kochański, J. Koffler, E. Smaldone, M. Weinberg

Concert No. 12
November 13, 2025
Polish Consulate in NYC
Performers:
Marta Gidaszewska (violin), Robert Łaguniak (violin), Grzegorz Mania (piano)
Works by M. Weinberg, S. Laks, G. Fitelberg, H. Wieniawski, I.J. Paderewski, F. Chopin

Concert No. 13
November 9, 2025
Sarasota
Performers:
Karolina Mikołajczyk (violin), Iwo Jedynecki (accordion), Grzegorz Mania (piano).
Works by R. Ryterband, S. Laks, J. Koffler, M. Weinberg, H.Wars

Concert No. 14
November 10, 2025
Sarastota – High schools
Performers:
Karolina Mikołajczyk (violin), Iwo Jedynecki (accordion), Grzegorz Mania (piano).
Works by R. Ryterband, S. Laks, J.Koffler, M. Weinberg, H.Wars, H.Wieniawski

Concert No. 15
November 11, 2025; 7 PM
Zilkha Hall, Hobby Center, Houston
Performers:
Polish Violin Duo: Marta Gidaszewska (violin), Robert Łaguniak (violin), Grzegorz Mania (piano).
Works by M. Weinberg, H. Wieniawski, G. Fitelberg, F. Chopin, S.Laks, K. Szymanowski

Concert No. 16
November 20, 2025
Charleston, South Carolina
Performers:
Polish Violin Duo: Marta Gidaszewska (violin), Robert Łaguniak (violin), Grzegorz Mania (piano).
Works by M. Weinberg, S. Laks, R. Ryterband. G. Fitelberg

This project is co-financed by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland from the Culture Promotion Fund

PERFORMERS:

Thanks to her impassioned and passionate singing, Hanna Hipp has become a favourite in the leading lyric mezzo-soprano repertoire worldwide. Among her recent roles are the critically acclaimed portrayal of Offred in The Handmaid’s Tale at the Royal Danish Theatre (conductor: Jessica Cottis), Der Komponist in Ariadne auf Naxos at the Glyndebourne Festival (Cornelius Meister) and at Opera North (Antony Hermus), Dorabella in Così fan tutte at Seattle Opera (Paul Daniel), English National Opera (Kerem Hasan) and in New Zealand (Natalie Murray Beale), as well as Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (Antonio Pappano). Hanna Hipp first took on the role of Varvara (Káťa Kabanová) at Scottish Opera, sang the title role in Offenbach’s Fantasio and, for the first time, Octavian (Der Rosenkavalier), both for Garsington Opera. Her international debuts include Teatro Real in Madrid as Frances, Countess of Essex (Gloriana) in a new staging by David McVicar under Ivor Bolton, Dutch National Opera as Ein Page in a new production by Ivo van Hove conducted by Daniele Gatti, as well as Isolier (Le Comte Ory) and Beatrice (Béatrice et Bénédict) at Seattle Opera – the former of which Hipp reprised last season for New Zealand Opera. Other recent significant operatic appearances include Federico García Lorca in two productions of Osvaldo Golijov’s Ainadamar at Welsh National Opera and Pacific Opera Victoria, as well as a return to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in Hänsel und Gretel conducted by Mark Wigglesworth. In this season, Hanna Hipp will appear at English National Opera in her highly praised portrayal of Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, and at Scottish Opera in The Strauss Collection, featuring excerpts from the roles of Der Komponist (Ariadne auf Naxos) and Octavian (Der Rosenkavalier).

Grzegorz Mania graduated with distinction in piano studies under Prof. Stefan Wojtas at the Academy of Music in Kraków, while simultaneously completing law studies at the Jagiellonian University. In 2017, he earned a doctoral degree in legal sciences for a dissertation on music in copyright law, supervised by Prof. Janusz Barta. He also graduated with distinction from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where he studied with Prof. Martin Roscoe, Prof. Charles Owen, and Prof. Caroline Palmer. As a soloist and chamber musician, he has performed in Poland and abroad, including at the Kraków Philharmonic, Zielona Góra Philharmonic, NOSPR, St. Martin in the Fields in London, as well as at the Opera and Conservatory in Hanoi, Vietnam. He has appeared at festivals such as “Emanacje” and the Felix Mendelssohn Days. He regularly performs in the United Kingdom, playing solo and chamber repertoire, and has also performed in France, Norway, Germany, Austria, Italy, Iceland, Israel, and the United States. He has participated in performance workshops and masterclasses with artists such as Krzysztof Śmietana, Wiesław Kwaśny, Peter S. Buck, Anthony Spiri, Trias Altenberg, Jerome Rose, Wolfgang Redik, Ewa Bukojemska, Alisdair Beatson, Carole Pressland, Victor Rosenbaum, and Kaja Danczowska. He took part in the International Chamber Music Courses in Puławy (2003–2005) and was a finalist in international solo and chamber competitions. He is an experienced and versatile chamber musician and accompanist, awarded in instrumental competitions. He has collaborated with many distinguished soloists and, together with pianist Piotr Różański, co-founded the Zarębski Piano Duo. He has participated in numerous academic conferences, is the author and co-author of legal articles and glosses, and co-authored a copyright law textbook for teachers at art schools. Together with Dr. Monika Gardoń-Preinl, he prepared a sight-reading manual for secondary music school students for PWM. He currently works as a piano teacher and accompanist and, simultaneously, as a legal counsel collaborating with the Kraków Legal Group. He is a co-founder and president of the Association of Polish Chamber Musicians. He has coordinated numerous national and international projects, including youth exchanges, concert tours, and the organization of festivals, competitions, and academic conferences. In 2018, together with Prof. S. Wojtas, he received the Małopolska Voivodeship Ars Quaerendi Award for outstanding contributions to the development and promotion of culture. He is also a scholarship recipient of the Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage.

Marcin Sikorski, born in 1971, is regarded as one of Poland’s most exceptional chamber music pianists. His performances are consistently met with acclaim from both audiences and critics alike. He frequently collaborates with renowned violinist Soyoung Yoon, winner of the Wieniawski Competition. Together, they have performed at prestigious festivals across Europe, with one critic noting, “In duet, they have created a universe that completely captivated the listeners’ minds.” Last year, they held 33 recitals across Japan, Germany, Spain, and Poland. Sikorski has also worked with distinguished artists such as Bartek Nizioł, Erin Keefe, Reiko Otani, Haik Kazazyan, Li Teng, Mei Diyang, Alena Baeva, Veriko Tchumburidze, Ludmila Pavlová, Jarosław Bręk, Katarzyna Polonek, Agata Szymczewska, Anna Maria Staśkiewicz, Rafał Kwiatkowski, the Silesian String Quartet, and the AKADEMOS Quartet. As a soloist, he has performed with orchestras under the direction of conductors L. Foster, M. Caldi, M. J. Błaszczyk, T. Wojciechowski, A. Affeltowicz, J. Rogala, and Ł. Błaszczyk. His career has taken him to renowned venues worldwide, including the Chopin Festival in Duszniki-Zdrój, the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, the International Conservatoire Week in Petersburg, Osorske Glazbene Večeri in Croatia, and Grieg Festival in Bergen. He has performed in 20 countries and at prestigious concert halls, including Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium and the Berliner Philharmonic Chamber Hall. Sikorski has recorded six CDs featuring the chamber music of Schumann, Brahms, Franck, Richard Strauss, Ravel, Prokofiev, Schnittke, Shostakovich, Lutosławski, and Zarębski, and has appeared on over 25 other recordings. His 2006 CD with Agata Szymczewska, winner of the Wieniawski Competition, earned a prestigious “FRYDERYK” Prize. He has also contributed to numerous TV and radio broadcasts. A celebrated figure in the chamber music community, Sikorski has won numerous awards in international competitions and has been honored as the best piano accompanist at competitions such as Khachaturian in Yerevan, Tansmann in Łódź, and Wieniawski in Poznań. He has served as the official pianist for several major violin competitions, including the Joachim in Hanover, Britten in London, Wieniawski in Poznań, and Szymanowski in Katowice. Sikorski completed his studies at the Academy of Music in Katowice, Poland, under Maria Szwajger-Kułakowska, and received his doctorate in chamber music from the Poznań Music Academy. He has participated in master classes with distinguished artists such as Isaac Stern, Leon Fleisher, Bruno Canino, Emanuel Ax, Erica Frieser, and members of the LaSalle, Juilliard, Emerson, and Guarneri quartets. He currently serves as an Associate Professor of Chamber Music at the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz and maintains a collaborative relationship with the Central Conservatory in Beijing.

Jarosław Nadrzycki is widely considered as one of the most exciting violinists of his generation in the world today. At the age of twelve, he made his soloistic debut at the Great Hall of Tchaikovsky’s Conservatory in Moscow. Ever since then he presented his unique talent alongside some of the most prestigious orchestras and ensembles in Europe, Asia and both continents of America. Born in Żagań, where he began his musical education, further continued in Poznań’s Academy of Music with Prof. Jadwiga Kaliszewska. Additionally graduated from the Mozarteum University in Salzburg with Prof. Igor Ozim, and the Royal Academy of Music in London with Prof. Igor Petrushevski. Jaroslaw is a winner of numerous major international competitions, such as: Aram Khachaturian International Violin Competition in Yerevan (2010), Valsesia Musica Competition in Varallo (2010), G. Enescu International Competition in Bucharest (2009), Max Rostal Competition in Berlin (2002), Jascha Heifetz Competition in Vilnius (2000), and UK’s Haverhill Sinfonia Soloist Competition (2008), as well as a laureate of: Tibor Varga International Competition in Martigny (2004), Benjamin Britten Competition in London (2008), and Henryk Wieniawski Competition in Poznań (2001). The most significant solo appearances of his include Krzysztof Penderecki Violin Concerto No. 2 “Metamorphosen” with the Simón Bolivar Orchestra of Venezuela led by the composer himself (2010). In 2013, Jarosław Nadrzycki performed thrice the same Penderecki’s concerto at the 17th Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival with MDR Sinfonieorchester under the buton of Kristjan Järvi. He appeared with many renowned orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Hamburg Philharmonic, Vilnius State Philharmonic, “Transylvania” State Philharmonic and George Enescu Philharmonic orchestras; the Simón Bolivar, The State of Mexico, Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk, Slovac Radio, Polish National Radio, Thessaloniki and Zurich symphony orchestras; the Youth State Orchestra of Armenia, Sinfonia Iuventus and the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra of the Polish Radio. Furthermore, he has had the honour of performing alongside conductors and musical personalities including: Horia Andreescu, Enrique Batiz, Massimiliano Caldi, Agnieszka Duczmal, Paul Goodwin, Giancarlo Guerrero, Alexander Humala, Kristjan Järvi, Krzysztof Penderecki, Thomas Sanderling, Sergey Smbatyan and Maxim Vengerov. Between the years of 2013-2018, he collaborated as a leading violinist of Meccore String Quartet, further in 2018, he founded Boarte Piano Trio, with which he gained recognition from audiences in Europe and the United States. As a result of many years of collaboration with the pianist Joanna Zathey, an album with works for piano and violin by Brahms was released under the Orphée Classics label in 2018. In 2021, two albums with works by Bach and Mendelssohn-Bartholdy were released under the Hänssler Classic label, recorded together with the flautist Krzysztof Maciej Kaczka, the L’Appassionata Chamber Orchestra and the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra. He has repeatedly performed at the London’s Wigmore Hall, Auditorio Nacional de Música in Madrid, the Romanian Atheneum in Bucharest, Ahmed Adnan Saygun Arts Center in Izmir, Bozar in Brussels, the Pollack Hall in Montreal and Musikverein in Vienna . The artist has made many radio and TV recordings for such broadcasters as the Bayerischer Rundfunk, BBC Radio 3, ZDF, TV ORF Austria, Mezzo TV, TVR Romania, TVP Kultura. He has recorded CDs for DUX, Warner Music Poland, MDG Classics, Orphée Classics. From 2016 Jarosław Nadrzycki is an assistant of the string department at the I.J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań.

Bartosz Koziak is a the winner of the 3rd Witold Lutosławski International Cello Competition (2001, Warsaw), second prize laureate at the Isang Yun Competition in Tongyeong (Korea) and the Mykola Lysenko Competition in Kyiv, as well as a prizewinner and recipient of the special award at the Prague Spring Competition, and first prize winner at the 11th International Contemporary Chamber Music Competition in Kraków. He also received prizes at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow and the ARD Competition in Munich. In 2003 he was awarded the Special Prize of the Polish Culture Foundation, presented by Ewa Podleś. He has performed in venues such as the Konzerthaus Berlin, Rudolfinum in Prague, Cité de la Musique in Paris, Teatro Politeama in Palermo, the Witold Lutosławski Concert Studio, and the Warsaw Philharmonic. As a soloist, he has collaborated with orchestras including the Warsaw Philharmonic, NOSPR, Sinfonia Varsovia, Sinfonietta Cracovia, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo, Münchener Kammerorchester, Prague Philharmonia, the Radio Orchestras in Warsaw and Budapest, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, and the Armenian Youth Orchestra, under the baton of Krzysztof Penderecki, Jan Krenz, Antoni Wit, Gabriel Chmura, Jacek Kaspszyk, Massimiliano Caldi, Volodymyr Sirenko, and Ole Rudner. As a chamber musician, he has performed with Kaja Danczowska, Elżbieta Stefańska, Anna Maria Staśkiewicz, and with pianists Justyna Danczowska, Marcin Koziak, Radosław Sobczak, and Agnieszka Kozło. He is a founding member of the Warsaw Cello Group “Cellonet.” He has been invited to renowned festivals including Warsaw Autumn, Young Euro Classic in Berlin, the Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Musica Polonica Nova, the Łańcut Music Festival, “Chopin and His Europe” in Warsaw, Yerevan Music Perspectives, and East Meets West in Korea. For several years he has regularly taken part in Krzysztof Penderecki’s concert projects, including the first recording of the Concerto grosso conducted by the composer. Bartosz Koziak’s discography includes, among others, Grażyna Bacewicz’s Cello Concerto No. 2, distinguished by Pizzicato magazine (Luxembourg), as well as, with Justyna Danczowska, works for cello and piano such as Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata and Robert Schumann’s Märchenbilder. In 2015 he released a CD of duets by Ravel, Kodály, and Martinů recorded with Anna Maria Staśkiewicz. Bartosz Koziak graduated magna cum laude from the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, where he studied with Professors Kazimierz Michalik and Andrzej Bauer, and from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris in the class of Philippe Muller. Thanks to the generosity of Kaja Danczowska, he performs on a 19th-century copy of a J. Guadagnini instrument once played by the eminent Polish cellist Dezyderiusz Danczowski. Bartosz Koziak is represented by the Ludwig van Beethoven Association.

Monika Gardoń-Preinl is a pianist, outstanding specialist in the field of chamber music, long-term academic teacher and accompanist. In 1991, she graduated from the Academy of Music in Kraków in the class of prof. Stefan Wojtas. In 2013, she obtained a Habilitated Doctor Degree in Musical Arts. She has taken part in many competitions, initially for pupils and then students, winning them (including the prize at the Stendhall Foundation Competition, Chopin Competitions in Darmstadt and Göttingen) and in master classes for pianists (Rudolf Kehrer in Weimar and Rudolf Buchbinder in Zurich). She has given concerts in the country performing piano concertos with an orchestra and abroad (Germany, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Estonia, Finland). As a chamber musician, she has performed with many outstanding artists from around the world in significant concert halls, also during the most important music festivals (maestro Peter Lukas Graf, Wolfgang Pfistermuller, Magnus Nilsson, Carlsten Svanberg, Robert Kozanek, Nicola Mazzanti, Carlo Colombo, Janos Balint, Wally Hasse, Foroug Karimi Diafar Zadar, Barbara Świątek-Żelazna, Tomasz Sosnowski, Marek Mleczko, Zdzisław Stolarczyk, Zdzisław Piernik, Maciej Łakomy, Grzegorz Mania, Piotr Różański, Maria Sławek, Jakub Jakowicz, Bartosz Koziak and others). After graduation, she joined her home university – the Academy of Music in Kraków. Currently, she is employed at the Department of Chamber Music as a university professor. She was the head of the Department of Accompaniment, head of the Department of Early Music, Vice Dean of the Instrumental Department, and currently she is a Vice Rector for Art and Science. She is a certified teacher at the W. Żeleński State Secondary Music School in Kraków. She is both a performer and a teacher. She is the co-author of an innovative, three-part sight-reading textbook for secondary music school students (PWM 2017-2022). She has participated in many concerts, master classes, auditions and competitions, and has been a lecturer during scientific sessions (devoted to both performance and educational problems). She has been repeatedly awarded with numerous diplomas and distinctions for outstanding accompaniment. Also, she is a laureate of state awards for her contribution to the development of art, including the Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis.

Polish Violin Duo is formed by violinists Marta Gidaszewska and Robert Łaguniak. The ensemble was founded in 2014. It began at the M. Karłowicz Secondary Music School in Poznań, in the class of Dr. Hab. Karina Gidaszewska. Currently, Marta is a student of the I. J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań in the violin class of Prof. Bartosz Bryła and Dr. Hab. Karina Gidaszewska, while Robert is a graduate of the G. and K. Bacewicz Academy of Music in Łódź in the violin class of Dr. Hab. Karina Gidaszewska. Marta and Robert have been participating for years in International and National violin and chamber music competitions, always winning top prizes. They have won over 180 awards, among others at competitions in Japan, USA, Estonia, Serbia, Denmark, Greece, Sweden, England, France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Germany, Poland. As a duo, they conduct a lively concert activity. They have performed, among others, at the National Philharmonic in Warsaw, the Lublin Philharmonic, the Podkarpacka Philharmonic in Rzeszów, the Poznań Philharmonic, or in China during the International Gala in Beijing, where they inaugurated the official opening of the new air connection from Warsaw to Beijing. They also performed at various festivals and concert series, including the Rzeszów Music Autumn, the Czarnolas Arts Festival “Capturing the Uncatchable…”, the concert series “With Classics Through Poland”, or “Masterpieces of Chamber Music”. They also performed with orchestras, among others with the Witold Lutosławski Chamber Philharmonic in Łomża, or with the “Poznańskie Smyczki” Orchestra. In 2020, they were nominated for the award “Koryfeusz of Polish Music” in the category “Discovery of the Year”. Together they took part in many National and International Competitions. Among their most important achievements are such as 1st Prize and 6 Special Awards at the Stanisław Moniuszko International Competition of Polish Music in Rzeszów, Poland (2019) and 1st Prize at the A. Rubinstein International Chamber Music Competition in Düsseldorf, Germany (2019). In addition, they are winners of the International Music Competition “Concert Tours to China” in Copenhagen, Denmark (2020), winners of the Grand Prix at the International Music Competition in Kyoto, Japan (2021), the Grand Prix and the Special Award for Outstanding Artistic Personality at the International Music Competition in Łódź, Poland (2021), the Grand Prix at the L. Bellan International Music Competition in Paris, France (2020), the Grand Prix at the International Music Competition in Vienna, Austria (2021), the Grand Prix (Platinum Award) at the International Music Competition in Quebec, Canada (2021), the Grand Prix at the International Music Competition in Brussels, Belgium (2020), the Grand Prix at the International Competition “Music&Stars Awards” in Tallinn, Estonia (2020), the Grand Prix at the International Chamber Music Tournament “In Three Stages” in Bydgoszcz, Poland (2020), the Grand Prix, 1st Prize and Special Award for the best performance of the compulsory piece at the Baltic String Duo Competition in Gdańsk, Poland (2020), 1st Prize at the International Music Competition named after S. Prokofiev “Silk Way” in Moscow, Russia (2021), 1st Prize at the International Music Competition “Odin” in Tallinn, Estonia (2021), 1st Prize at the International Music Competition “Magic Muse” in Moscow, Russia (2021), 1st Prize at the International Music Competition “Weiner Klassiker Danubia Talents” in Budapest, Hungary (2021), 1st Prize at the International Music Competition in Moscow, Russia (2020), 1st Prize at the International Music Competition “Music e-Contest” in Tallinn, Estonia (2020), 1st Prize at the International Music Competition “OPUS 2020” in Kraków, Poland, 1st Prize at the International Music Competition “The Muse” in Athens, Greece (2020), 1st Prize at the International Competition “ISCART” in Lugano, Switzerland (2020), 1st Prize at the International Music Competition in Belgrade, Serbia (2015), Grand Prix at the Chamber Music Tournament “In Three Stages” in Bydgoszcz, Poland (2015), 1st Prize at the National Chamber Music Competition in Łódź, Poland (2015), 1st Prize at the Chamber Music Tournament “In Three Stages” in Bydgoszcz, Poland (2014)… They were also laureates of the project “Stage for Polish Music”, organized by the Institute of Music and Dance. Together they took part, among others, in the TV programs “Scena Klasyczna” and “Sunday with the National Institute of Music and Dance” on TVP Kultura, as well as in the broadcast “Płytomania” on Polish Radio Two. They also performed on the radio station Merkury Klasyka and on Polish Radio Rzeszów. In 2021, in cooperation with the DUX record company, the duo recorded their first album, making the world phonographic premiere of two opuses of Duets for two violins by the forgotten Polish composer Joachim Kaczkowski. In the same year, the duo will go on a concert tour in China, where during 10 recitals in the most prestigious concert halls they will present forgotten works of Polish composers. In 2020, a piece by Michał Janocha – Attra for two violins, dedicated to the Polish Violin Duo, was published. Also in 2020, two albums were released by the DUX record company with recordings from the Stanisław Moniuszko International Competition of Polish Music in Rzeszów with their participation.

Established in autumn 2013, the Herbert Piano Trio took as its patron the figure of the great Polish poet Zbigniew Herbert. The Trio made its debut at the Polish Radio Concert Studio in Katowice in 2014. The Trio consists of Bartłomiej Wezner – piano, Joanna Kreft – violin and Dominik Płociński – cello. The musicians are graduates of eminent professors and artists: Ewa Pobłocka, Marcin Baranowski and Andrzej Bauer. The Herbert Piano Trio’s activity is lively and vibrant, performing at, among others: Opole and Gorzów Wielkopolski Philharmonics (L. van Beethoven’s Triple Concerto, Op. 56), the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Philharmonic in Bydgoszcz, Chopin Centres in Szafarnia and Żelazowa Wola, the Władysław Szpilman Studio of the Polish Radio in Warsaw, the Aula Nova in Poznań, the Artus Court in Toruń, and the Polish Embassy in New York. The ensemble’s repertoire ranges from classicism to contemporary music. The ensemble has drawn inspiration from participating in the courses of eminent artists such as Gregor Sigl (Artemis Quartett), Trio Jean Paul, Niklas Schmidt (Trio Fontenay), Clive Brown and Marcin Sikorski. They have performed at many festivals, including the International Krystyna Jamroz Music Festival in Busko-Zdrój, the Kraków Music Salon, the Rzeszów Music Autumn and the Silesian Beethoven Festival in Głogówek. The Herbert Trio has also given concerts at the Beethoven-Haus in Bonn, Teatro Verdi in Trieste, Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt in Weimar, the transVOCALE and PianOdra Festivals in Frankfurt, and the 16th Schwandorfer Klavierfrühling in Schwandorf. The ensemble has recorded for Radio Suisse, Dwójka Polish Radio and Polish Radio PiK, among others. An important mission of the ensemble is also the promotion of Polish chamber music. Since 2020, the trio has released recordings of piano trios by Józef Wieniawski (in the form of a documentary film, under the patronage of Dwójka Polish Radio and the Henryk Wieniawski Musical Society), Henryk Melcer and Franciszek Lessel. The ensemble also inspires composers to create new chamber works. It premiered compositions written for it by Szymon Godziemba-Trytek (Elegy for the Departure of Pen Ink and Lamp to a poem by Zbigniew Herbert for vocal ensemble and piano trio, 2018), Rafał Janiak (Sounds of Robots to a text by Stanisław Lem for act, piano trio and percussion, 2021 and Copernicana for actor, piano trio and percussion, 2023) and Paweł Kwapiński (Game of Reflections for piano trio, 2024), as well as new versions of works by Michał Dobrzyński, Hanna Kulenty and Paweł Mykietyn. A special place in Herbert Piano Trio’s activity is occupied by an interdisciplinary project combining music with the recitation of Zbigniew Herbert’s poems.

Duo Karolina Mikołajczyk & Iwo Jedynecki are one of the most vibrant and innovative chamber ensembles of the young generation. Recognized by artists such as Maxim Vengerov and Krzysztof Penderecki, they are multiple winners of Grand Prix and 1st prizes at international music competitions (France, Italy, Austria, Croatia, Poland), performing i.e. at the New York Carnegie Hall, Guangzhou Opera House and Warsaw Philarmonic, where they enjoyed their debut to a sold-out audience. They have played more than a hundred recitals in France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Georgia, United States, Cuba, Chile, China, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Brunei and Thailand. The Duo’s performances are described as perfect and mature, yet luminous and filled with youthful vitality. Hailed by Maxim Vengerov as „an ensemble that sounds like one instrument”, the Duo brings completely new qualities and original interpretations to classical masterpieces thanks to Iwo Jedynecki’s accordion transcriptions. Both artists boldly venture into renowned works of chamber music literature giving them new character and delightfully diverse colouring. The Duo also collaborates with leading Polish composers, such as Marcin Błażewicz (Double concerto for violin, accordion and symphonic orchestra dedicated to Karolina Mikołąjczyk and Iwo Jedynecki), Piotr Moss (performance of Opolian Concerto for violin, accordion and orchestra in 2021), and Krzysztof Penderecki (Violin Sonata in Duo’s arrangement receiving an offical approval from the Master in 2019). In 2016 the debut CD „Premiére” by Duo Karolina Mikołajczyk & Iwo Jedynecki was published, containing pieces for violin and accordion written between 1952 and 2015 by three generations of composers. Most of these pieces have never been recorded before, and it was the first ever album with new music by a duo violin-accordion. The Duo also shows an up-to-date approach in promoting their work through video recordings: the one with W. A. Mozart’s Violin Sonata gained more than a milion views on the internet, and was shared by the most popular classical music platform – Classic FM (followed up by Bach’s Goldberg Variations and excerpts from film music-inspired The Hollywood Fantasy projects). The latter was presented by the Duo in 2021 at the Cracow Film Music Festival – one of the industry’s most important events in the world. Karolina Mikołajczyk plays a Duke London violin from 1776. Iwo Jedynecki plays a Pigini Sirius Millennium accordion. The purchase of both instruments was financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.

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Established in 2014, the Polish Chamber Musicians’ Association (PCMA) is one of the largest and most active music-focused organizations in Poland. With over 250 members, PCMA organizes four international chamber music festivals annually — Krakow Music Salon, Rzeszow Musical Autumn, the Easter Chamber Music Festival in Zielona Góra, and the Women in Music Festival — along with concert series and various chamber performances both in Poland and abroad (including tours in Finland, Estonia, Israel, Portugal, Germany, and France). PCMA’s mission is to promote chamber music and make it more accessible, presenting concerts not only in traditional venues but also in museums, galleries, schools, and churches.

One of PCMA’s main goals is the promotion of Polish music, particularly works by composers who have been overlooked or forgotten over time. PCMA has become one of the most active centers for Polish-Jewish composers, organizing annual tours in the United States since 2021 (in Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, and Washington D.C.), releasing CDs, and since 2023 hosting a Warsaw-based festival focused on Simon Laks. This festival also features works by Mieczysław Weinberg, Roman Ryterband, and Ignaz Friedman.

PCMA is also highly engaged in education, organizing family-friendly concerts as well as conferences for teachers — including the largest national online events in the field of arts education, particularly for instrumental instruction (piano and strings). Since 2022, the Association has also operated as a record label under the name SPMK Records.

PCMA is a member of the European Chamber Music Teachers’ Association.