
Women in Music – 2nd edition
Polish Chamber Musicians’ Association invites you to the 2nd edition of the “Kobiety w Muzyce/ Women in Music” festival. The event will be held from November 3rd , 5th and 6th at the Baltic Sea Cultural Center in Gdańsk. This year, there will also be an accompanying concert in Warsaw, at the Nizio Gallery on November 4th. Free admission.
The honorary patronage over the events in Gdańsk was assumed by the Consul General of the Federation of the Republic of Germany in Gdańsk, Cornelia Pieper, and the accompanying concert in Warsaw by the Ambassador of the Federation of the Republic of Germany, Thomas Bagger with his wife.
The aim of the event is to promote women composers and their works. Apart from Polish composers, there are also female artists from a cooperating country. In the first edition, they were women from Great Britain, in the second – from Germany. The program of the project is built on this thematic axis. During this year’s concerts, we will hear songs from, among others Fanny Mendelssohn, Clara Schumann, Anna Ignatowicz-Glińska, Hanna Kulenty, Grażyna Bacewicz, Emilie Mayer, Ruth Schonthal, and for the first time a newly created piece by Anna Rocławska-Musiałczyk.
The festival is not only great music, but also outstanding performers! They will include mezzo-soprano Freya Müller from Hochschule fur Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover, soprano Magdalena Molendowska, violinist Jaga Klimaszewska, violist Mateusz Doniec, cellist Magdalena Bojanowicz-Koziak, pianists Julia Samojło and Radosław Kurek, and Zarębski Piano Duo: Piotr Różański and Grzegorz Mania.
Program:
November 3rd at 7pm, Baltic Sea Cultural Center, Gdańsk
Piano duets: Zarębski Piano Duo – Grzegorz Mania / Piotr Różański, in the program Hanna Kulenty, Anna Ignatowicz-Glińska, Anna Rocławska-Musiałczyk, Katarzyna Kwiecień-Długosz, Joanna Bruzdowicz, Ruth Schonthal
November 4th, accompanying event – Galeria Nizio, Warsaw
Magdalena Molendowska (soprano), Freya Muller (mezzo-soprano), Julia Samojło (piano), Zarębski Piano Duo composed of Grzegorz Mania / Piotr Różański, the program includes: Grażyna Bacewicz, Fanny Hensel, Clara Schumann, Maria Szymanowska, Jadwiga Sarnecka , Marta Ptaszyńska, Hanna Kulenty
November 5th at 7pm, Baltic Sea Cultural Center, Gdańsk
Vocal recital: Magdalena Molendowska (soprano), Freya Muller (mezzo-soprano), Julia Samojło (piano), in the program: Grażyna Bacewicz, Fanny Hensel, Clara Schumann, Maria Szymanowska, Jadwiga Sarnecka, Marta Ptaszyńska
November 6th at 7pm, Baltic Sea Cultural Center, Gdańsk
Piano quartets: Jaga Klimaszewska (violin), Mateusz Doniec (viola), Magdalena Bojanowicz- Koziak (cello), Radosław Kurek (piano), in the program: Fanny Hensel and Luise Adolpha Le Beau
PERFORMERS:
Zarębski Piano Duo (Grzegorz Mania, Piotr Różański)
The ensemble was founded in 2013 by two Krakow pianists: Piotr Różański and Grzegorz Mania. The duo specializes primarily in the performance of 19th and 20th century compositions for 4 hands. The wide repertoire of the formation includes works by J. Brahms, A. Dvorak, F. Schubert, R. Schumann, W.A. Mozart, S. Barber, G. Ligeti, P. Hindemith, J. Corigliano. The duo also specializes in performing more widely unknown works by Polish composers: J. Zarębski, Z. Noskowski, W. Żeleński, I.J. Paderewski. In 2019, the album “Polska na 4 hand” was released with the recording of works for 4 hands by J. Zarębski, I.J. Paderewski and a complete set of works by W. Żeleński. The ensemble has performed in many concert halls in Poland and abroad. Pianists gave concerts in London, incl. in St. Martin in the Fields, at the Pharos Arts Foundation in Nicosia (Cyprus), at the Newman Recital Hall in Los Angeles, and also in Germany, Israel, Finland and Ukraine. In Poland, i.a. during the inauguration of the XXII National Piano Tournament in Żagań, as part of the prestigious project Gradus ad Parnassum – Master Piano Academy in Krakow, during the festivals “Rzeszowska Autumn Music” and “Józef Hofmann in memoriam” in Krakow. As soloists they also performed with the Polish Art Philharmonic.
Julia Samojło (piano)
Julia SAMOJŁO graduated from the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz in the class of Prof. Tatiana Shebanova. Following her studies, she completed an artistic internship under the supervision of Prof. Szábolcs Esztényi and post-graduate and doctoral studies under the artistic supervision of Prof. Maja Nosowska at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. She honed her skills under the direction of Ronan O’Hora, Graham Johnson, and Pamela Lidiard at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London as part of the Erasmus scholarship and a two-year Guildhall Artist Fellowship. She has participated in master classes conducted by such artists as Halina Czerny-Stefańska, Emanuel Krasovsky, Lee KumSing, Alexander Kobrin, Victor Derevianko, Alon Goldstein, Jerome Rose, Roger Vignoles, Julius Drake, and Martin Katz. She was a piano teacher at the City University in London (2011-2012) and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (2011-2014). In 2007-2010 and 2016-2018 she was a chamber music pianist at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. A special place in the repertoire of Julia Samojło is occupied by piano chamber music and contemporary music. The pianist has made numerous premieres and many recordings for DUX, Musica Sacra, the Library-Music Library of the Polish Composers’ Union, and Polish Radio. In 2020 she premiered 24 Variations on a theme of a folk song by Roman Ryterband. In 2019 she recorded all songs by Zygmunt Stojowski with Magdalena Molendowska- soprano. In 2017, she made the world premiere of the Concerto for piano and orchestra, written for her by Edward Nesbit, with the New Music Orchestra conducted by Szymon Bywalec. In 2014-2017, she recorded compositions for solo piano and chamber ones by Krzysztof Baculewski for the record label DUX. In 2014, the CD of outstanding saxophonist Paweł Gusnar Saxophone Varie which includes, among others, Invitation by Maria Pokrzywińska recorded by Paweł and Julia, received the award of the phonographic industry Fryderyk in the category Album of the year – chamber music. In 2010, she recorded the Piano Concerto by Stefan Kisielewski with the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jacek Kaspszyk. In November 2015, Julia Samojło made her debut at the Carnegie Hall in New York with cellist Karolina Jaroszewska, with whom she has been creating a duo since 2008. She has also performed, among others, at Koninklijk Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Barbican Hall, Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room, St John’s Smith Square in London, Rudolfinum in Prague, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, and National Philharmonic in Warsaw. She has given concerts with, among others, the Sinfonia Varsovia, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Polish Radio Orchestra, New Music Orchestra, Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Łukasz Borowicz, Krzesimir Dębski, Jacek Kaspszyk, Alexander Liebreich, Szymon Bywalec, and Marek Moś. She has often performed at the Warsaw Music Encounters festival, concert cycles Musical Seasons of the Year, and Composers’ Portraits organised by the Polish Composers’ Union. She has also participated in such festivals as: Warsaw Autumn, From Chopin to Górecki – sources and inspirations, Radio Autumn in Prague, Oxford Lieder Festival, City of London Festival, and at the final concert of the Young Songmakers’ Almanac directed by Graham Johnson in London. Julia Samojło has been a laureate of numerous prizes and scholarships, including: 1st prize at the International Competition of Young Performers in Athens, Scholarship of the Prime Minister of Poland, Scholarship of the President of the City of Szczecin, Scholarship of the President of the City of Bydgoszcz, Scholarship of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage. She is a chairman of the Warsaw branch of the Polish Chamber Musicians’ Association.
Magdalena Molendowska (soprano)
She graduated with honors from S. Moniuszko Music Academy in Gdańsk and Opera Course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where she has been awarded the prestigious Gold Medal in her final year. In 2008 she was a member of the Opera Studio Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, where she worked with Renata Scotto. At the moment she is at a vocal guidance of Yvonne Kenny. While studying at the GSMD Opera Course she was working under the guidance of Rudolf Piernay. She had also a priviledge to attend masterclasses of such artists as Gerald Finley, Anita Garanca, Helena Łazarska or Claudio Desderi. Her wide repertoire includes songs, oratorios and cantatas. In London Barbican Hall she presented songs by K. Szymanowski and A. Dvořak. Invited by Malcolm Martineau she recorded Huit chansons polonaises by F. Poulenc on the Poulenc vol.4 album. She is salso interested in contemporary music, for example she made first performance of Rythmi Urbani cantata by K. Dębski. Together with pianist Julia Samojło, a unique recording of the song of the eminent Polish emigrant composer Zygmunt Stojowski.
Since 2011 she has been a soloist of the Polish National Opera in Warsaw, where she made her debut at in Jakob Lenz by Wolfgang Rihm. In the 2012/13 season she returned to the Polish National Opera to perform the title role in Halka by Stanisław Moniuszko. She currently cooperates with Wroclaw Opera House, Krakow Opera House, Opera i Filharmonia Podlaska, Glyndebourne Festival and Baden-Baden Festspiele. Her operatic repertoire consists of such roles by W.A. Mozart as: Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Contessa Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro, Vitellia in La Clemenza di Tito and Arminda in La Finta Giardiniera. In her repertory list you will find also: Marguerite and Elena in Mefistofele A. Boito, Micaëla in Carmen G. Bizet, Mimi in La Boheme by G. Puccini, Tatiana in Eugene Onegin P. Tchaikovsky, Kurfürstin in Der Vogelhändler C. Zeller, Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus J. Strauss and Mother in Hansel and Gretel by E. Humperdinck. In 2016 she appeared in the title role in Tosca by G. Puccini, in Wrocław Opera House production. In 2014 Magdalena Molendowska has debuted as A Milliner (Der Rosenkavalier) and Aninna (La Traviata) during Glyndebourne Festival with which in 2016 she has toured as Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni). The last season has brought her return as Halka to Polish National Opera and her appearance for the first time in Warsaw Chamber Opera as Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro. In 2019 she made her very well received debut as Katerina in The Greek Passion at Opera North, as well as in Silesia Philharmonic, where she sung the soprano part in Deutches Requiem by Brahms. Recently Naxos released a CD containing the recording of the opera Halka by S. Moniuszko under the baton of Gabriel Chmura and where miss Molendowska sung the title role. Among the upcoming events in 2021 it is worth to name the Magdalena Molendowska’s role and house debut as Leonore in Fidelio by Beethoven this Autumn and performing solo part in the XXI Symphony “Kaddish” by M. Wajnberg in Pomeranian Philharmonic Hall in Bydgoszcz. She is actively involved in the activities of the Association of Polish Chamber Musicians in cooperation with which she implements several important artistic projects. She is a PhD student at the Music Academy in Bydgoszcz.
Freya Müller (Mezzosopran)
mezzo-soprano. She grew up in Lower Saxony and lives in Hanover. She gained musical experience by performing church music and directing her interests towards choir direction. Studying at the Higher School of Music, Theater and Media in Hanover in the class of prof. Rzepka brand. She completed master classes with professors such as Ingeborg Danz, Ulf Bästlein, Christoph Pregardien, Claudia Viska and Charles Spencer. In 2022, she made her debut in Richard Wagner’s “The Nuremberg Singers” at Berlin’s Deutsche Oper. She received a scholarship from the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation “Live Music Now” and a scholarship for gifted students funded by Evangelisches Studienwerk Villigst. In October 2022, she won the Young Talent award in the Watera and Charlotte Hamel Opera Competition. She has performed with such orchestras as the baroque “Concerto Ispirato” and “Le Chardon” as well as with the Hanoverian Hofkapelle and the Deutsche Oper Berlin orchestra under the direction of outstanding conductors, including Sir Donald Runnicles, Markus Stenz and John Fiore. On stage, you can listen to her in such works as “Christmas Oratory” and Mass in B minor by Johann Sebastian Bach, “Elijah” by Felix Mendelssohn, “Membra Jesu Nostri” by Dietrich Buxtehude or in compositions for a vocal ensemble, incl. “Musikalische Exequien” by Heinrich Schütz or “Figure Humaine” by Francis Poulenc.
Jaga Klimaszewska (violin)
Born in Gdansk, Poland Jaga Klimaszewska began studying violin at the age of seven. After graduating from the F.Nowowiejski Music School in Gdansk in 2009 she moved to London to continue her musical studies. She obtained her Bachelor of Music Diploma from Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2013 where she studied with Krzysztof Smietana. Jaga completed a Master of Performance at the Royal College of Music under the tutelage of Maciej Rakowski. For her studies she received the RCM Award and G.D. Fahrenheit Educational Scholarship awarded by the Mayor of Gdansk. She has taken part in many Workshops and Music Festivals in Europe. Jaga performed as a soloist and as a chamber musician in Poland, France, Austria, Germany, Russia, Switzerland and the UK in concert halls including Cadogan Hall, Elgar Room, Royal Festival Hall, Barbican Centre, Musikverein in Vienna, Unesco Hall in Paris and Mozarteum in Salzburg. She performed as a soloist with Cappella Gedanensis,Camerata Baltica and Silk Street Sinfonia, Scherzo Ensemble. Jaga worked with many well known artists including Maxim Vengerov, Leonid Kerbel, Philippe Graffin, Barnabas Kelemen,Carole Presland, Belcea Quartet, Maxim Rysanov. In 2019 together with Mateusz Rettner she recorded her debut CD with music by Grażyna Bacewicz which includes two phonographic premieres. The disc was released by DUX. Jaga plays on a 1820 Jacob Fendt violin.
Mateusz Doniec (viola)
Mateusz Doniec was born in Krakow. He began his musical education at the age of seven in the violin class at the ZPSM im. Mieczysław Karłowicz in Krakow. In 2010, when he was fourteen, he started learning to play the viola in the class of Mr. Rafał Daszkiewicz. Currently, he is a student of the second year of master’s studies at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw in the class of Professor Katarzyna Budnik. Mateusz has performed in the most prestigious venues in Poland and abroad, incl. in Japan, France, Austria, Germany and China. He was a participant in the 5th edition of the Akademia Sinfonia Varsovia 2016/2017 project and has been cooperating with the orchestra since then. Since 2017, he has been performing with the Janusz Wawrowski chamber orchestra “Warsaw Players”, and since 2018 also with the chamber orchestra “Polish Soloist String Orchestra”. He took part in orchestral projects such as Santander Orchestra and International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra as the leader of the viola section. Mateusz Doniec has participated in many international and national competitions. He received a scholarship from the Sapere Auso foundation, and since 2012 he has been an honorary scholarship holder of the Pro Musica Bona foundation. In 2015, he was awarded the “Young Poland” Scholarship Program of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage.
Magdalena Bojanowicz-Koziak (cello)
is a laureate of the Passport of “Polityka” – the award of the weekly “Polityka” awarded to artists and creators of culture. She won the 1st prize at the 45th International Jeunesses Musicales Competition in Belgrade (2015), and is also the winner of the 2nd prize and two special prizes at the 8th International Competition. Witold Lutosławski in Warsaw. She also received the 3rd prize at the 1st International Cello Competition Krzysztof Penderecki in Krakow. Among her other competition successes, we can also mention the 2nd prize at the 69th International Cello Competition. Ludwig van Beethoven in Hradec Králové (Czech Republic) or a distinction at the 64th International Competition “Prague Spring” in Prague. She is also a finalist of the International Cello Competition in Stuttgart (2014). She perfected her skills at courses in Brussels, Salzburg, Kronberg and Musicinsel Reihnau, where she worked under the supervision of artists such as Julius Berger, Jens Peter Maintz, Kazimierz Michalik, Phillippe Muller, Arto Noras, Claus Reichardt and Victoria Yagling. She was a scholarship holder of the National Children’s Fund (2001-2008) and the Minister of Culture and Art. In 2009, she was awarded the prestigious “Young Poland” scholarship, which allowed to record the album “Satin” with Polish contemporary music in a duet with Maciej Frąckiewicz. As TWOgether Duo, the artists were awarded the Polityka Passport for “courage, risk and consistency. For concert creations, stimulating our imagination and persuasive power ”and they were nominated for the Fryderyk Award, awards of the Polish phonographic industry (2013). Magdalena Bojanowicz conducts music courses organized by the National Children’s Fund in Lusławice and the Cello Workshops in Augustów. She worked as a soloist under the baton of such conductors as: Massimiliano Caldi, George Tchitchinadze, Daniel Smith, Volker Schmidt-Gertenbach, Renato Rivolta, Marek Moś, Michał Klauza, Tadeusz Wojciechowski, Jerzy Kosek, Michał Nesterowicz, Paweł Przytocki, Wojciech Rodek, Bojan Suđić, Benjamin Lack, Ernst Kovacic, José Maria Florêncio. Participated, inter alia, in numerous national and international festivals: “Music Connects” at the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz in Switzerland, Gulangyu Festival in Xiamen (China), “Festival au Leman” in Thonon les Bains in France, “Chamber Festival” in Moscow, International Festival of Contemporary Music “Warsaw Autumn” “Music at the tops” in Zakopane, “Musical spaces”, Festival “Musica moderna” in Łódź, “Musica Polonica Nova” in Wrocław, Hubermann Festival in Częstochowa, “Masters of Polish Violin” in Zielona Góra. She has performed, inter alia, in Tonhalle in Zürich, Royal Festival Hall in London, Kolarac in Belgrade, Polish Radio Concert Studio W. Lutosławski in Warsaw, the National Philharmonic in Warsaw. As a soloist, she has collaborated with such orchestras as: National Philharmonic, NOSPR, NFM Orkistra Leopoldinum, Sinfonietta Cracovia, AUKSO, Beethoven Academy Orchestra, Polska Orkiestra Sinfonia Iuventus, Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra. He has performed numerous premieres of works with orchestra, such as: “Cello Concerto” by Dariusz Przybylski (with the NOSPR released by the DUX label), “Diary written in the middle” by Aleksander Nowak (with AUKSO, NMF) and numerous chamber works by Polish composers, but also foreign. The plans for the upcoming artistic season include the creation of Paweł Szymański’s “Cello Concerto” and “Double Concerto” by Hanna Kulenta, dedicated to the artist. Magdalena Bojanowicz-Koziak graduated with honors from the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw in the cello class of Andrzej Bauer and Bartosz Koziak and the Universität der Kunste in Berlin.
Radosław Kurek (piano)
Since winning The Bridget Doolan Prize for the best performance of W. A. Mozart’s work at The International Piano Competition in Dublin and the top award at The Johannes Brahms International Competition in Pörtschach (with the cellist Georgiy Lomakov), Radosław Kurek is working intensively to increase his repertoire. He continuously improves his chamber music skills and presents his sensibility to the audience by performing well-thought-out piano recitals with repertoire ranging from classical period to contemporary music of the present day. His strength as an artist lies in the extraordinary flexibility in co-operation with other musicians, he is highly valued as a partner in chamber music. The result of the meetings with various artists has been recorded with leading music producers such as GENUIN Classics, Bayerischer Rundfunk, ANAGRAM, The Fryderyk Chopin Institude, DUX, Soliton and BeArTon. As both soloist and chamber musician Radoslaw Kurek has taken part in various music festivals in Europe, America, Asia and Africa. He performed as a soloist with Wroclaw Philharmonic, Pomeranian Philharmonic, Baltic Philharmonic orchestras, Sinfonietta Cracovia and Capella Bydgostiensis appearing in numerous concert halls including Warsaw Philharmonic, Cracow Philharmonic Hall, Pomeranian Philharmonic Hall, Baltic Philharmonic Hall, Łódź Philharmonic Hall, The Witold Lutoslawski Concert Studio in Warsaw, Malmö Live Konserthus, Gamle Logen Concert Hall in Oslo, Augustianum Auditorium in Roma, Festsaal in Vienna and Auditorium al Duomo in Florence. Radosław Kurek has performed with many numerous conductors as Jacek Kaspszyk, Jose Maria Florencio, Michał Nesterowicz and Jakub Chrenowicz. He also partnered renowned artists as Konstanty Andrzej Kulka, Roman Jabłoński, Jadwiga Kotnowska; he cooperated with Robert Kabara, Wiesław Kwaśny and becoming widely known composer-performer Agata Zubel. Among his other achievements are several awards in competitions in Indianapolis, Geneve, Munich, Terni, Shumen, Narva, Florence, Warsaw, Łódź, Wrocław, Gdańsk and Katowice. Radosław Kurek mastered his piano and chamber music skills, learning from the leading artists such as Pavel Vernikov, Niklas Schmidt, Sebastian Hamman, Viera Nossina, John O ‘Conor, Ewa Pobłocka, Maja Nosowska and Szabolcs Esztenyi. Radosław Kurek graduated with honours from the Stanisław Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdańsk, where he studied towards his MA degree in piano under the supervision of Prof. Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń. Following his graduation in 2008, he worked as a teaching assistant at the Academy of Music in Gdańsk. Since 2009, he has been a teaching assistant at the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz, where in 2014 he was awarded his doctoral degree.
Organizer
Co-organizers of the accompanying concert
Partners
Co-financed by the Gdańsk Foundation for Economic Development.
Co-financed by the Union of Artists and Performers STOART.
Media patronage