Every year the WOMEX trade show and festival launches with an opening concert and in Katowice some of the most interesting artists of world music will perform. On 25th October 2017 in the NOSPR Concert Hall, world music will meet classical music in a project that brings together the Aukso Orchestra and the best folk groups from Katowice, Śląsk and other parts of Poland: Vołosi, Kapela Maliszów and Lautari.
Aukso and Vołosi are at the heart of this project. The orchestra, conducted by Marek Mosia, and Vołosi, founded by the Katowice-based Lasoń brothers, have a history of collaboration. The five virtuoso musicians of Vołosi backed by the strength of the Aukso Orchestra bring a new vitality to the unrestrained energy of the music of the Carpathians. Vołosi is already familiar to WOMEX participants, having performed at the expo in 2014.
Kapela Maliszów is a family band, cofounded by Jan Malisz and two of his talented children. In turn, Lautari, founded and led by Maciej Filipczuk, is distinguished by the fact that their members train directly with folk musicians. Organisers were aided in the selection of these groups by Polish and foreign journalists from, among others, Polish Radio and The Huffington Post.
The program of the opening concert will consist of performances from all the ensembles, both backed by the Aukso Orchestra and individually.
The Polish accents at this year’s WOMEX Expo will not end with the opening concert. The sounds of Poland and its neighbours will be heard on the Kato Connections stage, which is dedicated to promoting the music of the host region. Performers include Maniucha and Ksawery, Hańba!, Wachowiak/Woźniak/Kinaszewska and the Marcin Wyrostek Band.
Marcin Krupa, President of the City of Katowice, explains:
For Katowice, a UNESCO City of Music, it is important that the regional music scene will be highlighted by the eight Polish bands performing at the opening concert and the Kato Connections stage. By entering the prestigious Creative Cities Network, we have committed ourselves to pursuing active policies for the development of the creative music industry. The organisation of the WOMEX fair and festival in Katowice perfectly fits this strategy.
WOMEX is one of the leading events in the industry, alongside MIDEM in Cannes and Jazz Ahead in Bremen. Every year WOMEX attracts thousands of world music lovers from around the globe and hundreds of artists and representatives from creative industries. WOMEX hosts concerts, a conference and a trade show dedicated to professionals, but is also open to music lovers.
The event began in 1994 and host cities have since included Berlin, Seville and Copenhagen. Katowice will be the first city in Poland to welcome WOMEX. Events will take place across the city in the International Congress Centre, Spodek Hall and the concert hall of the National Symphony Orchestra.
Source: press materials, compiled by MKD, translated by AGA, 11 Jul 2017