Chór Chłopiecy i Męski Państwowej Filharmonii w Poznaniu / The Boys' and Men's Choir of the State Philharmonic in Poznań under the direction of Stefan Stuligrosz- which has for long been known as the "Poznańskie Słowiki" / "Poznań Nightingales" - builds on choral music traditions that have existed in the city of Poznań since the 15th century.
In spite of its official name, it is not a professional choir. The boys in the choir attend various schools (mainly primary) in Poznań and its environs, while the adult members study at universities or work at various jobs. On average, they gather three evenings per week and rehearse intensively for two hours. The choir's operations are made more difficult by the constant changes that occur in the boys' ensemble; changes of voice that come with puberty inevitably eliminate twenty-five of the choir's best-trained young singers each year.
Stefan Stuligrosz's "Poznań Nightingales" give a total of approximately fifty to sixty concerts annually, performing both in Poland and abroad. Their repertoire includes hundreds of works by Polish composers and composers of other nationalities of various periods (from Medieval monodies, through the works of Renaissance masters lead by G.P. da Palestrina, vocal and instrumental masterpieces of the Baroque, including oratorios, passions and cantatas, works of the Classicist and Romantic eras, to contemporary compositions). The choir specializes in the performance of a cappella Renaissance music and the great works of the Baroque era.
In September of 1989, the choir appeared under the baton of the legendary Leonard Bernstein, performing his Chichester Psalms.
The "Poznań Nightingales" have performed to great acclaim in almost every European country, as well as in Japan, Canada, South Korea and the United States, invariably getting a very heated reception from audiences and garnering highly enthusiastic reviews.
The "Poznań Nightingales" have given more that two thousand five hundred concerts in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Germany, Bulgaria, Czecho-Slovakia, Denmark, France, Spain, Holland, Japan, South Korea, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Norway, Russia, Romania, Sweden, Hungary, Italy, United States, Soviet Union.
The choir has repeatedly taken part in the best music festivals in Poland and abroad. Within the country, it has participated in the "Warszawska Jesień" / "Warsaw Autumn" Festival, the "Wratislavia Cantans" Festival, the Opolskie Dni Muzyki / Opole Music Days, the Dni Muzyki Wokalnej / Vocal Music Days in Sanok and the Festiwal Chórow Chłopięcych / Festival of Boys' Choirs in Poznań. In addition, it has put in appearances at foreign festivals in Prague at the "Praskie Jaro" in Bratislava, Lourdes, Tabes, Lyon, Bilbao, in Seville during "Expo '92," in Echternach, Lausanne, Bergen, during the Berliner Festwochen, in Leipzig, Dresden, Konstanz, Budapest, Rome, Perugia, Palermo, Milan, Siena, Pisa, Genoa, Venice, San Marino, Messina, Bergamo, Brescia and Naples.
The singing of Stefan Stuligrosz's ensemble has been documented on many albums (LP, CD), cassettes, during radio and television recordings produced both in Poland and abroad.Source: Polish Music Information Center, Polish Composers' Union, January 2002.