photo courtesy of the Shanghai Changning Culture and Art Centre
"Chopin on Five Pianos" is a new and innovative take on the acclaimed Polish composer devised by Sławek Jaskułka – the concert's coordinator, and co-performer. Jaskułka also composed the arrangements. His work combines two musical worlds - both classical and jazz - creating a dialogue with the works of Chopin and using the composer's pieces as a means of devising entirely novel compositions.
The concert began with a solo by Katarzyna Borek, who presented a programme of works by Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Franciszek Liszt and Fryderyk Chopin. After the intermission she was joined onstage by the four jazz pianists to perform Mazurek in D major, op. 33, Mazurek in A minor, op. 17, Waltz in C-sharp minor op. 64 and Sławek Jaskułke's own Preludiosum G inspired by Chopin's Preludium G major, op. 28.
Sławek Jaskułke is known as one of the most original jazz musicians of the last decade. He is a pianist, composer, producer and member of the Zbigniew Namysłowski quartet. He composes orchestral music, as well as music for film and theatre. He has performed in New York's Carnegie Hall, Symphony Hall in Chicago, the Monaco Philharmonic, and Moscow's International Performing Arts Center. He's also taken part in major music festivals, including: North Sea Jazz Festival, Berlin Jazz Fest and Red Sea Jazz Festival. In 2006 he represented Poland at the Music Beyond Borders Festival in Hong Kong, which led to the release of his solo album, entitled: "Jaskułka – Hong Kong".
Other musicians set to perform in the event include Joanna Duda – a member of the groups Super Extra 3jo, the Wojtek Mazolewski quartet, Afrokolektyw and Auaua, Paweł Tomaszewski – a pianist, composer and producer who has previously collaborated with Dean Brown and Michał Urbanianek, as well as Paweł Kaczmarczyk – a composer and soloist, signed to the prestigious German label ACT.
Katarzyna Borek is one of the most prominent young classical pianists in Europe. She has won numerous international piano competitions, including Belgium's Young New Talents 2009.
The project's world premiere took place on the 12th of September, 2010 at the World EXPO in Shanghai:
Date: 3-6th of November, 2011.
Venue: Forbidden City Concert Hall, Inside Zhongshan Park, Xicheng (3rd of November), Peking University Centennial Hall, (6th of November), Beijing
Organiser: Adam Mickiewicz Institute
Partners: Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Beijing, Poly Forbidden City Theatre Management.
Project cofinanced by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland
Source: Adam Mickiewicz Institute