The weekend features the UK debut performance of Kennedy's own orchestra, the Orchestra of Life; Nigel Kennedy's Chopin Super Group, which celebrates the music of Chopin in a fresh and original way; and Kennedy's exciting World Cup Project, where Kennedy and guests perform a soundtrack to a screening of the 1973 World Cup qualifying match between Poland and England. The Nigel Kennedy Quintet performs music from their new album and each night of the festival features late-night informal jam sessions. There are free activities across the weekend, with breakdancers, Polish food and drink, and workshops.
Saturday - May 29, 2010
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Majewski & Friends
Kennedy kicks off this Polish Weekend by presenting the exquisite trumpet player Robert Majewski and his special guests to perform music of Krzysztof Komeda, a brilliant pianist and composer, and one of the most respected musicians in the history of Polish jazz. Krzysztof Dziedzic (drums) and Adam Kowalewski (bass) of the Nigel Kennedy Quintet join the rhythm section.
"Robert Majewski's sound is one of the greatest trumpet sounds I've ever heard. It's not the brash and aggressive sound you often hear in many trumpet players, but it's very open and warm. It's possible to hear just two notes of music and know that it's Majewski playing", said Nigel Kennedy.
Purcell Room, at 3:00 PM
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Zakopower
Zakopower is one of the hottest music bands in the current Polish music scene. They combine Polish folk with electronic and pop music - and the result is infectiously energetic, lively and fun. Named after the highland town of Zakopane, situated in the Tatra Mountains, the band is undoubtedly one of Poland's most popular groups ever, winning a prestigious Fryderyk Award in 2008. The phenomenal violinist Sebastian Karpiel-Bulecka leads the four-man group.
"Zakopower are to highlander music what the Pogues are to Irish music. Even if you can't understand a word of it, the music is so appealing everyone will love it. This is for people who like dancing and bopping around," said Nigel Kennedy
Queen Elizabeth Hall, at 5:00 PM
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Nigel Kennedy Orchestra of Life
The UK debut of Nigel Kennedy's new orchestra. The Orchestra of Life is made up of leading young musicians who are equally at home performing classical repertoire, jazz and improvisation. This evening is a unique cross-genre collaboration, featuring music from two great harmonic masters - JS Bach and Duke Ellington. The orchestra play a selection of Bach's violin concertos, interspersed with Kennedy's own arrangements of Ellington's music, for violin and orchestra.
Royal Festival Hall, at 7:30 pm
Sunday - 30 May 2010
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Piotr Wyleżoł Quintet
Piotr Wyleżoł is one of the leading pianists in the new generation of Polish jazz musicians. He has performed with major Polish and international jazz musicians around the world, both as soloist and with his quintet. Wyleżoł is also pianist in the Nigel Kennedy Quintet.
"Piotr's Quintet has a very cultivated, warm sound. They're all great musicians. It's very melodious music, not over complicated in the way of showing off technique. It's just very sophisticated stuff. I love listening to his music," said Kennedy.
Purcell Room, at 2:00PM
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Kroke and Nigel Kennedy
Nigel Kennedy joins forces with klezmer band Kroke for this invigorating performance. Deeply rooted in music from the Jewish klezmer tradition, Kroke's musical style also incorporates elements of jazz and world music, enhanced with aspects from Oriental and Eastern musical traditions. Now in its 15th year, Kroke has won global acclaim for its eight albums. Nigel Kennedy joins the trio (accordion, viola and double bass) for an afternoon of musical exhilaration.
"Kroke play beautifully. They have a very natural way of playing, with great invention and great heart. There is an unbelievable pathos and truthfulness in the music. They're mad people, but it's brilliant music," said Kennedy.
Queen Elizabeth Hall, at 4:00PM
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Nigel Kennedy's FA Project
England versus Poland, 1973
In the style of silent movie accompaniment, Nigel Kennedy and selected musicians perform a soundtrack to accompany a screening of the legendary 1973 World Cup qualifying match between England and Poland. Kennedy has composed a background score that will be partly improvised on the night by several of the weekend's featured musicians. The dramatic 1973 match was the first time England failed to qualify for the World Cup.
"I am really excited about this concert - this is a different type of night, but it perfectly represents what the whole festival is about, which is bringing Polish culture into England. There's a similarity between music and football in that football brings a lot of people together and music is obviously designed expressly for that purpose. They are also both shared pursuits across all nations," said the British violinist
Royal Festival Hall, at 7:30PM
Monday - 31 May 2010
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Anna Maria Jopek
The Polish, jazz superstar Anna Maria Jopek and her band makes a rare appearance in London as part of Nigel Kennedy's Polish Weekend. Anna Maria's music blends elements taken from jazz, folk and classical traditions to create something truly unique. She regularly collaborates with musicians ranging from Pat Metheny and Branford Marsalis to Dhafer Youssef.
Queen Elizabeth Hall, at 1:00 pm
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Nigel Kennedy's Chopin Super Group
No festival celebrating Polish music would be complete without featuring the music of Poland's most celebrated composer - Chopin. This concert presents an original view of Chopin, with the constant weaving of classical and modern interpretations of his music. The concert opens with a Chopin work performed by leading Polish pianist Janusz Olejniczak (who played the piano music in Roman Polański's Oscar award-winning film The Pianist). Kennedy and several special guests, including Anna Maria Jopek, then provide a contemporary reinterpretation of the same piece. This juxtaposition of genres continues throughout the concert.
"Chopin is probably the first and foremost great composer of this wonderful country, and Janusz Olejniczak is, for me, just the greatest Chopin interpreter in the world. There's a lot of Chopin going on this year because it's 200 years since he was born and we're presenting a slightly different view of Chopin's music in our festival," says Kennedy
Royal Festival Hall, at 3:00PM
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Jarek Smietana Quartet: Autumn Suite
Jarek Śmietana is one of Poland's great jazz guitarists, first emerging on the Polish jazz scene in the late 1960s. Smietana and his band perform a programme of his own compositions. His music has been described as 'always personal yet constantly communicative' with an 'individual sound' by Lescek Kotarski in Jazz Forum.
"I love playing with Jarek as he's got this real joie de vivre about his music and his life. He's not one of those old cynical bastards, but has a real enjoyment of playing, which I really respect," says Nigel Kennedy
Purcell Room, 6:00 pm
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Nigel Kennedy Quintet
For the finale of his Polish Weekend, Kennedy steps into the limelight as the Nigel Kennedy Quintet, made up of a new generation of leading Polish jazz musicians. The Quintet made a tremendous impression at the 2008 Proms.
Queen Elizabeth Hall, at 8:00 pm
Across the Weekend
Missionaries of Rhythm
The team of eleven dancers have performed together for several years, winning national and international acclaim. The crew give regular workshops and dance classes in Kraków.
Violin making workshop
Watch, learn and discover how to make and repair violins, with Poland's leading luthier Grzegorz Bobak. Born in 1977 Bobak learnt his trade from his father, the distinguished Polish luthier Jan Bobak and also studied at The Chicago School for Violin Making and the William Harris Lee Workshop in Chicago.
Young Classical Artists
Two young artists per day perform in Southbank Centre's foyers across the three days of the festival. These musicians have been hand-picked by Nigel and some are taken form his newly formed Orchestra, the Orchestra of Life.
Nigel Kennedy's Polish Weekend is organized by Southbank Centre and Adam Mickiewicz Institute.
The project is part of POLSKA! YEAR - Polish Season in Great Britain.
Source: www.polskayear.pl, www.southbankcentre.co.uk