The Szymanowski Quartet
The Polish-Ukrainian Szymanowski Quartet brought to life works by Karol Szymanowski and Julius Zarębski, Polish composers of the late 19th and 20th centuries whose pieces are based on Polish folk music of the era. The concert was dedicated to the memory of Andrzej Panufnik, a Polish composer who helped to reestablish the Warsaw Phillharmonic after WWII and who later defected to the UK. The Quartet commemorated the twentieth anniversary of the composer’s death by playing a specially-arranged piece, entitled Second Home by Roxanna Panufnik, also a composer and daughter of the late Andrzej Panufnik who spent her life in England.
The concert’s program is as follows:
- Karol Szymanowski, choice of Kurpian Songs
- Karol Szymanowski, String Quartet No. 2 op. 56
- Roxanna Panufnik, Second Home (special arrangement for string quintet, piano and voice)
- Juliusz Zarębski, Piano Quintet in G minor op. 34
Olga Pashichnyk, born in the Ukraine, is a soprano soloist for the Warsaw Chamber Opera and, while her wide-ranging repertoire is known around the world, she specializes in Szymanowski’s Kurpian Songs. A 1997 recording of the Kurpian Songs earned Pashichnyk a Fryderyk Award, the Polish equivalent of the Grammy’s and bestowed by the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry.
Kevin Kenner, a concert pianist, resides in Krakow and in London, where he lecture at the Royal College of Music. Kenner has, for years, promoted Polish culture and is recognized for his Chopin repertoire. While Kenner has plated with some of the world’s largest symphony orchestras, including the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, he has also worked with many chamber groups, including the Balcea, Tokyo, Endellion and Vogler Quartets, among others.
The Szymanowski Quartet is made up of Andrzej Bielow, Grzegorz Kotów, Vladimir Mytyka and Marcin Sieniawski and was established in 1995. In 200, the Szymanowski Quartet was granted a medal by the Polish government for serving to promote Polish culture.
Date: 28th of October, 19:30
Venue: Cadogan Hall, 5 Sloane Terrace, London
Organised by: The Pro Musica Mundi Art Association