CCM Showcases Three Centuries of Polish Music in Month-Long Festival

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music showcases Polish music from the Romantic era to the Modern age in a month-long festival running

Sept. 9 – Oct. 2, 2016

. Organized by CCM Director of Orchestral Studies

Mark Gibson

, the festival unites students, faculty and alumni with award-winning guest artists and world-renowned scholars in a celebration of the culture of Poland.

The general public can experience the creative expressions of one of the world’s great cultures through a series of classical music and jazz concerts, art installations, lectures and more occurring throughout CCM Village this fall.

Throughout the month, audiences will have the opportunity to hear works both well-known and unjustly neglected from Polish voices old and new. Performance highlights include two of Fryderyk Chopin’s virtuosic piano concerti; Witold Lutoslawski’s thrilling Concerto for Orchestra; a world premiere from composer, violinist and CCM alumnus

Piotr Szewczyk

(BM Violin, 2000; MM Violin and Composition, 2003); and an evening of jazz with Grammy Award-winner

Wlodek Pawlik

.

The

CCM Philharmonia

opens the Polish Festival in stunning fashion at

8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 9

in Corbett Auditorium. The concert program includes the world premiere of Piotr Szewczyk’s

American Dreams

and a performance of the signature work of one of the greatest Polish composers of the modern era, Lutoslawski’s Concerto for Orchestra. Naumburg Gold Medalist and CCM faculty artist

Soyeon Kate Lee

also joins the Philharmonia for a performance of Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2. Mark Gibson conducts this can’t-miss concert event.

Aik Khai Pung

leads CCM’s

Café MoMus Contemporary Music Ensemble

as they play works of Polish composers from three different generations —

Krzysztof Penderecki, Bettina Skrzypczak

and

Artur Slotwinski

— at

8 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 13

. Audience members can sample Polish desserts and delicacies at a reception after the free concert in CCM’s beautiful Cohen Family Studio Theater and meet Slotwinski  and the musicians.

Pung also conducts the

CCM Concert Orchestra

in a performance of

Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1

and

Górecki’s Symphony No. 3 (“Symphony of Sad Songs”)

at

8 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17

in Corbett Auditorium. The concert features the winners of CCM’s piano and voice competitions.

Grammy award-winning jazz pianist Wlodek Pawlik joins the

CCM Jazz Orchestra

and the

Faculty Jazztet

on stage at

7 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 18

in Corbett Auditorium. Under the direction of conductor

Scott Belck

, the concert will feature Pawlik’s original compositions and arrangements.

A rare performance of

Szymanowski’s

masterwork

Symphony No. 3, Op. 27 (“Song of the Night”)

will close the festival at

4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 2

. The CCM Philharmonia, Chamber Choir and faculty soloist

Dan Weeks

, tenor, will be joined by the Xavier University Concert Choir in presenting this evocative symphony.

Festival highlights also include a free presentation from visiting lecturer

Halina Goldberg

. Acknowledged as one of the world’s foremost experts on Polish Music, Goldberg will give audiences a look into Polish art and culture at

2:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 9

in the Baur Room of CCM’s Corbett Center of the Performing Arts.

An integral part of many of the festival concerts will be a large-scale work by Polish painter and visual artist,

Anna Socha VanMatre

. The music of Penderecki inspired her work, “Metamorphoses-Fire,” which will serve as an inspiring backdrop for the festival’s major orchestra concerts in Corbett Auditorium.

CCM’s Polish Festival will leave listeners with a deeper appreciation of the music and art of a country vast in history and tradition. See below for a complete list of festival events. We hope you join us in this unique series as we celebrate Poland!

Event Information

All events listed below take place on the campus of the University of Cincinnati. Some events require paid admission. Please see individual event information for single ticket prices and ordering information.

All event dates and programs are subject to change. Visit

ccm.uc.edu

or contact the CCM Box Office at 513-556-4183 for the most current event information.

Purchasing Tickets

Concert flex ticket packages are on sale now! Single tickets go on sale

Monday, Aug. 22, 2016.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online at

ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice

.

Parking and Directions

Parking is available in the CCM Garage (located at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the UC campus. Please visit

uc.edu/parking

for information on parking rates.

For detailed maps and directions, please visit

uc.edu/visitors

. Additional parking is available off-campus at the U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots.

For directions to CCM Village, visit

ccm.uc.edu/about/directions

.

_____

POLISH FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

2:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9

• The Joseph and Frances Jones Poetker Thinking About Music Lecture Series •

A LOOK INTO POLISH ART AND CULTURE
Halina Goldberg, Jacobs School of Music

Dr. Halina Goldberg, acknowledged as one of the world’s foremost experts on Polish music, will present a lecture on aspects of Polish art and culture.

Location

: Baur Room

Admission

: FREE

_____

8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9

• Orchestra Series •

OPENING CONCERT
CCM Philharmonia
Featuring faculty artist Soyeon Kate Lee, piano
Mark Gibson, music director and conductor

Join us as the acclaimed CCM Philharmonia commences a month-long Polish Festival featuring performances by student and faculty artists from throughout the college. The festival opening performances include the world premiere of a new work American Dreams, composed by accomplished CCM alumnus Piotr Szewczyk!

CHOPIN: Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor, Op. 21

    Featuring Soyeon Kate Lee, piano

LUTOSLAWSKI: Concerto for Orchestra

Location

: Corbett Auditorium

Tickets

: $15 general, $10 non-UC students, UC students FREE

_____

8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13

• Orchestra Series •

PENDERECKI, SKRZYPCZAK AND SLOTWINSKI
Café MoMus
Aik Khai Pung, music director

As part of the Polish Festival, Café MoMus will present works of Polish composers from three different generations: Krzysztof Penderecki, Bettina Skrzypczak and Artur Slotwinski. Join us for coffee and conversation with Artur Slotwinski and the musicians after the performance.

Location

: Cohen Family Studio Theater

Admission

: FREE

_____

8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17

• Orchestra Series •

CHOPIN AND GÓRECKI
CCM Concert Orchestra
Aik Khai Pung, music director and conductor

CHOPIN: Piano Concerto No. 1

      Featuring the winner of the CCM Piano Competition

GÓRECKI: Symphony No. 3 ("Symphony of Sad Songs")

      Featuring the winner of the CCM Voice Competition

Location

: Corbett Auditorium

Tickets

: $15 general, $10 non-UC students, UC students FREE.

_____

7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18

• Jazz Series •

THE MUSIC OF VIRTUOSO JAZZ PIANIST AND COMPOSER WLODEK PAWLIK
CCM Jazz Orchestra and Faculty Jazztet
Featuring guest artist Wlodek Pawlik, piano
Scott Belck, conductor

Join us as we celebrate the stunning music and musicians of Poland and feature Grammy Award-winning pianist and composer Wlodek Pawlik as he performs his original compositions and arrangements.

Location

: Corbett Auditorium

Tickets

: $15 general, $10 non-UC students, UC students FREE.

_____

4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2

• Orchestra & Choral Series •

POLISH FESTIVAL CLOSING CONCERT
CCM Philharmonia, CCM Chamber Choir and Xavier University Concert Choir
Featuring faculty artist Daniel Weeks, tenor
Mark Gibson, music director and conductor

MONIUSZKO: Overture to Halka

PENDERECKI: Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima

SKROWACZEWSKI: English Horn Concerto

SZYMANOWSKI: Symphony No. 3 in B-flat Major, Op. 27 (“Song of the Night”)

    Featuring Daniel Weeks, soloist

Location

: Corbett Auditorium

Tickets

: $15 general, $10 non-UC students, UC students FREE.

_____

CCM Season Presenting Sponsor & Musical Theatre Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

Polish Festival Sponsor: Judith Heiny and Piotr Chomczynski

Orchestral Sponsor: Mr. & Mrs. Joseph W.  Hirschhorn

____________________

A preeminent institution for the performing and media arts, CCM is the largest single source of performing arts presentations in the state of Ohio.

All event dates and programs are subject to change. For a complete calendar of events, please visit us online at

ccm.uc.edu

.