Travel with Chopin - Katarzyna Musial - piano recital

Sunday, March 3rd @ 1:00 PM
Polish Hall
3832 N Interstate - BUY TICKETS/buy before Feb 24th and save/

Polish-Canadian pianist Katarzyna Musial, regarded as "a major talent, blessed with an astounding technique and an interpretive panache" by Chicago Classical Review, has performed as a concerto soloist, recitalist and chamber musician throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Her playing has been described by New York Concert Review as "a pure delight... wonderfully evocative... vividly detailed." Her interpretations "plumbed emotional depths with harmonic coloring." Ms. Musial has been characterized by the Beijing Press as a pianist "who has entranced her audience with her brilliant musical skills." Conductor of the New York Camerata, Richard Owen, considers her "one of the finest pianists I've ever had the privilege of hearing."

In addition to having won First Prize at the 2011 Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition (New York), Ms. Musial was also a prize winner at the Krzysztof Penderecki International Competition of Contemporary Chamber Music (Cracow), the Kay Meek Competition (Vancouver), as well as a recipient of the Alban Berg Prize for outstanding merit (Vienna) and the Philip Cohen Award for outstanding performance musicianship (Montreal).

Recent highlights include a Carnegie Hall debut, performances at the Vancouver Olympic Games, International Beethoven Festival (Chicago), Tempietto Festival Musicale della Nazioni (Rome) and Music in the Mountains Festival (California). Other major engagements have included a seven-city tour of China in spring 2013, as well as concerto performances with the New York Camerata, Chicago Prometheus Chamber Orchestra, Toronto Sinfonietta, Orchestre Symphonique de LIsle, McGill Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble Arkea and Bielsko Chamber Orchestra, with which she opened the International Bach Festival (Poland). Her new CD, Come Dance with Me, recorded by Meridian Records has received rave reviews and has been played on over 100 radio stations; including the BBC (UK), CBC (Canada), WQXR, WFMT (USA) to name a few. The album was selected "CD of the Week" on WGBH in Boston and "Download of the Week" on KDFC in San Francisco.

Wieczór dla Niepodległej

Poland - 100 Years - Free Again - Concert

Tone Portrait of Poland by Liz Nedela, Delgani String Quartet ( Jannie Wei and Wya True - violins, Kimberlee Uwate - viola, Eric Alterman - cello), Asya Gulua - piano Premiered Nov 10th 2018 at Polish Hall, Portland OR "POLAND - 100 YEARS - FREE AGAIN!!" concert.

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Poland - 100 Years - Free Again - Celebrate

Portland Polonia celebrate the centenary of the reconstitution of a sovereign Polish nation, achieved through the 1918, WWI Armistice, Treaty of Versailles. Sharing in the celebration are Polish Festival, Cascadia Composers and Willamette Falls Symphony. We offer  rarely heard works by Polish composers and original musical compositions by regional composers, all in the Western Classical Concert Hall Tradition. Regional musicians and composers come together on two different stages: Sat., Nov. 10 at Portland's Polish Hall and Sun., Nov. 11 at Milwaukie High School Auditorium - details below.

 

Historical background: 

Poland began to form into a recognizable unitary and territorial entity around the middle of the 10th century under the Piast dynasty. Poland's first historically documented ruler, Mieszko I, accepted Christianity with the Baptism of Poland in 966, as the new official religion of his subjects.

Poland was a nation state from 1025 AD, when Bolesław I "the Brave" became the first Polish ruler to receive the title of "rex" (Latin: "king") and rebuked fealty to the Holy Roman Empire. Followed then a tumultuous history, which led to Poland's being fully partitioned and occupied by the Russians, Prussians and Hapsbergs from 1795 to 1918. Through this virtually stateless period, Polish culture survived primarily though the Catholic Church and deeply rich local traditions, but equally significant was the dedication of Polish artists to their national identity, many in exile, most notable: poet, Adam Mickiewicz and composer,  Fryderyk Chopin.

Our celebration is not centered on historic personalities, places nor on dates. Rather, we celebrate the perseverance of dignity, artistic freedom and empowerment of human pride. 

 

Sat., Nov. 10, the up-and-coming Delgani String Quartet, with pianist Asya Gulua, perform Cascadia Composers' original scores: all new works, composed by Jay Derderian, Matthew Kaminski, Stephen Lewis, Liz Nedela and Paul Safar, in celebration of the centenary, and which share the stage with Karol Szymanowski's "String Quartet no. 2".

Polish buffet banquet from Taste of Old Poland and Grandpa's cafe = Delicious Polish food + glass of wine for only $20

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Sun, Nov. 11, The symphonic offering is purely Polish (all Polish composers). The burgeoning Willamette Falls Symphony, conducted by Artistic Director Mark Perlman is joined by London-based, Portland native, violinist Darin Qualls, leading a program of rarely heard Polish music with Henryk Wieniawski's "Violin Concerto No.2 in D minor".  

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more info

Proud sponsors of Portland celebration:

Polish Library Building Association

Polish Festival PDX

St Stanislaus Parish

Cascadia Composers

Willamette Falls Symphony

Consulate General of Poland in Los Angeles

Matt Czyzewski

Joseph Bylina

Agnieszka Laska & Jack Gabel

25th Polish Festival is here!