Tribute to Freedom – Sydney Town Hall – 1 June 2018
Celebration of Poland’s Independence through Classical Music. Gala concert of Polish music celebrate the 100th anniversary of the regaining of independence of Poland in 1918, after 123 years of non-existence as a nation. Organised by Polish Community Council of Australia (Rada Naczelna Polonii w Australii).
PART 1
Zygmunt Noskowski (1846-1909)
The Steppe, symphonic poem, Op.66 (1897)
Manly-Warringah Choir and Orchestra
Carlos Alvarado – conductor
Official part – Welcome, speeches Marta Kaczmarek – compère
Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)
Ballada No. 1 in G Minor, Op.23 Nocturne in C Minor, Op.48 Polonaise in A-Flat Major, Op.53 „Heroic”
Krzysztof Małek – piano
Richard Addinsell (1904–1977)
Warsaw Concerto (1941)
Alan Kogosowski- piano
Manly-Warringah Choir and Orchestra
Carlos Alvarado – conductor
Manly-Warringah Orchestra
Consists of professional musicians, who have also played with orchestras such the SSO and the AOBO. Colombian born conductor Dr Carlos Alvarado was educated in Moscow and Berlin. He is also a Musical Director of the renowned Manly Warringah Choir.
Krzysztof Małek – piano
A recognized performer of the works of Chopin and Liszt. Educated at the Akademia Muzyczna im. F. Chopina in Warsaw and the Vancouver Academy of Music in Canada. Laureate of international piano competitions in 1997 (Poland), 1999 (Lithuania), 2001 (Poland), 2007 (Australia). Performs in Europe, Asia, North America and Australia.
Alan Kogosowski – piano
A recognized performer of Chopin’s works. Studied at the Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris, also in Warsaw and London. The performer of the last public concert of Fryderyk Chopin (London, Chicago). Led a series of musical evenings (Schubertiada, London). He also ran a concert series at the Royal Academy of Arts, Leighton House, and Gibson Hall (London).
Marta Kaczmarek – compère
Concert host. Actress and poet. Author of the collection of poetry Adopted Earth (2004). Active on stage in Poland and Australia. Winner of the Equity Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2015 (Rake). She appeared in the Beast movie which won the main prize at the Flickerfest International Film Festival (2017).
PART 2
Karol Szymanowski (1882-1837)
Kurpie songs, Wysla burzycka (Op.85 No.2)
Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849) A Maiden’s Wish (Op.74, No.1), Spring (Op.74, No.2), Troubled Water (Op.74, No.3), My Darling (Op.74, No.12)
Daniela Leska – soprano
Benjamin Burton – piano
Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860-1941)
Piano Concerto in A minor, Op.17 (1888)
I.Allegro II. Romanza: Andante III. Allegro molto vivace
Konrad Olszewski – piano
Manly-Warringah Choir and Orchestra
Carlos Alvarado – conductor
Wojciech Kilar (1932-2013)
Polonaise from the movie “Pan Tadeusz” (1998)
Manly-Warringah Choir and Orchestra
Carlos Alvarado – conductor
Manly-Warringah Orchestra Consists of professional musicians, who have also played with orchestras such the SSO and the AOBO. Colombian born conductor Dr Carlos Alvarado was educated in Moscow and Berlin. He is also a Musical Director of the renowned Manly Warringah Choir.
Daniela Leska – soprano
Graduated from Adelaide’s Elder Conservatorium of Music and Western Australia’s Academy of Performing Arts. Collaborated with the State Opera of South Australia, Australian International Opera Company, Lyric Opera of Melbourne, Co-Opera Inc., Opera Projects Sydney, Australian Global Entertainment and Willoughby Symphony. Recently performs with the Opera Australia in “The Magic Flute”.
Benjamin Burton – piano
Scholarship holder of the Bel Canto Summer Program (Germany, 2014). Awarded the 2nd prize for the best pianist in the MIETTA Art Song Competition (2016). He was a member of Opera Australia’s NSW School’s Touring Company (2016) and has been accompanist at the Australian Institute of Music.
Konrad Olszewski – piano
Educated at the University of Melbourne. Studied in the master classes of Piotr Paleczny (Warsaw), Norma Fisher (London) and the Hellwig class (Berlin). Winner of piano competitions – Ewa Malewicz Musical Scholarship (Sydney, 2006), Dorothy Glover Memorial Award (2006), Herbert Davis Award (2006), Chris Krans Instrumental Award (2006) and Hephzibah Menuhin Memorial Award (2010). Scholarship holder John Allison Sydney Eisteddfod (2012).
Marta Kaczmarek – compère
Concert host. Actress and poet. Author of the collection of poetry Adopted Earth (2004). Active on stage in Poland and Australia. Winner of the Equity Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2015 (Rake). She appeared in the Beast movie which won the main prize at the Flickerfest International Film Festival (2017).
These reflective and patriotic Gala concerts will through music and artistic forms, underscore the values that Poland held dear during its period of non-existence, the values which helped Poland maintain its national identiy in times when the occupying countries were trying to impose their own values, and even the use of the Polish language was banned. Not to be underestimated, also, was the pervasive value of the folk traditions of music, art, song, dance and costume in unifying the occupied areas, but also in bringing inspiration to Chopin, Paderewski and other exiled composers, artists, writers and poets, who used these folk themes and melodies as sources for their own creativity, to bring courage and hope to a despairing national identity.
