Ballads

The creative process in contemporary music is always a multidimensional phenomenon at the intersection of the composer’s personal vision, aesthetics, and performance practice. By breaking away from established performance conventions for years and engaging in collaborative projects with various artists, we regard the consistent exploration of new forms of expression as one of the main pillars of our work. The upcoming concert in the Sinfonietta Nova series, which we will perform under the baton of Łukasz Błaszczyk on November 26 at the Łaźnia Nowa Theater, is yet another fruit of these artistic explorations.

The centerpiece of the program will be the world premiere of Wojciech Błażejczyk’s Ballads—a cycle for soprano, string orchestra, and electronics, composed as part of the “Composition Commissions” program. The vocal part has been entrusted to Agata Zubel, an outstanding singer and composer of international renown who has collaborated with, among others, Klangforum Wien, Ensemble InterContemporain, and the London Sinfonietta. We will also present Marcel Chyrzyński’s Ukiyo-e. This composition was inspired by Japanese woodblock prints from the Edo period bearing the same name, which literally means “pictures of the fleeting world.” Here, the composer creates a fascinating translation of visual art into the language of sound.

The evening will be rounded out by Jerzy Bauer’s Introduction and Three Prayers for Peace. This is a work with a unique sound and deep emotional resonance, which, in an era of global tensions and conflicts, takes on special significance today, becoming a moving reflection on human suffering.

Funded by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage from the Culture Promotion Fund – a state special-purpose fund, as part of the “Composer Commissions” programme implemented by the National Institute of Music and Dance.

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