SINFONIA VARSOVIA ORCHESTRA

…working with another orchestra did not give me as much satisfaction as my work, as a soloist and conductor, with the Sinfonia Varsovia orchestra – Yehudi Menuhin, August 29, 1991

…they are wonderful, they are one of the best orchestras not only in Poland. First class – Martha Argerich, August 23, 2009

EARLY YEARS
In April 1984, at the invitation of Waldemar Dąbrowski, the general director of the St. I. Witkiewicz Art Center in Warsaw, and Franciszek Wybrańczyk, the director of the already functioning Polish Chamber Orchestra, the legendary violinist Sir Yehudi Menuhin arrived in Poland for performances as a soloist and conductor. To meet the demands of the planned repertoire, the orchestra increased its size, inviting outstanding musicians from all over the country to collaborate. The first concerts of the ensemble under the baton of Yehudi Menuhin were met with enthusiastic reception from the audience and acclaim from critics, and Lord Menuhin unhesitatingly accepted the proposal of director Waldemar Dąbrowski and Franciszek Wybrańczyk, taking on the role of the first guest conductor of the newly formed symphony orchestra. It was named Sinfonia Varsovia.

TOURNEE (WORLD CAREER)
Soon the ensemble received its first concert proposals in the United States and Canada. After that, came subsequent ones – in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Austria, Finland, Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Greece, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Sinfonia Varsovia performed in the most prestigious concert halls in the world – New York's Carnegie Hall, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, Barbican Centre in London, Vienna's Musikverein, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, and Herkulessaal in Munich.

FESTIVALS
The Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra participated in renowned festivals, including Salzburg, Gstaad (Yehudi Menuhin Festival), Aix-en-Provence, Montreux, La Roque d’Anthéron, Schleswig-Holstein, Pablo Casals Festival, Würzburg, Alte Oper (Frankfurt n/M), Beethovenfest in Bonn, La Roque d’Anthéron, Festival de Musique de Menton, Queen Elisabeth Musical Voyage - Music Festival on the Mediterranean Sea, and many others. A special place in the orchestra's artistic season is occupied by the famous international music festival La Folle Journée, organized by the French association C.R.E.A. and its director – René Martin, taking place in France, Spain, and Japan. Sinfonia Varsovia regularly participates in the most important musical events in Poland. It is a permanent guest of the festivals: Chopin and his Europe, Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival, Warsaw Autumn, Witold Lutosławski Festival.

Crazy Days of Music
In 2010, the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra organized for the first time the La Folle Journ̩e / Crazy Days of Music - Chopin Open Festival in Warsaw. Subsequent editions of the festival РLes Titans (2011), Russia (2012), French and Spanish music (2013), America (2014) were met with enthusiastic reception from the audience. The last edition attracted a record number Рover 37,000 listeners. Over three days, during 55 concerts, 1,000 performers took the stage. The organizers of the Crazy Days of Music in Poland are the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra, C.R.E.A., and the Musical Gardens Foundation. The co-organizer is the Grand Theatre РNational Opera, where the third Warsaw edition of the festival will take place on September 25-27 this year.
Sinfonia Varsovia to Its City
A special attention deserves the Franciszek Wybrańczyk Festival Sinfonia Varsovia to Its City – a unique project initiated in 2001 by the founder and long-time director of the orchestra – Franciszek Wybrańczyk. This cyclical event, accessible to a very wide audience, has already become a permanent part of the cultural landscape of Warsaw and has gained the sympathy of its residents. The idea of the Festival is to present to the listeners great works of musical literature performed by the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra and outstanding soloists and conductors. Every year, in early autumn, the orchestra performs in various districts of the capital, often far from the mainstream of cultural events. The ensemble is led by the most distinguished Polish conductors – Jerzy Maksymiuk, Jacek Kaspszyk, Jan Krenz, Krzysztof Penderecki, as well as young masters of the baton – Wojciech Rodek, Łukasz Borowicz, Michał Dworzyński, Monika Wolińska, and Jakub Chrenowicz. The festival is organized by the Orchestra and the Sinfonia Varsovia Foundation.

Repertoire
The orchestra's repertoire is extremely rich and includes works from the 18th century to contemporary times. The ensemble has on its account world and Polish premieres of works by John Adams, Krzesimir Dębski, Jan A.P. Kaczmarek, Witold Lutosławski, Paweł Mykietyn, Onute Narbutaite, Krzysztof Penderecki, Zbigniew Preisner, Marta Ptaszyńska, Marcin Stańczyk, Paweł Szymański.

CONDUCTORS AND SOLOISTS
Sinfonia Varsovia performs with world-renowned conductors, among whom are: Claudio Abbado, Charles Dutoit, Lawrence Foster, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Valery Gergiev, Jacek Kaspszyk, Kazimierz Kord, Jan Krenz, Emmanuel Krivine, Witold Lutosławski, Lorin Maazel, Paul McCreesh, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Yehudi Menuhin, Marc Minkowski, Andres Mustonen, Krzysztof Penderecki, Jerzy Semkow.
During its numerous concerts, the orchestra has accompanied soloists of such stature as: Piotr Anderszewski, Martha Argerich, Yuri Bashmet, Boris Berezovsky, Teresa Berganza, Rafał Blechacz, Frank Braley, Alfred Brendel, Gautier Capuçon, Renaud Capuçon, José Carreras, José Cura, Plácido Domingo, Augustin Dumay, Nelson Freire, James Galway, Stephen Hough, Sharon Kam, Kiri Te Kanawa, Nigel Kennedy, Gidon Kremer, Aleksandra Kurzak, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Radu Lupu, Albrecht Mayer, Mischa Maisky, Shlomo Mintz, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Olga Pasiecznik, Murray Perahia, Maria João Pires, Ivo Pogorelić, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Vadim Repin, Mstislav Rostropovich, Heinrich Schiff, Howard Shelley, Henryk Szeryng, Fou Ts'ong, Maxim Vengerov, Andreas Vollenweider, Christian Zacharias, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Tabea Zimmermann, Grigorij Żyslin.

RECORDINGS
The Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra has made many recordings for records, radio, and television. The discography of the ensemble includes over 270 CDs recorded for such renowned, world-class labels as: Decca, Denon Nippon Columbia, Deutsche Grammophon, EMI, Naïve, Naxos, Sony, Virgin Classics, as well as Polish labels – BeArTon, CD Accord, DUX, Polskie Nagrania, Polskie Radio. Many of these recordings have received prestigious awards, including Diapason d’Or, Diapason Découverte, Grand Prix du Disque, and nine times the Fryderyk statuette. Among the most recommended recordings of the orchestra, it is worth mentioning the album Polish Symphonic Music of the 19th Century (CD Accord/Polskie Radio), Martha Argerich – live at the Grand Theatre – National Opera (CD Accord), recordings of Henryk Mikołaj Górecki's Third Symphony (Naïve), Mozart's piano concertos featuring Piotr Anderszewski (Virgin), works by Karol Szymanowski conducted by Jerzy Maksymiuk (BeArTon), and also the album The Romantic Clarinet recorded with the famous clarinetist Sharon Kam (Edel Classics). Both artistically and commercially successful were two albums (Bach, Handel) recorded for Deutsche Grammophon featuring the outstanding German oboist Albrecht Mayer, which for a long time maintained their position at the top of sales rankings. A significant contribution to the promotion of Polish music is the well-received worldwide album Polish Spirit by Nigel Kennedy and the Polish Chamber Orchestra, featuring violin concertos by Mieczysław Karłowicz and Emil Młynarski (EMI). The discography of the ensemble also includes many albums recorded under the baton of Lord Menuhin, including complete symphonies of Beethoven and Schubert recorded for IMG Records in 1996, on the occasion of the artist's 80th birthday. In June 2008, three albums in which Sinfonia Varsovia participated – Polish Chamber Orchestra: Handel, Telemann with Gábor Boldoczki (Sony/BMG Sony Classical), New Seasons with Albrecht Mayer (Universal/Deutsche Grammophon), and Polish Spirit with Nigel Kennedy (EMI Classics), were honored with the prestigious German phonographic award - Echo Klassik 2008. The album Polish Spirit also received the Polish phonographic award Fryderyk 2008 in the category Album of the Year – Symphonic and Concert Music, while the recording with the music of Mieczysław Karłowicz, recorded under the direction of Jerzy Maksymiuk and featuring violinist Agata Szymczewska, received the Fryderyk 2009 award. In 2010, the album with Chopin's piano concertos performed by Jan Lisiecki and Sinfonia Varsovia under the direction of Howard Shelley received the prestigious Diapason Découverte award. The latest releases featuring Sinfonia Varsovia include a CD with Witold Lutosławski's concerts interpreted by cellist Robert Cohen and pianist Ewa Pobłocka under the baton of Jerzy Maksymiuk (BeArTon 2013) and albums with the music of Pyotr Tchaikovsky, pianist Boris Berezovsky, and cellist Henri Demarquette (Mirare, 2013) and Chopin's concerts performed by Nikolai Lugansky (Naïve / Ambroisie, 2014); both recordings under the direction of Alexander Vedernikov.

SINFONIA VARSOVIA FOUNDATION
The artistic endeavors of the Orchestra are supported by the Sinfonia Varsovia Foundation. Founded in 2000 by Franciszek Wybrańczyk, it is a co-organizer of the annual Sinfonia Varsovia to Its City festival, promoting in particular Polish composers and young talents. The Sinfonia Varsovia Foundation is the sponsor of the Franciszek Wybrańczyk Artistic Scholarship, intended for young, talented musicians. The statutory activities of the Sinfonia Varsovia Foundation are supported by Polservice Patent Attorneys' Office.

DIRECTORS
In 1997, Krzysztof Penderecki became the music director, and in July 2003, the artistic director of the orchestra, a position he holds to this day, often collaborating with the orchestra as its conductor. The musicians perform together in the country and around the world, and the ensemble's repertoire includes many works by the composer, including Sinfonietta for Strings, Sinfonietta No. 2, Flute Concerto, Viola Concerto (also in cello and clarinet versions), Stabat Mater, De Profundis, Credo, and Seven Gates of Jerusalem.
In January 2011, the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra participated in the premiere of Krzysztof Penderecki's work Powiało na mnie morze snów…, which was written for the Fryderyk Chopin National Institute on the occasion of the conclusion of the Chopin Year celebrations. In November 2013, Sinfonia Varsovia participated in concerts held as part of the Krzysztof Penderecki Festival on the occasion of the composer's 80th birthday. Krzysztof Penderecki has recorded several albums with the orchestra, including his own albums.
From 2008 to 2012, the music director of the ensemble was the world-renowned French conductor – Marc Minkowski.
In 2004, Franciszek Wybrańczyk handed over the duties of the director of the Sinfonia Varsovia orchestra to his assistant, a long-time musician of the ensemble – Janusz Marynowski.

CULTURAL INSTITUTION
Until December 31, 2007, the ensemble operated at the St. I. Witkiewicz Art Center in Warsaw. Since January 1, 2008, the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra has been a self-governing cultural institution. The organizer of the Orchestra is the Capital City of Warsaw. The Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra has been honored with the title of Meritorious for Warsaw from the capital city of Warsaw, the Annual Honorary Award of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage for achievements in creativity and dissemination of culture, and a diploma from the Minister of Foreign Affairs for outstanding contributions to the promotion of Poland in the world.

NEW SEAT
In 2010, the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra received its own seat – the former Veterinary Institute of SGGW in Warsaw's Praga, at Grochowska Street 272. By the decision of the Warsaw City Council and its President Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, in June 2010, an international, open, and two-stage architectural competition was announced for the design of a new concert hall for 1,800 spectators and the architectural development of the property at Grochowska Street 272. The winning project was created in Atelier Thomas Pucher from Graz (Austria). Its distinction lies not only in the very characteristic frame surrounding the entire area at Grochowska Street 272 but also in the exceptional construction of the concert hall, which assumes the combination of the acoustics of box-type halls with vineyard-type auditoriums. According to the authors of the winning work, this is to ensure wonderful, unique acoustics. The authorities of the capital city of Warsaw are determined to implement this project in Warsaw's Praga. In 2015, in the presence of the President of the City of Warsaw Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, architect Thomas Pucher, and director of the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra Janusz Marynowski signed a contract for the project of preparing the design documentation for the new concert hall of Sinfonia Varsovia and the architectural development of the property at Grochowska Street 272. The new music center for Warsaw, focused around the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra, will not only be an attractive place for the presentation of classical music but also a place for leisure. It is to be an important space for people – residents of Praga, all of Warsaw, but also tourists visiting Poland. A wide artistic and educational program will be prepared with the needs of the audience of all ages and varying degrees of engagement in art in mind. The first concert in the new concert hall is to take place in October 2021.

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES
An important aspect of the activities of the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra are educational projects organized at the Orchestra's headquarters. In 2012, the Orchestra initiated the elite program Academy Sinfonia Varsovia, a series of workshops aimed at students and young graduates of music schools, preparing them to play in the best symphony orchestras. The workshops are led by concertmasters and soloists of Sinfonia Varsovia. The project is implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
Educational programs aimed at the youngest include, among others, projects co-organized with the Foundation Music is for Everyone: Smykofonia, a musical program for children up to five years old, and the Labyrinth Action aimed at primary school students and teachers. A special attention deserves the Summer Concerts at Grochowska, a series of chamber concerts preceded by commentary from musicologists and music critics, performed by young, talented artists recommended by the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra. Admission to the Summer Concerts at Grochowska is free.

JUBILEE
In 2014, Sinfonia Varsovia celebrated the 30th anniversary of its activities.

www.sinfoniavarsovia.org


mat. Warner Music Poland