Following the spirit of this year’s motto, „Afterglows & Afterimages”, the festival will embark on a unique journey towards the turn of centuries, the birth of modernity and the end of great musical narratives. The motto of this year’s festival is a metaphor for subtle illusions and vivid impressions that stay in the memory after the last sound dies away.

The Festival will begin on a high note – with a unique concert by Olga Pasiecznik and the Equilibrium String Quartet, who will present a less obvious Polish early-Romantic repertoire – songs by Chopin in new arrangements and chamber works by Moniuszko, Elsner, Lessel and Kurpiński.

One of the festival highlights will be the performance of Julian Rachlin, an internationally renowned Lithuanian violinist who, at the age of thirteen, as the youngest soloist in the history of the Vienna Philharmonic, made his debut with this ensemble under the baton of Riccardo Muti. The evening at the Grand Theater – National Opera in Warsaw will be a juxtaposition of two contrasting visions of 19th-century instrumental music – from Mendelssohn’s classical elegance to Mahler’s programmatic narrative.

The Eufonie programme also features the majestic St. Luke Passion by Krzysztof Penderecki, a symbol of 20th-century Polish music, which will be performed in Warsaw, as well as in two places that were particularly dear to the composer – Lusławice and his native town of Dębica. The programme includes a counterpoint to Penderecki’s work, the Passion by the Croatian composer Berislav Šipuš, while further contemporary references to faith and spirituality in music will be represented by pieces by the Estonian master Arvo Pärt, whose 90th birthday we celebrate this year, as well as works by Balkan composers – Frano Parać from Serbia and Berislav Šipuš from Croatia.

The Festival also presents a living tradition, which can be heard in the performance of, among others, the Macedonian pianist Simon Trpčeski. His „Makedonissimo” project is a colourful journey to the heart of traditional Macedonian songs and dances. The trend of referring to musical sources will be represented by concerts with music by George Enescu and Antonín Dvořák.

This year’s Eufonie will also focus on Chopin – the year 2025 marks another edition of the International Chopin Piano Competition. As both events are held at a similar time, we have come up with a series of nine free Chopin recitals with the participation of young pianists, beneficiaries of the „Young Poland” programme, which will be a natural dialogue with the Competition, creating Chopinesque afterimages.

In addition to the group of classical concerts, the programme of the seventh edition of the Eufonie Festival is based on two more pillars – Little Eufonie addressed to the youngest music lovers and their caregivers, as well as the Altersounds cycle, dedicated to enthusiasts of club music, electronic music and jazz. We will listen to projects by Hatti Vatti – Zeit – and Stefan Wesołowski – Song of the Night Mists. In turn, the Polski Piach band will present an iconic figure of Polish animation, Zenon Kowalowski’s „Reksio”, in a blues and improvised version.

The 2025 Eufonie Festival is an example of building a transnational partnership network and institutional cooperation. The Festival will host outstanding symphonic ensembles from Croatia (Croatian Radiotelevision Choir and Orchestra in Zagreb), Romania (George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra) and Poland (Sinfonia Varsovia, orchestras of the Warsaw, Krakow, Silesian, Opole and Warmia and Mazury Philharmonics). Gala concerts in Krakow and Warsaw with the participation of the Minister of Culture of Romania will crown the Poland-Romania Cultural Season. The Festival also pays tribute to great figures of European music: Arvo Pärt in the year of his 90th birthday, Vytautas Bacevičius on the 120th anniversary of his birth, George Enescu on the 70th anniversary of his death and Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis – Lithuanian composer and painter brought up in the circle of Polish culture on the 150th anniversary of his birth.

This year’s edition of the Eufonie Festival is more than concerts – it is a polyphonic journey encompassing over ten cities in Poland and abroad. It is a tale of affinity and common roots, known and unknown, spirituality and silence, tradition and modernity. Excellent artists – soloists, orchestras and choirs from Poland and Europe – will perform together to create a unique panorama of the music of our region. This year’s Eufonie is a festival that asks you to immerse yourself both in sound and in image. And then look at what stays in between.

Organisers: Narodowe Centrum Kultury & Ministerstwo Kultury i Dziedzictwa Narodowego

Programme and tickets: www.eufonie.pl, www.nck.pl