Penderecki’s Garden is a virtual, interactive space inspired by the work of Krzysztof Penderecki, one of Poland’s most celebrated composers, who passed away on 29th March 2020. Through the virtual garden’s layout, architectural structures and vegetation, audiences are invited to explore the life of Penderecki alongside compositions, inspirations and poems.

Penderecki’s Garden will provide a comprehensive overview of the composer’s legacy. Short sound, visual and audio-visual pieces will show the scale and significance of the cultural phenomenon of Penderecki’s music which crosses over multiple genres including film, rock, jazz, classical and electronic.

In connection with the project, the AMI released a special digital album featuring Penderecki’s lesser-known Painters of Gdańsk, a 20-minute piece he wrote as the soundtrack Marian Ussorowski’s film of the same name in 1964. To go alongside this piece, AMI commissioned three Polish artists – DJ duo Skalpel, sound artist Robert Piotrowicz and composer Paweł Romańczuk – to compose short works inspired by Penderecki, all of which were written in 2020. The digital album will be available to listen to for free in April, and a number of limited-edition vinyl will be available throughout 2021.

Krzysztof Penderecki (23rd November 1933 – 29th March 2020) was a Polish composer and conductor whose versatile musical output was referenced across a wide range of genres. Penderecki won many prizes and awards including the Sibelius Gold Medal, two Prix Italia and five Grammy Awards. One of Penderecki’s most well-known works is Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima, a work written in 1960, which was awarded the Tribune Internationale des Compositeurs UNESCO prize.

Aside from being a ground-breaking musician, he devoted his free time to nurturing his remarkable garden in Lusławice, Poland. In his honour, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute has created a new digital space combining his two greatest passions – music and gardening – to celebrate his extraordinary life: a virtual garden, which will grow along with his legacy. Enter pendereckisgarden.pl, and watch it bloom.

Source: Culture.pl