Polish music has been a significant global reference point for decades; however, its current international renaissance is driven primarily by growing interest in the work of outstanding female composers.

An article featured in The Gramophone Magazine highlights Grażyna Bacewicz as the heart of this phenomenon:

• Her bold works are reaching the world’s major concert halls, and new symphonic cycles are being recorded by the BBC and WDR orchestras.
• Her work is championed today by distinguished artists (including Krystian Zimerman and Sakari Oramo), such as Korean violinist Bomsori Kim (Deutsche Grammophon), whose connection to the composer is the subject of an upcoming documentary by Jakub Piątek titled “Bomsori x Bacewicz.”
• The artist’s life and work are also explored in a new English-language biography by Joanna Sendłak (published by Equinox).
• The album “Polish Heroines” (ANAKLASIS)

The tradition of strong, independent women in Polish music, pioneered by Maria Szymanowska and Wanda Landowska, is being carried forward today by a generation of determined contemporary female creators. Their legacy and remarkable synergy are perfectly showcased on the album “Polish Heroines”, available on all streaming platforms. The record bridges generations and styles:

• Elżbieta Sikora who blends electronic music with tradition in “Sonosphère V”, a tribute to Landowska (performed by the Orchestre Pasdeloup and Marzena Diakun).
• Hanna Kulenty who is renowned internationally for her unique style of “arc polyphony.”
• Agata Zubel and Marta Ptaszyńska as outstanding composer-performers pushing the boundaries of vocal techniques and rhythmic percussive energy.

Find out more at Sounds of Poland: https://soundsofpoland.com/

Read the full article here: https://www.gramophone.co.uk/content/features/the-women-behind-poland-s-musical-revolution

PODCAST:

The music of the Polish composer Grażyna Bacewicz is undergoing a long-overdue renaissance. Her output was extensive and extraordinarily rich, as both the pianist Peter Jablonski and the violinist Bomsori Kim have proved in their explorations of her work.

To celebrate not only Bacewicz’s music but Polish music in general, Gramophone’s James Jolly spoke to Jablonski and Kim about their individual journeys through Poland’s music.

The podcast episode is presented in association with the Polish Cultural Institute and PWM Edition, since 1945 Poland’s leading music publisher whose catalogue includes the complete works of Fryderyk Chopin, Mieczysław Karłowicz, Stanisław Moniuszko and Karol Szymanowski.

Peter Jablonski, who records for Ondine, and Bomsori Kim, a DG artist, are PWM ambassadors.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts!

Find out more about the PODCAST: HERE