October 13 – November 11, 2026 New York – Houston – Lincroft, NJ – Boston
The Rathaus Festival is a continuation of the initiative launched by the Polish Chamber Musicians’ Association in 2021, dedicated to spotlighting extraordinary works of émigré composers who, like Karol Rathaus, forged new artistic paths in the face of displacement. These composers, uprooted by the upheavals and totalitarian regimes of the 20th century, carried with them diverse cultural traditions and artistic visions. Uprooted from their homelands, they were never fully integrated into their new environments. The project seeks to bring them out of this “limbo,” reclaim their legacy, and introduce audiences to their music, which holds immense artistic value.
Karol Rathaus (1895–1954) was a distinguished Polish composer of Jewish origin whose life embodies the émigré experience. Born in Tarnopol (now Ternopil, Ukraine), he studied in Vienna and Berlin under Franz Schreker and achieved early success as a composer in Weimar Germany. When his works were condemned by the Nazis as “degenerate art,” Rathaus left Europe and eventually settled in Flushing, Queens, in 1938. He became the first professor of composition at Queens College (now the Aaron Copland School of Music) of the newly-created Queens College of the City University of New York.
The 2026 edition places particular focus on the music of Mieczysław Weinberg, Szymon Laks, and Roman Ryterband—composers whose biographies reflect displacement, survival, and the complex cultural identities of twentieth-century Europe. Their works bring together Polish, Jewish, Yiddish, and broader Central and Eastern European musical traditions.
Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at 7:30 PM Center for Jewish History 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011
Performers: Jarosław Nadrzycki, violin; Hanna Hipp, mezzo-soprano; Yosif Feigelson, cello; Grzegorz Mania, piano
Program Mieczysław Weinberg – Sonatina, Op. 46 for violin and piano Roman Ryterband – Trois Ballades Hébraïques for violin and piano Mieczysław Weinberg – Sonata No. 3 for Solo Cello, Op. 106 Mieczysław Weinberg – Biblia Cygańska / Gypsy Bible, Op. 57, lyrics by Julian Tuwim Mieczysław Weinberg – Jüdische Lieder / Jewish Songs, Op. 13, lyrics by Itzhok Lejb Peretz Szymon Laks – Elegia żydowskich miasteczek / Elegy for Jewish Villages, lyrics by Antoni Słonimski Szymon Laks – Pocałunki / Kisses, lyrics by Ludwik Żuk-Skarszewski Szymon Laks – Walczyk / Little Waltz, lyrics by Julian Tuwim
Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 6:30 PM Holocaust Museum Houston 5401 Caroline Street, Houston, TX 77004
Performers: Jarosław Nadrzycki, violin; Hanna Hipp, mezzo-soprano; Andrzej Ciepliński, clarinet; Grzegorz Mania, piano
Program Mieczysław Weinberg – Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 28 Szymon Laks – Huit chants populaires juifs / Eight Jewish Folk Songs (Yiddish) Roman Ryterband – Three Hebrew Songs (Hebrew) Szymon Laks – Polish Songs Roman Ryterband – Trois Ballades Hébraïques / Three Hebrew Ballades Mieczysław Weinberg – Rhapsody on Moldovan Themes, Op. 43 No. 3
Performers: Marta Gidaszewska, violin; Hanna Hipp, mezzo-soprano; Grzegorz Mania, piano
Program Szymon Laks – Huit chants populaires juifs / Eight Jewish Folk Songs (Yiddish) Roman Ryterband – Three Hebrew Songs (Hebrew) Szymon Laks – Polish Songs Grzegorz Fitelberg – Romance, Op. 11 in A major for violin and piano Grzegorz Fitelberg – Mazurka for violin and piano Roman Ryterband – Trois Ballades Hébraïques Mieczysław Weinberg – Rhapsody on Moldovan Themes, Op. 43 No. 3
Performers: Marta Gidaszewska, violin; Hanna Hipp, mezzo-soprano; Piotr Lato, clarinet; Grzegorz Mania, piano
Program Mieczysław Weinberg – Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 28 Szymon Laks – Huit chants populaires juifs / Eight Jewish Folk Songs (Yiddish) Roman Ryterband – Three Hebrew Songs (Hebrew) Szymon Laks – Polish Songs Roman Ryterband – Trois Ballades Hébraïques Mieczysław Weinberg – Rhapsody on Moldovan Themes, Op. 43 No. 3
About the Polish Chamber Musicians’ Association
Established in 2014, the Polish Chamber Musicians’ Association (PCMA) is one of Poland’s largest and most active organizations devoted to chamber music. A central part of its mission is the rediscovery and promotion of Polish music, with particular attention to composers whose works have been overlooked or forgotten. PCMA has become an important center for the performance and research of Polish-Jewish music and has organized annual U.S. tours since 2021.
Hanna Hipp–mezzo-soprano
Hanna Hipp’s ardent and impassioned singing has made her a favorite in leading lyric mezzo-soprano repertoire around the world. Recent appearances include Offred in The Handmaid’s Tale at the Royal Danish Theatre; Der Komponist in Ariadne auf Naxos at Glyndebourne Festival and Opera North; Dorabella in Così fan tutte at Seattle Opera and English National Opera; and Cherubino and Hänsel at the Royal Ballet and Opera, Covent Garden. On the concert platform she has performed with Sir Simon Rattle and the London Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Jurowski and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and other leading European orchestras. She is a recipient of the 2026 Creative Scholarship of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.
Jarosław Nadrzycki – violin
Jarosław Nadrzycki is one of the leading Polish violinists of his generation. He made his solo debut at the age of twelve at the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory and has since appeared with orchestras and ensembles throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas. A laureate of numerous international competitions, he has performed with major orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Hamburg Philharmonic, MDR Symphony Orchestra, and Simón Bolívar Orchestra of Venezuela.
Yosif Feigelson – cello
Latvian-born American cellist Yosif Feigelson studied at the Moscow Conservatory with Mstislav Rostropovich and Natalia Gutman and is a prizewinner of the International Tchaikovsky and International Bach competitions. A passionate advocate for overlooked repertoire, Feigelson has played an important role in the rediscovery of Mieczysław Weinberg’s music for cello. He gave the world premiere of Weinberg’s 24 Preludes for Solo Cello, Op. 100, and recorded the cycle as well as Weinberg’s four solo cello sonatas. He has performed as a soloist throughout the United States and Europe and received an Avery Fisher Career Grant in 1990.
Marta Gidaszewska– violin
Marta Gidaszewska is an award-winning Polish violinist, chamber musician, and educator whose international career has taken her across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. A laureate of more than 130 national and international violin competitions, including over 100 first prizes, she was a finalist of the 2018 Karol Szymanowski International Music Competition. Since 2019 she has performed in the Polish Violin Duo with Robert Łaguniak; the ensemble’s recordings received Fryderyk Award nominations in 2024 and 2026. She teaches at the I. J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań.
Andrzej Ciepliński – clarinet
Polish clarinetist Andrzej Ciepliński is recognized for his original interpretations and exceptional musical sensitivity. He has appeared with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Sinfonieorchester Basel, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonietta Cracovia, and Polish Radio Orchestra. His debut album Irrberge was nominated for the 2023 Fryderyk Award. A Kościuszko Foundation scholar, he completed a residency at YIVO Institute for Jewish Research in New York. In October 2026 he makes his Carnegie Hall debut with the American Composers Orchestra in the U.S. premiere of Alex Weiser’s Tfiles Clarinet Concerto, written for him.
Piotr Lato – clarinet
Piotr Lato is an acclaimed Polish clarinetist, educator, and recording artist who has appeared extensively as a soloist and chamber musician. A semifinalist of the Prague Spring International Clarinet Competition, he has participated in numerous international festivals and recordings. He is Vice Rector for Art and Research Affairs at the Krzysztof Penderecki Academy of Music in Kraków and has received numerous distinctions, including the Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis.
Grzegorz Mania – piano
Grzegorz Mania is a pianist, chamber musician, educator, and co-founder of the Polish Chamber Musicians’ Association. A graduate of the Academy of Music in Kraków and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, he also holds a Ph.D. in music and copyright law. He performs internationally as a recitalist, soloist, and chamber musician and records regularly. Mania is a professor at the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz and serves as artistic director of several chamber music festivals in Poland.
The Rathaus Festival is presented by the Polish Chamber Musicians’ Association. The project is co-financed by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland through the Culture Promotion Fund and is presented in partnership with the Polish Cultural Institute New York. Partners and presenters include the Aaron Copland School of Music, Queens College, Holocaust Music Lost & Found, the Polish Music Center at USC, JCC Staten Island, Center for Jewish History, University of St. Thomas, Southwestern College, University of Washington, Dom Polski in Seattle, and the Polish Consulates in Houston, New York, and Los Angeles.
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