July 7, 2023 at 10:15am MT
International Clarinet Congress ClarinetFest in Denver
Westin Westminster Ballroom, 10600 Westminster Blvd, Westminster, CO 80020
Free of charge
This event is recommended by the Polish Cultural Institute New York.
Program
Karlheinz Stockhauen – Harlekin for clarinet solo
Barbara Borowicz – clarinet
Bartosz Sałdan – light engineer
On July 7th 2023, during International ClarinetFest in Denver, outstanding polish clarinetist Barbara Borowicz will perform one of the most demanding pieces in whole clarinet repertoire, Harlekin by Karlheinz Stockhausen. The piece, written in 1975, represents instrumental theatre genre. Its name refers to Italian dell’arte comedy and its most characteristic figure – Harlequin. Harlekin is a one-movement piece, lasting more than 45 minutes. 7 movements are played attacca and shows 7 various personalities of Harlequin. Performance requires from the clarinetist not only proper preparation of the musical aspects, but also laborious preparations in the field of dance, scenic movement, pantomime and costume design for the performer. Stockhausen dedicated his piece to talented clarinetist Suzanne Stephens, with whom Barbara Borowicz had pleasure to work on it, as the only Polish artist. Moreover, Barbara Borowicz will be first female Polish headline artist in the history of ClarinetFest.
Barbara Borowicz graduated with honors from the Academy of Music in Krakow (Poland) in the clarinet class of Professor Andrzej Godek. She continued her musical education at Accademia Nazionale di Santa Ceclia in Rome (Italy) with Alessandro Carbonare and at theUniversität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna (Austria) in the chamber music class. In addition she improve her musical interpretation of Karlheinz Stockhausen’s pieces with remarkable clarinetist Suzanne Stephens, who is the most accomplished performer of his music. Moreover, in her repertoire there is one of the most demanding piece for clarinet – Harlekin for clarinet solo, which contains theatrical elements and takes over 45 minutes. In 2017 she received a doctor’s degree and in 2022, she received postdoctoral degree at the instrumental Music Department at the Krzysztof Penderecki Academy of Music in Krakow. She is currently professor of the clarinet at her alma mater. Since 2020 she is a country chair of Poland in the International Clarinet Association. As a soloist she made her debut with the Opole Philharmonic Orchestra in Poland and since then she has been regularly performing in Europe, North America, Australia, Africa and Asia in prestigious concert halls such as the Sydney Opera House, Royal Concertgebouw. She is a laureate of numerous solo and chamber music competitions in Poland, Germany, Luxembourg, Greece, Italy, Serbia, Slovenia, Lithuania and Ukraine. A special place in her solo repertoire has Polish music, which she has actively performed in Poland and abroad, including compositions written for her, e. g. Marcel Chyrzynski, Ewa Fabianska-Jelinska, Michal Jakub Papara. In 2019 was published her CD with world premieres pieces for clarinet and piano written by forgotten polish composer Witold Friemann, released by the DUX Recording Producers. In 2016 her CD Double Clarinet Concertos was recorded with works for 2 clarinets and orchestra with clarinetist Andrzej Godek. Barbara was awarded repeatedly by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage as well as the Ministry of Science and Higher Education for her work within music and science. Moreover she received the Młoda Polska scholarship from the Polish Ministry of Culture as well as the award Ars Quaerendi for the remarkable activities for the development and the promotion of culture. Barbara Borowicz is an Artist for Henri Selmer, Vandoren and Silverstein Works.
Concert is organised by Life and Art Foundation based in Krakow (Poland) in cooperation with International Clarinet Association and partners: Stockhausen-Stiftung für Musik, Henri Selmer Paris, Vandoren, Silverstein Works, Clarineat. This project is co-financed by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland from the state budget.
