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SUMMARY:KAROL RATHAUS FESTIVAL 2026
UID:https://instytutpolski.pl/newyork/2026/10/07/karol-rathaus-festival-2026/
LOCATION:
DTSTAMP:20261013
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Warsaw:20261013
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Warsaw:20261111
DESCRIPTION:October 13 – November 11, 2026New 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 PMCenter for Jewish History15 West 16th
Street, New York, NY 10011
Performers: Jarosław Nadrzycki, violin; Hanna Hipp, mezzo-soprano; Yosif
Feigelson, cello; Grzegorz Mania, piano
ProgramMieczysław Weinberg – Sonatina, Op. 46 for violin and pianoRoman
Ryterband – Trois Ballades Hébraïques for violin and pianoMieczysław
Weinberg – Sonata No. 3 for Solo Cello, Op. 106Mieczysław Weinberg –
Biblia Cygańska / Gypsy Bible, Op. 57, lyrics by Julian TuwimMieczysław
Weinberg – Jüdische Lieder / Jewish Songs, Op. 13, lyrics by Itzhok Lejb
PeretzSzymon Laks – Elegia żydowskich miasteczek / Elegy for Jewish
Villages, lyrics by Antoni SłonimskiSzymon Laks – Pocałunki / Kisses,
lyrics by Ludwik Żuk-SkarszewskiSzymon Laks – Walczyk / Little Waltz,
lyrics by Julian Tuwim
Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 6:30 PMHolocaust Museum Houston5401 Caroline
Street, Houston, TX 77004
Performers: Jarosław Nadrzycki, violin; Hanna Hipp, mezzo-soprano; Andrzej
Ciepliński, clarinet; Grzegorz Mania, piano
ProgramMieczysław Weinberg – Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 28Szymon
Laks – Huit chants populaires juifs / Eight Jewish Folk Songs
(Yiddish)Roman Ryterband – Three Hebrew Songs (Hebrew)Szymon Laks –
Polish SongsRoman Ryterband – Trois Ballades Hébraïques / Three Hebrew
BalladesMieczysław Weinberg – Rhapsody on Moldovan Themes, Op. 43 No. 3
Friday, November 6, 2026 • 7:00 PMUnitarian Universalist Congregation of
Monmouth CountyLincroft, New Jersey
Performers: Marta Gidaszewska, violin; Hanna Hipp, mezzo-soprano; Grzegorz
Mania, piano
ProgramSzymon Laks – Huit chants populaires juifs / Eight Jewish Folk
Songs (Yiddish)Roman Ryterband – Three Hebrew Songs (Hebrew)Szymon Laks
– Polish SongsGrzegorz Fitelberg – Romance, Op. 11 in A major for
violin and pianoGrzegorz Fitelberg – Mazurka for violin and pianoRoman
Ryterband – Trois Ballades HébraïquesMieczysław Weinberg – Rhapsody
on Moldovan Themes, Op. 43 No. 3
Monday, November 9, 2026 at 7:00 PMTemple Israel of BostonBoston,
Massachusetts
Performers: Marta Gidaszewska, violin; Hanna Hipp, mezzo-soprano; Piotr
Lato, clarinet; Grzegorz Mania, piano
ProgramMieczysław Weinberg – Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 28Szymon
Laks – Huit chants populaires juifs / Eight Jewish Folk Songs
(Yiddish)Roman Ryterband – Three Hebrew Songs (Hebrew)Szymon Laks –
Polish SongsRoman Ryterband – Trois Ballades HébraïquesMieczysław
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
Yosif Feigelson – cello
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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