classical music

about the artists:

The band Kwadrofonik, whose members are Magdalena Kordylasińska, Miłosz Pękala (percussion), Emilia Sitarz and Bartłomiej Wąsik (piano), is the only such quartet in Poland and one of a few in the world. Since 2006, they perform compositions from the 20th and 21st century, among others Sonata for two pianos and percussion by B. Bartok, Macrocosmos II by C. Crumb, Linea by L. Berio and America Fantasy by K. Helweg. The musicians often improvise while working on their music, following their sound experiences and striving to exploit the possibilities offered by two pianos and percussion to the maximum. They lead fascinating musical dialogues, for example between the pianos and percussion instruments when the instruments exchange functions almost imperceptibly – the pianos become percussion instruments, while percussion instruments become the melodic ones. Their concerts are characterized by a tremendous precision of performance, spontaneity and great contact with the audience. The musicians create an incredible show in which they artistically incorporate over several dozen instruments. Their last project – that of arranging folk songs – met with an enthusiastic reception during the 9th Folk Music Festival "Nowa Tradycja" ["New Tradition"] in 2006. During the festival the musicians were awarded the Grand Prix, an Award from the President of Warsaw and an award from the public – "Burza Braw" ["Burst of Applause"].

Lutosławski Piano Duo is one of the leading piano duos of the young generation in the world. It specialized in one area only – playing on two pianos or playing duets. Emilia Sitarz and Bartłomiej Wąsik are graduates of the Frederic Chopin Music Academy in Warsaw and post-graduate master studies at the Hochschule fur Musik und Theater in Rostock. Their musical journey began in 1999 under the supervision of some of the greatest piano duos – Brach Eden and Alexander Tamir (Israel), Hans-Peter and Volker Stenzl (Germany), as well as the chamber musician Krystyna Borucińska. During the next years, they won numerous awards at international reviews and competitions, among others in Poland, Greece, Czech Republic, Italy and Lithuania. They also performed during many European festivals. The vast repertoire of the duo includes around one hundred works – from Baroque to contemporary music, their own pieces for two pianos or duets, and original transcriptions of symphonic works. In 2007, the Polish Radio published their debut album which contains performances by Stravinsky, Poulenc, Lutosławski and Kagel. Since 2006, the duo is also a part of the band Kwadrofonik.

Chen Zimbalista is an outstanding Israeli percussionist who has won acclaim among the audiences around the world through his incredibly fast and rhythmic technique. Zimbalista performs on over 40 instruments, using some of them simultaneously. His music escapes all classification efforts. His repertoire is a true feast, as it covers classical styles, blues, jazz and, occasionally, rock. Chen is the laureate of many international competitions. He performed alongside Detroit Symphony and alongside the most important Israeli orchestras.