Friday, September 17th, 7.00 p.m.

Official opening of the Festival

Friday, September 17th, 8.00 p.m.

Concert “2xChopin”
Jazz & classical music

Kae Shiraki (piano) and Adam Jagodziński Trio: Andrzej Jagodziński (piano), Adam Cegielski (double bass), Czesław Bartkowski (percussion)

Event information

Kae Shiraki, a young talented Japanese pianist living in Luxembourg, will play a classical version of Chopin's Sonata in b-minor op. 35, followed by a jazz adaptation of the same piece performed by the Adam Jagodziński Trio. The latter is one of the best known Polish jazz groups, giving concerts all over the world for the past 20 years. They specialize in jazz adaptations of Chopin's works. A must for music lovers!

Venues

• CCR Abbaye de Neumünster – 28, rue Münster, L-2160 Luxemburg.
  Tel.: (+352) 26 20 52 1. E-mail : contact@ccrn.lu
• Ancien Cinéma – 23, Grand-rue, L-9410 Vianden.
  Tel.: 26 87 45 32. E-mail : info@anciencinema.lu

Contact

• polska.lu asbl - 9 op Harent, L-9171 Michelau.
  Tel.: +352 691 894 169. E-mail: festival@polska.lu

Saturday, September 18th, 5.00 p.m.

“Chopin and folk, or songs in praise of the homeland”

A lecture by Roger Thoumieux, Director of Mozarteum/Lyon on folk inspirations in Chopin's music, richly illustrated with music and film.

Event information

All of Chopin's work is imbued with his love and longing of the lost homeland. The melodies of his mazurkas and polonaises are deeply rooted in the songs and dances of Masovia, where Chopin spent his childhood.

Roger Thoumieux will introduce us into the beautiful and magical world of Polish folklore hidden in Chopin's music. We will learn about the historical and social circumstances which shaped the young composer's artistic personality and about the links of his ancestors, not only to Masovia, but also to Lorraine. Finally, we will immerse ourselves in the wealth of Polish music traditions.

Saturday, September 18th, 8.00 p.m.

“The magical Polish countryside of Frédéric Chopin”

Chopin's piano works and original examples of Polish folk music

Janusz Prusinowski Ensemble: Janusz Prusinowski (violin, hurdy gurdy, vocal), Michał Żak (flute, shawm), Piotr Piszczatowski (drum, baraban), Piotr Zgorzelski (cello, bass), Magdalena Wojciechowska (piano)

Event information

The concert is a dialogue between the traditional music of the Polish countryside and Chopin's music, demonstrating a bond between these musical worlds. Talented artists from the Janusz Prusinowski Ensemble have attained the harmony of the two languages of music: the one of the eminent composer and the one derived from the traditional countryside music of central Poland.

Venues

• CCR Abbaye de Neumünster – 28, rue Münster, L-2160 Luxemburg.
  Tel.: (+352) 26 20 52 1. E-mail : contact@ccrn.lu
• Ancien Cinéma – 23, Grand-rue, L-9410 Vianden.
  Tel.: 26 87 45 32. E-mail : info@anciencinema.lu

Contact

• polska.lu asbl - 9 op Harent, L-9171 Michelau.
  Tel.: +352 691 894 169. E-mail: festival@polska.lu

Sunday, September 19th, 8.00 p.m.

„Anna Serafińska Groove Machine”
Rhythm & Groove

Anna Serafińska and her Ensemble: Anna Serafińska (vocal), Paweł Tomaszewski (keyboards), Michał Barański (bass guitar), Artur Lipiński (percussion), Anna Karamon (backing vocal), Aleksandra Nowak (backing vocal)

Event information

Despite her young age Anna Serafińska has a long list of artistic and pedagogic achievements. The winner of Grand Prix Montreux Jazz Festival in 2004 and of the Lady Summertime Jazz in Finland, she earned a Ph.D. in vocal jazz in the Academy of Music in Katowice.

Anna Serafińska Groove Machine is a remarkable project combining the singer's electrifying voice and a highly energetic music with pulsing grooves. This magical combination perfectly conveys the spirit of Chopin's music.

Venues

• CCR Abbaye de Neumünster – 28, rue Münster, L-2160 Luxemburg.
  Tel.: (+352) 26 20 52 1. E-mail : contact@ccrn.lu
• Ancien Cinéma – 23, Grand-rue, L-9410 Vianden.
  Tel.: 26 87 45 32. E-mail : info@anciencinema.lu

Contact

• polska.lu asbl - 9 op Harent, L-9171 Michelau.
  Tel.: +352 691 894 169. E-mail: festival@polska.lu

Tuesday, September 21st, 8.00 p.m.

Film cycle Chopin in Polish cinema
Youth of Chopin, directed by Aleksander Ford, 1951, 121 min

Event information

In the framework of the Festival of Polish Culture, organised in co-operation with the Ancien Cinéma in Vianden we present the film cycle "Chopin in Polish cinema". Fictions, documentaries, interviews, recordings of Chopin competitions and film chronicles have been restored and digitalised. The Ancien Cinéma proposes several films in three sets.

The first night will feature "Youth of Chopin" from 1951. The film shows five years of Frédéric Chopin's life against the chequered social and historical background which shaped him as an artist.

Venues

• CCR Abbaye de Neumünster – 28, rue Münster, L-2160 Luxemburg.
  Tel.: (+352) 26 20 52 1. E-mail : contact@ccrn.lu
• Ancien Cinéma – 23, Grand-rue, L-9410 Vianden.
  Tel.: 26 87 45 32. E-mail : info@anciencinema.lu

Contact

• polska.lu asbl - 9 op Harent, L-9171 Michelau.
  Tel.: +352 691 894 169. E-mail: festival@polska.lu

Thursday, September 23rd, 8.00 p.m.

“The Chopin Project”
Classical music & multimedia visualisations

Katarzyna Borek (piano), Karolina Piątkowska (violin), Maja Kuta (multimedia visualisations)

Event information

The Chopin Project is an innovative combination of a concerto for piano and violin and a visual interpretation of the music. The visual animations are presented in an original way - they are mixed in directly from a computer to a video projector, transmitting the images to a screen in the concert hall. These projected images change with the music. The basic premise of this project was to select and present Frederic Chopin’s best compositions in such a way, that not only music lovers but also people starting their adventure with classical music would appreciate his work.

Katarzyna Borek, Karolina Piątkowski and Maja Nowicka have created a dialogue between classical and modern. The project has been presented in numerous concerts to great acclaim from very demanding audiences. This was the case at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, the Polish Embassy in Brussels, concerts organised by the Warsaw Frederic Chopin Foundation as well as the International Chopin Festival in Duszniki Zdrój. They also won first prize and a scholarship from the Flemish government for the best classical programme - Young Talents 2009.

Venues

• CCR Abbaye de Neumünster – 28, rue Münster, L-2160 Luxemburg.
  Tel.: (+352) 26 20 52 1. E-mail : contact@ccrn.lu
• Ancien Cinéma – 23, Grand-rue, L-9410 Vianden.
  Tel.: 26 87 45 32. E-mail : info@anciencinema.lu

Contact

• polska.lu asbl - 9 op Harent, L-9171 Michelau.
  Tel.: +352 691 894 169. E-mail: festival@polska.lu

Friday, September 24th, 8.00 p.m.

Final concert - Lora Szafran “Only Chopin”
Jazz

Lora Szafran Sextet: Lora Szafran (vocal), Bernard Maseli (KAT), Piotr Biskupski (percussion), Dariusz Szymańczak (double bass), Michał Tokaj (piano), Jarosław Zawadzki (keyboards)

Event information

Lora Szafran is considered one of the most remarkable singers of Polish jazz. After graduating from the University of Music in Katowice (Jazz Instrumental and Vocal Division), she began her career in cooperation with the renowned Walk Away group. For over 20 years, she has collaborated with figures from the Polish jazz scene as Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski, Andrzej Włodzimierz Nahorny and Andrzej Jagodziński. The winner of numerous awards at international jazz festivals, Lora has also recorded seven solo albums and participated in several other projects as a guest.

Among jazz interpretations of Chopin, the one performed by Lora Szafran and Bernard Maselli is considered the closest to the original. The texts written by the eminent poet Justyna Holm enhance the beauty of Chopin’s music. The musicians who accompany Lora Szafran are leaders in the Polish jazz scene and they complement perfectly staying very close to the traditional arrangements which Bernard Maselli placed at the border of jazz. Combined with Lora Szafran’s vocals, the audience is guaranteed an unforgettable experience. The programme consists only of Chopin songs from the album of the same title edited by Lora Szafran’s label Polskie Nagrania.

Venues

• CCR Abbaye de Neumünster – 28, rue Münster, L-2160 Luxemburg.
  Tel.: (+352) 26 20 52 1. E-mail : contact@ccrn.lu
• Ancien Cinéma – 23, Grand-rue, L-9410 Vianden.
  Tel.: 26 87 45 32. E-mail : info@anciencinema.lu

Contact

• polska.lu asbl - 9 op Harent, L-9171 Michelau.
  Tel.: +352 691 894 169. E-mail: festival@polska.lu

Friday, September 25th, 9.00 p.m.

Chopin. His return
Jazz & vocal

Maciej Tubis (piano), Joanna Kondrat (vocal)

Event information

Maciej Tubis - founder and leader of the Tubis Trio, the group which launched the first Festival of Polish Culture in Luxembourg in 2008. The concert was recorded and the resulting CD was chosen as one of the best jazz CDs in the world in 2009 (the CD will be sold this year at the festival).

Joanna Kondrat - performer and author, winner of the most important literary festivals in Poland. For five years, with a group of musicians, she performed on the biggest stages in Poland: Theatre Nowy in Warsaw, Theatre Bagatela and Theatre Groteska in Krakow.

Chopin. The Return is a recital of music, interspersed with letters from Chopin, written by him during different periods of his life. This interpretation, presented in a small, proper form is an attempt to preserve them in the beautiful melodies for voice and piano. A touching correspondence between Frederick Chopin and his parents; warm voice and sensitive interpretation, a combination of jazz and classical piano, everything quite new, with the free arrangement of Maciej Tubis will certainly be an unforgettable experience. Chopin. The Return is an attempt to find other forms, refreshed ways, different to the well-known classical interpretations of Chopin's music and to bring them to a new audience.

Venues

• CCR Abbaye de Neumünster – 28, rue Münster, L-2160 Luxemburg.
  Tel.: (+352) 26 20 52 1. E-mail : contact@ccrn.lu
• Ancien Cinéma – 23, Grand-rue, L-9410 Vianden.
  Tel.: 26 87 45 32. E-mail : info@anciencinema.lu

Contact

• polska.lu asbl - 9 op Harent, L-9171 Michelau.
  Tel.: +352 691 894 169. E-mail: festival@polska.lu

Thursday, September 30th, 8.00 p.m.

Film cycle Chopin in Polish cinema
Chopin's three études, directed by Eugeniusz Cękalski, 1944, 12 min
The Chopin Recital in Duszniki, directed by Tadeusz Makarczyński, 1944, 11 min
Mazurki Chopina, directed by Tadeusz Makarczyński, 1949, 12 min
Chopin in Paris, directed by Stanisław Grabowski, 1969, 15 min
Born in Warsaw, directed by Maria Kwiatkowska, 1996, 55 min

Event information

In the framework of the Festival of Polish Culture, organised in co-operation with the Ancien Cinéma in Vianden we present the film cycle "Chopin in Polish cinema". Fictions, documentaries, interviews, recordings of Chopin competitions and film chronicles have been restored and digitalised. The Ancien Cinéma proposes several films in three sets.

The first night featured "Youth of Chopin" from 1951. The second one will feature: short films of the '40s and the documentary of Maria Kwiatkowska, Born a Varsovian... Remembering Warsaw Chopin Competitions (1996)

Venues

• CCR Abbaye de Neumünster – 28, rue Münster, L-2160 Luxemburg.
  Tel.: (+352) 26 20 52 1. E-mail : contact@ccrn.lu
• Ancien Cinéma – 23, Grand-rue, L-9410 Vianden.
  Tel.: 26 87 45 32. E-mail : info@anciencinema.lu

Contact

• polska.lu asbl - 9 op Harent, L-9171 Michelau.
  Tel.: +352 691 894 169. E-mail: festival@polska.lu

Thursday, October 7th, 6.30 p.m.

Chopin in der Film-Retrospektive

An evening with the movie Chopin: Desire for Love and the Polish actress Danuta Stenka (George Sand)

6.30 p.m. – Chopin according to Antczak. An interview with Jerzy Antczak and Piotr Adamczyk, 2010, 12 min
7.00 p.m. – Chopin: Desire for Love, directed by Jerzy Antczak, 2002, 123 min

After the seance discussion with Danuta Stenka.

Event information

The third night of the film festival with Chopin in the main role is different in every aspect from the previous evenings in the Ancien Cinéma. A new look at the life of Chopin - many awards at international festivals, and third at the box-office film in Poland - Chopin. Desire for Love, is showing the life of Chopin through his emotions, dilemmas and frustrations. The facts known and unknown. The love, emigration and the longing for the lost homeland, and especially music.

The special attraction of the evening will be the presence of Ms Danuta Stenka, who has played the role of George Sand in the movie. This incredibly talented actress, has earned three prestigious awards, she has an extraordinary gift of the incarnation of very different personalities, both in film and theatre. She excels not only in the melodrama, but in comedy (Never in my life), the cinema of sensation (Pitbull), TV series (Good address), or historical themes (Quo Vadis, Katyń). In theatre, Danuta Stenka has been working with directors like Polish Maja Kleczewska (Fedra, Marat / Sade), Krzysztof Warlikowski (The Taming of the Shrew, Krum, Apollonia), Grzegorz Jarzyna (Macbeth, T.E.O.R.E.M.A.T.). The actress will be available for the audience after the screening and she will of course be happy to answer the questions.

Venues

• CCR Abbaye de Neumünster – 28, rue Münster, L-2160 Luxemburg.
  Tel.: (+352) 26 20 52 1. E-mail : contact@ccrn.lu
• Ancien Cinéma – 23, Grand-rue, L-9410 Vianden.
  Tel.: 26 87 45 32. E-mail : info@anciencinema.lu

Contact

• polska.lu asbl - 9 op Harent, L-9171 Michelau.
  Tel.: +352 691 894 169. E-mail: festival@polska.lu