Unique sound, unique guardian
Moreover, the Sinfonietta was lucky with women from the very beginning. When a group of students from the Kraków Academy of Music founded a chamber ensemble, Elżbieta Penderecka took them under her wing. It was she who gave a fiery speech at the Kraków City Council about the need for the city to have its own orchestra, proposing that it be the Sinfonietta because of its unique string sound. The city’s patronage provided the band with financial stability, and the care of the Penderecki family increased its splendor. The musicians began to travel the world, giving concerts on important stages, where they performed, among others: works by Krzysztof Penderecki under their baton. To this day, they are associated with and appreciated for their interpretation of contemporary music. This is evidenced by the recent success of the “Penderecki 90” tour in Spain and Portugal. During it, Kraków artists performed, among others: in the beautiful hall of the Casa da Música in Porto, where they received a standing ovation.
Recent concert tours – including one to New York in the presence of Philip Glass himself – are an example of respect for the orchestra’s tradition and achievements to date. The current conductors are proud of them and at the same time leave their mark of quality on them. This happens, for example, by introducing into the repertoire music from films that the audience loves. Agata Grabowiecka, together with Robert Piaskowski, founded the Krakow Film Music Festival for 14 years, has excellent contacts with film composers and knows which ones will work well in a concert hall. Katarzyna Tomala-Jedynak, for her part, has expanded the group of artists with whom the orchestra cooperates. She invites conductors who already have a consolidated position in the market, but also those who are just starting out. She also has a rare talent for finding Poles who are looking for a career abroad but who are not yet appreciated at home. I recently brought to Krakow the flutist Zofia Neugebauer, who often plays in Switzerland.
Agata Grabowiecka: – Kasia and I complemented each other perfectly from the very first meeting at the Film Music Festival. Several composers attended this event, and Kasia, as conductor, often played the role of mediator between them and the orchestra. She impressed me by the fact that even in stressful situations she does not fall into extreme emotional states, as artists do. She is a man of dialogue. Working with her is a beautiful adventure. For two and a half years, we have never had a disagreement. Sometimes we have different opinions, but we have developed methods of compromise. Kasia focuses on the management of the band, rehearsals and repertoire, and I focus on the managerial care. Sometimes I also suggest that she invite an artist who will appeal to the young audience.
Looking to the future without giving up tradition
And both bosses are particularly concerned about this. Hence the new cyclical formats they have created. “Elektro Sinfonietta” is an offer for young people who can listen to classical music used in the world of anime or video games. – It happens that someone hears a piece by Bach in their favorite game and does not even know who composed it. The need for an attractive form of music education led to the “Cyberpunk” concert combined with projections prepared together with the Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology in Warsaw using artificial intelligence. Young people with colorful hair, earrings and extravagant clothes attended the concert. It was great because we rarely have such an audience.
The “Espresso” series is also very popular. On Sunday mornings, listeners are invited to Krakow’s museums for concerts combined with the performance of a selected work of art from the Sinfonietta’s repertoire. These are short, intense and as enjoyable as a sip of coffee, during which you can listen to mini-concerts of classical music and at the same time learn something about a painting or sculpture. This was the case at the National Museum, when the audience sat in front of “The Lady with an Ermine” or watched works by contemporary Polish sculptors accompanied by chamber music.
– We are also trying to strengthen the orchestra as a cultural institution. This is a strategic goal determined by the challenges of the future. In two years’ time, the Krakow Music Center will open, a modern concert hall for a thousand people, which we will share with Capella Cracoviensis. So we are preparing to fill it with audiences. We want this facility to be vibrant with life and music from morning to night. There will also be a professional recording studio there. I hope that composers who come to the Film Music Festival, after listening to our orchestra, will come back to us to record their works with us. Krakow will become a true capital of film music – shares her vision of Agata Grabowiecka, who has already presented Sinfonietta Cracovia on the Netflix platform. The band has recently recorded soundtracks for such series as “1899” and “The Girl and the Astronaut”.
Elegance and strength
The orchestra will celebrate its 30th anniversary on the stage of the ICE Kraków Congress Centre. On this occasion, on 7 October, the orchestra led by Katarzyna Tomala-Jedynak will perform with Mari Samuelsen. The Norwegian violinist, muse of Max Richter, will perform minimalist works by her beloved composer, as well as by Jóhann Jóhannsson, Hania Rani and Wojciech Kilar. It will not only be a classical concert, but also a multimedia spectacle – the music will be accompanied by visualizations by graphic designer and photographer Maciej Malinowski, which were created in Iceland under the influence of songs included in the concert repertoire. It will be a truly meditative and relaxing experience. Exactly what a stylish and confident 30-year-old woman deserves.
