Celebration of Mazurkas

Sunday, April 7, 2013 @ 1:30pm

Polish Hall
3832 N Interstate Ave, Portland, OR 97227

Fine regional pianists: Colleen M Adent, Anne D Young, Christopher Schindler; perform mazurkas of three immortal Polish composers: Fryderyk Chopin, Karol Szymanowski, Roman Maciejewski.

Poland's most distinctive music is as sweet as its finest dessert; Mazur and Mazurek, respectively (Mazurka in English); baked only at Easter time. The weekend following Easter this year, we'll be enjoying both at Polish Hall - admission: $10, all inclusive (entertainment and desserts).
Mazurek cakes, baked in local Polish kitchens, will be served with coffee and tea. Selected fine Polish liqueurs will be available (in moderation, of course) at Grandpas' cafe, in the lower level of Polish Hall.

The musical mazurka (in Polish, mazurek ) traditionally accompanies a Polish folk dance in triple meter, usually at a lively tempo, accented on the second or third beat, though there are slower, more lyrical ones as well. Show opens with a brief introduction by  University of Portland Professor Kenneth Kleszynski and includes a cameo appearance by Agnieszka Laska Dancers - a few pieces from the Chopin Project.

Those joining the celebration will be treated to mazurkas by 3 immortal Polish composers: Fryderyk Chopin, (best known), Karol Szymanowski (less well known) and Roman Maciejewski, (least known). His mazurkas, from a 2-volume collection of 39, are very likely Portland concert premieres. Maciejewski was born exactly 100 years after Chopin, was highly acclaimed by Szymanowski, a student of Kaimierz Sikorski and Nadia Boulanger; he is best known from his monumental Requiem for victims of war.

March Music Moderne Inauguration

Thursday, March 7, 2013 @ 7:00pm

Polish Hall
3832 N Interstate Ave, Portland, OR 97227

MARCH MUSIC MODERNE III
POLISH MUSIC AT POLISH HALL
Listening to the Here of the Now

Two upcoming festivals are teaming up to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the infamous Stravinsky/Nijinsky collaboration, "The Rite of Spring", the 100th anniversary of the birth of Polish composer Witold Lutoslawski and finally the 55th year of internationally renowned Finnish composer and conductor, Esa-Pekka Salonen - devotee of both Stravinsky and Lutoslawski.

The festival will open on the March 'First Thursday' Portland Arts Walk, with a free celebration at Polish Hall, including free musical performances, rarely seen film clips, free food and drink.

Featured artists:
The Agnieszka Laska Dancers with "The Augurs of Spring," an excerpted preview of Laska's new choreography commissioned by PSU Orchestra to be premiered June 7th as part of The Rite of Spring Centenary.

Arnica String Quartet members violist, Charles Nobel cellist, Heather Blackburn, performing Witold Lutoslawski's "Bucolics"

Northwest New Music Founder cellist, Diane Chaplin, performing "Yta III" by Esa-Pekka Salonen

Panel discussion with...
Paul Schiavo - moderator (program notes annotator for Lincoln Center & Seattle Symphony), James Bash (Oregon Music News), Brett Campbell (Willamette Week, Oregon Arts Watch), David Schiff (Reed College), James McQuillen (The Oregonian), Dan Rasay (Oregon Symphony & Classical Revolution PDX board member), Mattie Kaiser, (cofounder Classical Revolution PDX) Bob Priest (March Music Moderne, Free Marz String Trio, Marzena, Seattle Spring, founder and chief organizer)

FREE

MARCH MUSIC MODERNE is generously sponsored & funded by WillaKenzie Estate - - POLISH MUSIC AT POLISH HALL is supported by Regional Arts and Culture Council - - Ears Wide Open is presented & sponsored by Marzena in collaboration with Polish Music @ Polish Hall, Polish Library Association, St Stanislaus Parish an Polish Festival.


more info: http://www.marchmusicmoderne.org/wp/schedule/

Ada, Don't Do that! Ada to nie wypada!

Sunday, February 10, 2013 @ 5:00pm

Polish Hall
3832 N Interstate Ave, Portland, OR 97227

Sisters Adrianna and Joanna Biedrzyńskie from Poland performing cabaret songs by Julian Tuwim, Marek Grechuta, Agnieszka Osiecka and others.
Wide selection of songs from Kabaret Starszych Panów (Old Gentleman Cabaret) includes sing-along in Polish to songs, many composed to famous Polish poetry, widely known to Polish ex-patriots.

Program:
Część Pierwsza – z piosenkami o charakterze poetyckim, z utworami z Kabaretu Starszych Panów (Pejzaż bez Ciebie, Na całej połaci śnieg, Bo we mnie jest seks, Tango kat, Biżuteria)
A.Osieckiej (Widzisz mała, Ostatnie bolero), J.Kofty (Twój portret, Jestem taka, La Grande Valse frotte), J.Tuwima (Przygoda w Wilanowie), J. Pietrzaka (Kochaną być). Z. Laskowik (Kocham Cię Idioto) M.Grechuta (Ocalić od zapomnienia).

Część Druga – o charakterze biesiadnym, polskie przeboje z lat 60-tych piosenki cygańskie, oraz popowe piosenki z Ady płyty “Debiut”.
W trakcie występu prowadzony jest dialog z publicznością, piosenki są zapowiadane i komentowane, a w części biesiadnej wskazane jest żeby publiczność śpiewała.

Sponsored by Regional Arts and Culture Council, Polish Library association, Polish Festival and Polish Church in Portland, Oregon.

TICKETS: $10 at the door and on line: http://adatonie.brownpapertickets.com/

LINIE RÓWNOLEGŁE (Parallel lines) by Witkacy Theatre

Saturday, November 10, 2012 @ 5:00pm

3832 N Interstate Ave
Portland, OR 97227

Witkacy Theatre from Zakopane, Poland presents LINIE RÓWNOLEGŁE -- an extraordinary collage of songs by the two most famous Polish cabaret masters from the 1920s and 1930s (Julian Tuwim and Antoni Słonimski), including excerpts from various past productions. The show is an art salon a la Witkacy, a mixture of word-event-situation songs. A sentimental journey through
the history of Polish theatre, enriched by dramatic elements and gags.

The cast of 22 will sing, dance, act and take you on an unforgettable journey back in time.

The small Witkacy theatre is one of the most cherished theatres in Poland. It was founded in 1984 in tribute to a Zakopane legend, Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz (1885-1939). Witkiewicz was a multitalented artist, who was known as 'Witkacy' to his friends.
Several of Witkacy's witty, spirited plays still sound fresh today, and they are all regularly performed at this theatre.

look no further
not beyond real-ity
because the ity of the real
is from altogether another etern-ity

FREE!!!! donations accepted

Beauty of Early Polish Music

Friday, August 17, 2012 @ 7:30 PM

St Stanislaus Polish Catholic Church
3916 N Interstate Ave, Portland, Oregon 97227

An exciting and virtuosic program of Polish Baroque and Renaissance chamber music! Composers represented include Antoni Milwid (1755-1837), Wojciech Dlugoraj (c. 1557-1619), Diomedes Cato (c. 1560-1618) and Silvius Leopold Weiss (1687-1750). 
Performed by "Musica Maestrale" early music masters:
Victoria Gunn Pich, violin and viola
Polly Gibson, recorder and bass viola da gamba
Catherine Olson, soprano
Hideki Yamaya, Renaissance lute, Baroque lute, and theorbo