In 1953 the Warsaw Philharmonic Choir first performed before a Warsaw audience. Since then, the ensemble has given the first performances of a large number of works, both at home and abroad, performing alone or with leading Polish and international orchestras. It has also recorded numerous discs a cappella and with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, many of which have won critical acclaim and prestigious awards (including a Grammy). For this jubilee concert, in which the choir will be conducted by its director, Bartosz Michałowski, the musicians have prepared a programme with works by composers particularly close to their hearts: Johann Sebastian Bach and Krzysztof Penderecki. The WP Choir has performed the Leipzig cantor’s cantata-oratorio masterworks many times. Its links with Krzysztof Penderecki, meanwhile, are of a very personal nature. The choir’s repertoire includes all of Penderecki’s works with a choral part, and it has taken part in their recordings and some first performances. In addition, the choir had the pleasure of performing his works under the baton of the composer himself, who readily combined composing with conducting.


Bartłomiej Gembicki