70th Anniversary of Jerzy Maksymiuk's Artistic Work Filharmonia Narodowa

9.04

Thursday / 19:00

Concert Hall

Special Concert, Symphonic Concert

Performers:

Sinfonia Varsovia

Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra

Warsaw Philharmonic Choir

Jerzy Maksymiuk

conductor (Stravinsky, Sibelius)

Igor Stravinsky

The Firebird Suite: 'Infernal Dance of King Kashchei', 'Lullaby', 'Finale' [11']

Jean Sibelius

Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op. 39 (mvt IV: Finale) [12']

... intermission [20']

Maurice Ravel

Trois Chansons for a cappella choir [7']

Wojciech Kilar

Exodus [23']

Jerzy Maksymiuk, photo: Wiktor Wołkow

Special concert celebrating Jerzy Maksymiuk's 70th anniversary of artistic work

Jerzy Maksymiuk will conduct two ensembles that occupy a unique place in his rich artistic career. The maestro will conduct both the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and Sinfonia Varsovia, with which – as he often admits – he has very strong ties. That admission takes on particular significance in the context of his impressive international career: suffice it to mention his long-standing collaboration with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra or the vibrant, energetic premieres he prepared for the English National Opera. Sinfonia Varsovia grew out of the ensemble of the Warsaw Chamber Opera, later known as the Polish Chamber Orchestra, to which the then thirty-something Maksymiuk gave new artistic impetus. The effects of their work together quickly came to international attention, and the ensemble’s first performances abroad were enthusiastically received, with Western critics full of praise, drawing attention to the orchestra’s extraordinary precision, dizzying tempos and unique sound. This success led to a contract with the prestigious EMI label – an event that Maksymiuk compared years later to receiving the Nobel Prize.
So it is hard to imagine a more beautiful form for the great maestro’s jubilee than a concert at the Warsaw Philharmonic, to which we are delighted to invite you.

Bartłomiej Gembicki

programme brochure

pdf (1.78 MB)

Jerzy Maksymiuk

conductor (Stravinsky, Sibelius)

Born in Grodno in 1936, Jerzy Maksymiuk studied composition in Piotr Perkowski’s class (graduating in 1962), piano in Jerzy Lefeld’s class (graduating in 1964) and conducting in Bogusław Madey’s class (graduating in 1969) at the Higher State School of Music in Warsaw. In 1961, he won first prize at the Ignacy Jan Paderewski National Piano Competition in Bydgoszcz but abandoned piano in favour of conducting.

In 1972, he founded the Polish Chamber Orchestra, soon recognised by many critics as one of the finest orchestras in the world. Under his baton, the ensemble performed in such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall, the Wiener Musikverein, and at the famous BBC Proms festival in London. The successes achieved with the Polish Chamber Orchestra led to the signing of a contract with the EMI record label. In 1975, Jerzy Maksymiuk became the principal conductor of the Grand Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra (WOSPR) in Katowice, with which he toured Europe and the United States on two occasions. Between 1983 and 1991, he led the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (giving concerts at the BBC Proms and on tour, amongst other engagements), and in recognition of his achievements with the ensemble, he was awarded the title of Conductor Laureate. In 1990, the artist began a collaboration with the English National Opera, where he conducted the premiere performances of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss the Son. He has performed with such distinguished orchestras as the London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre National de France and Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. He has also always performed in Poland, often with Sinfonia Varsovia, an ensemble he holds in high regard.

Jerzy Maksymiuk has recorded over 100 albums, including for EMI (13 albums), Hyperion and Naxos. Many of these have won awards; for instance, for his recording of James MacMillan’s The Confession of Isobel Gowdie with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the conductor received the Gramophone Award in the ‘Best Concerto of the Year’ category (1992). He is one of two Polish artists to have been awarded with the prestigious Elgar Society Medal for promoting the music of Edward Elgar.

Jerzy Maksymiuk is also a composer of symphonic and chamber works, ballets, songs and film music. Whilst still a student, he began collaborating with film directors, including Czesław Petelski, Wojciech Has and Krzysztof Zanussi. In total, the artist’s vast body of work includes music for over 100 documentary and feature films. He is currently absorbed in composing symphonic music. In recent years, he has written works such as Leaves Falling Here and There for chamber orchestra and piano (2011), Vers per archi for string orchestra (2014), Arbor vitae II for sorano, three accordions and symphony orchestra (2018), When Dreams Burn for three accordions (2021), dedicated to the Motion Trio, and the fantasy for piano and orchestra In the Garden of Emotions (2024).

The artist has been honoured with numerous awards, including the highest state honour – the Order of the White Eagle – as well as, amongst others, the Gloria Artis Gold Medal for Merit to Culture, the Polish Radio Diamond Baton, the Polish Culture Foundation’s Golden Sceptre Award, and the Golden Fryderyk. He is an Honorary Citizen of the City of Białystok. He holds honorary doctorates from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, the University of Białystok, the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz, and the Chopin University of Music in Warsaw.

[2026]