Between the 20th and 28th of April the 31st edition of the Musica Polonica Nova Festival will take place in Wrocław. Along with the Warsaw Autumn Festival (Warszawska Jesień) it is the oldest event devoted to new music in Poland. One of the ideas of the new Art Director, Paweł Hendrich, is for every edition to focus on the works of one composer. The first artist invited as the composer-in-residence of the festival is Marcin Stańczyk. As part of the residence his latest pieces of music will be presented.
The composer encourages the audience to listen to his works blindfolded. Blindfolds are an important prop both in the “Blind Walk” which for the first time was performed at the Venice Biennale as well as in the new composition entitled “Sursounds” commissioned by the National Forum of Music for the combined line-ups of its two chamber ensembles: Lutosławski Quartet and LutosAir Quintet. The Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Marzena Diakun will also perform “Woven Music” which refers to the sounds of working weaving machines registered by the composer in the Museum of Textile Industry History in Łódź. Stańczyk will also involve residents of Wrocław to perform their own composition. There will be red boxes similar to mailboxes displayed in the public space. Next to them there will be “scores-invitations” to perform “Possible Music” put out. Everyone will be able to imagine Stańczyk’s piece of music, describe his or her impressions at the back of the “scores” and put it inside the red box. The composer will use these impressions and relations to create a new piece. Moreover, the artist will give a lecture illustrated by his own music and after the lecture he will conduct composition workshops for students from the Academy of Music in Wrocław.
More information available on the National Forum of Music website.
Official website of composer: Marcin Stańczyk
Photo © from private archive of Marcin Stańczyk
Read also: “For the composer, impressions and feelings are important…” interview with Marcin Stańczyk