Brahms concert

A concert featuring Brahms’ piano chamber music performed by Anna Dębowska alongside three other musicians in Krakow’s concert hall Florianka. The evening was a beautiful showcase of classical music, with each performer demonstrating incredible skill and passion for their craft.

The programme for the concert was diverse and engaging, featuring pieces such as „Wariacje na temat Roberta Schumanna Es-dur na 4 ręce op. 23” performed by Anna Dębowska and Andrzej Pikul, „Sonata skrzypcowa A-dur op. 100” performed by Maciej Lulek and Anna Dębowska-Jaroszek, „Vier ernste Gesänge op. 121” performed by Adam Dobek and Anna Dębowska, and „Tańce węgierskie WoO 1(1-5)” performed by Anna Dębowska and Andrzej Pikul.

Anna Debowska’s piano skills were truly mesmerizing, as she flawlessly led the co-performers through each piece with grace and precision. The collaboration between the musicians was seamless, and each performer brought a unique flair to their respective parts, creating a dynamic and captivating performance.

The concert hall Florianka provided a beautiful and intimate setting for the performance, allowing the audience to fully immerse themselves in the music. The concert featuring Brahms’ piano chamber music was a truly unforgettable experience. The talent and artistry of Anna Dębowska, Andrzej Pikul, Maciej Lulek, and Adam Dobek were on full display, leaving the audience in awe of their musical prowess.

On 19 November 2023 at the General Maczek Polish Ex-combatants House in Edinburgh, as we gathered to commemorate Poland Independence Day, we were transported by the spellbinding compositions of Polish maestros, beautifully rendered by Anna Dębowska. Together, we embarked on a harmonious journey that transcends borders and cultures, fostering a deeper appreciation for the Polish-Scottish connection that unites us all. 

The selection of Polish composers for this extraordinary piano recital was a deliberate choice, emblematic of the profound respect and admiration that both organisers – Scottish Polish Cultural Association and The Jane Stirling Project – hold for Poland’s rich musical legacy. Poland, a nation with a storied history and an indomitable spirit, has gifted the world with a treasure trove of compositions that stir the deepest emotions. And so they did this evening on a square piano that used to belong to Vilnius-born Felix Yaniewicz.

PROGRAMME

PART 1
Felix Yaniewicz Variations on Hope Told a flattering tale
Michał Kleofas Ogiński Polonaise „Les adieux à la Patrie” in A minor
Tempo di Menuetto from Five dances for piano
Fryderyk Chopin Mazurka op. 17 No 4 in A minor
Stanisław Moniuszko Mazurka in G major
Mazurka in A minor
Walz in A flat major

PART 2
Fryderyk Chopin Nocturne op. posth. in C sharp minor
Nocturne op. 48 No 2 in F sharp minor
Józef Deszczyński Variations sur un thême original op. 21

photos: Marcin Jaroszek

This concert offered a musical journey that reflected the extraordinary life and travels of the illustrious Frédéric Chopin. Chopin’s life was a perpetual voyage, a heartfelt odyssey that took him from the scenic landscapes of his beloved homeland to the bustling streets of Berlin, the cultural hub of Vienna, as well as the romantic allure of Paris and the hospitality of Caledonian soil. Through the virtuosity of Anna Dębowska, we paid homage to the legacy of Frédéric Chopin by restaging the performance the Great Romantic gave on the 28th of August 1848 at the Gentlemen’s Concert Hall in Manchester, as part of his British tour arranged for him by Jane Stirling.

Low Parks Museum, 129 Muir Street, Hamilton
7 pm., 18 November 2023  

PROGRAMME
 In the First Part: ANDANTE and SCHERZO ……………………… Chopin
In the Second Part: NOCTURNE, ETUDES, et BERCEUSE ………. Chopin

On May 19-20, 2023, the International Scientific Conference „Practical Sport Psychology. Championship in Sport and on Stage” was held at the Academy of Physical Education in Krakow. It was organized by the Department of Psychology of the Academy of Physical Education in Krakow and the Institute of Psychology of the University of Gdańsk. The conference became a meeting place two environments – sports and artistic;

seemingly different, but at the same time having a lot in common – striving for mastery, many years of work (trainings – exercises), competitiveness, rivalry, social evaluation, stage fright. Prominent psychologists, artists, athletes, coaches from Poland and abroad talked about these similarities. Lectures on sports psychology were delivered by prof. Jan Blecharz, prof. Aleksandra Łuszczyńska, prof. Gershon Tenenbaum, prof. Rich Gordon, prof. Artur Poczwardowski). On the other hand, the preparation for the performance or its psychological aspects were discussed by prof. Hubert Rutkowski, prof. Agata Szymczewska, prof. Anna Dębowska-Jaroszek. An invaluable point of the Conference „Mastership in Sport and on Stage” were discussion panels: May 19 „Coaches and Creators” (Henryk Olszewski, Michał Probierz, Thomas Thurnbichler, Prof. Hubert Rutkowski, Krzysztof Materna) and May 20 „Athletes and stage performers? (Adrianna Sułek, Renata Mauer-Różańska, Mariusz Wlazły, Prof. Anna Dębowska-Jaroszek, Prof. Agata Szymczewska, Kamila Pieńkos, Zuzanna Pietrzak, Tomasz Ritter). The panels met with great interest of the participants. The conference was also accompanied by four thematic sessions, a poster session and four workshops. Their authors were: Jan Blecharz, Dariusz Nowicki, Anna Ussorowska-Krokosz, Daniel Krokosz, Kinga Legieta, Kamil Damentka, Magdalena Jochimek, Katarzyna Anna Małachowska, Beata Mieńkowska. A real artistic feast for the participants of the Conference was a beautiful concert for piano and violin, which took place is located in the historic walls of the Aula Collegium Novum of the Jagiellonian University. During the concert, the violin and piano virtuosi presented themselves to the audience: Agata Szymczewska, Anna Dębowska-Jaroszek, Hubert Rutkowski, Zuzanna Pietrzak, Tomasz Ritter. An additional attraction was the ride to the concert in historic buses.

Meetings of this type of circles, exchange of ideas, results of scientific research or practical experience between the world of sport and the world of art have never happened before in such a form. In addition, the participation of leading figures from the world of sports, music, theater and psychology was a value in itself. All this allowed to look at a man striving for mastery from different perspectives, enriching the knowledge and experience of the participants. The conference „Championship in Sport and on Stage”, in the opinion of participants and observers, was a success.

In order to get acquainted with all the photos taken during the Conference, please visit the AWF Kraków website – the Gallery tab (https://www.awf.krakow.pl/multimedia/galeria-zdjec).

Organized by the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Edinburgh and performed by Anna Dębowska and Katarzyna Oleś-Blacha on 16 May 2023, the concert celebrated the introduction of the Polish Constitution of 3rd May in 1791, whose memory for years helped keep alive Polish aspirations for an independent and just society, the social attributes still valid and hard-fought for after nearly two centuries across much of Europe. 

This concert intended to convey these important shared values and this togetherness by combining in their artistic expression composers representing various national backgrounds: Poland’s Frédéric Chopin, Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860-1941), Stanisław Moniuszko, Franciszek Maklakiewicz, and Ludomir Różycki, as well as the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth’s Feliks Yaniewicz and Ukraine’s Mykola Dremlyuga and Borys Lyatoshynsky.

The cathedral overflowed with many notable guests including Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh Robert Aldridge, Scotland’s Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees Emma Roddick, Honorary Consul of Lithuania Nick Price, Consul of Ukraine in Edinburgh, and Consul General Łukasz Lutostański.

PROGRAMME
Frédéric Chopin – Prelude No 15 in D flat major op. 28
Frédéric Chopin – Mazurka No 4 in A minor op. 17
Frédéric Chopin – Nocturne No 1 in C sharp minor op. 27
Ignacy Jan Paderewski – Nocturne No 4 in B major op. 16
Frédéric Chopin – Etude No 12 in C minor op. 10

Anna Dębowska: piano
Stanisław Moniuszko – Znasz li ten kraj/Do you know the land?
Feliks Yaniewicz – Go Youth belov’d
Feliks Yaniewicz – More happy than the Gods
Frédéric Chopin – Życzenie/A Maiden’s wish No 1 op. 74
Ignacy Jan Paderewski – Chłopca mego mi zabrali/My love is sent away No 4 op. 7
Ludomir Różycki – Rajski ptak/Paradise Bird
Franciszek Maklakiewicz – Kocham Cię/I love you
Borys Lyatoshynsky – Oh, a quiet wind is blowing in the field
Mykola Dremlyuga – A blizzard has swept away flowers

Katarzyna Oleś-Blacha: soprano
Anna Dębowska: piano 

It was precisely on 20th April 1848 that Frederic Chopin arrived in London to begin his tour of the British Isles. And it was precisely 175 years later on 20 April 2023 that Anna Dębowska performed a number of Chopin’s compositions to commemorate this event organized as part of the April Conference by the Jagiellonian Univerity’s Institut of English Studies. 

During the event, the international audience listened to, inter allia, the two Nocturnes which he dedicated to Jane Stirling.  Normally fragile and fearful, Anna became a musical sovereign when she tamed the grand piano through Chopin’s music. She calmed the audience with her subtle rendition of the composer’s nocturnes, but at the same time she rolled through the keyboard like a hurricane with demanding passages as she interpreted his revolutionary etude.

Anna’s performance  fused the past and the present, as it provided the audience with a unique opportunity to commune with sounds that so clearly carried a message. Combined with readings from Chopin’s letters,  it offered a musical voyage in time back to 1848, when Caledonian soil hosted the dying Chopin, impoverished by his declining lot, enriched by numerous tokens of hospitality and genuine friendship.

Contextualized by Marcin Jaroszek’s narration, the concert span a story of love, devotion, disillusionment and unconditional respect for this somewhat whimsical Romantic genius. It told the story of Jane Wilhelmina Stirling, who gave so much and received so little. It told a story that had rested dormant for nearly two centuries – a story that will now unfold… 

On Saturday, 11 February 2023, the first concert of the 4th Franciszek Schubert Days took place in the concert hall of the Music School Complex in Tarnów.  The audience had the opportinity to hear three works by Franz Schubert for piano four hands: „Allegro moderato i Andante D968”, „Fantasy in F minor D940” and „Marche militaire in D major D973). In addition to the compositions of the 19th-century Austrian Romantic composer, the Saturday evening also featured music by French composers living at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries: „Pieces romantiques op. 55” by Cecile Chaminade and „Petite suite” by Claude Debussy. These pieces were be performed by Anna Dębowska-Jaroszek (piano) and Ewelina Panocha (piano).

Photo: Artur Gawle 

On November 7, 2022, at the Academy of Music in Kraków, Anna Dębowska and Kraków’s renowned soprano, Katarzyna Oleś-Blacha, delivered an exceptional performance of Karol Szymanowski’s „Pieśni Kurpiowskie” Op. 58. This concert was a highlight of the Szymanowski 2022 series, celebrating the rich heritage of one of Poland’s greatest composers.

The program featured a selection of pieces including „Lecioły zórazie,” „Wysła burzycka,” „Uwoz, mamo,” „U jeziorecka,” „A pod borem siwe kunie,” „Sciani dumbek,” and „Wscyscy przyjechali.” Each song showcased the unique blend of Szymanowski’s musical modernism and Polish folk traditions.

Katarzyna Oleś-Blacha’s soprano was nothing short of captivating. Her vocal control and emotive expression brought the folk-inspired melodies to life, capturing the essence of the Kurpie region’s musical heritage. Anna Dębowska’s accompaniment provided a perfect balance, highlighting the intricate piano parts that complement the vocal lines.

The intimate setting of the Academy of Music allowed for a close connection between the performers and the audience, making the evening even more special. The concert was a beautiful homage to Szymanowski’s work, demonstrating both the technical prowess and deep emotional understanding required to perform these complex pieces.

Anna Dębowska (piano) and Norway’s Edvard Adde (tenor) at Bamff House, Scotland, on 17 October 2022, restaged F. Chopin’s Matinee Musicale originally given at 99 Eaton Pace, London, on 23 June 1848 at the residence of Mrs. Adelaide Sartoris, whom he knew in Paris. She herself was a soprano and had married Edward John Sartoris – a wealthy man of fashion, with aspirations to become a Member of Parliament. This concert was one of the few he gave in London and the first public one in Britain. It began at 3 pm and tickets, limited in number, were one guinea each.

PROGRAMME
F. Chopin – Andante op. 22 precedé d’un Largo
L. van Beethoven – „Le penitent”
F. Chopin – Andante sostenuto, Etudes op. 25 nr 1, 2
G. Alary – Melodie „Reine des Nuits”
F. Chopin – Nocturne, Berceuse, Impromptu
G. Donizetti – Romance, „Ange si pur”
F. Chopin – Mazurka, Ballade, Valse

On October 9 2021, at the Low Parks Museum in Hamilton — part of the historic Hamilton Palace estate where Chopin himself stayed in October 1848 — Anna Dębowska performed a selection of the Great Romantic’s compositions in the narrated concert „Chopin’s Scotland.”

During the event, the audience was treated to a variety of Chopin’s works, including the two Nocturnes he dedicated to Jane Stirling. Typically known for her delicate and cautious demeanor, Anna transformed into a musical sovereign when she commanded the grand piano through Chopin’s music. Her subtle renditions of the nocturnes soothed the audience, while her powerful interpretation of the Revoliutionary Etude demonstrated her ability to navigate demanding passages with the intensity of a hurricane.

Anna’s performances during „Chopin’s Scotland” masterfully bridged the past and present, offering the audience a unique opportunity to connect with sounds that convey profound messages. Interwoven with readings from Chopin’s letters, the concert provided a musical journey back to 1848, a time when Caledonian soil welcomed the ailing Chopin. Despite his declining health, Chopin found himself surrounded by the warmth of hospitality and genuine friendship, enriching his final days.

On 8 October 2021 at 6.30 pm at Holy Trinity Church in Stirling, Anna Dębowska restaged Chopin’s matinée musicale originally held on 4 October 1848 in the Hopetoun Rooms, Edinburgh. The event included Chopin’s Valses, Mazourkas, Nocturnes, and his other compositions which he performed during his last public performance in Scotland – some say, his last public performance at all.

The programme of the concert, just like the original one, was vague, as Anna intended to restage the concert replicating Chopin’s bizarre habit of deciding on the specific compositions to be performed just before entering the stage or already on it. 

Programme:
Andante et impromptu – F. Chopin
Etudes – F. Chopin
Nocturnes et Berceuse – F. Chopin
Grande Valse Brillante – F. Chopin
Andante précédé d’un Largo – F. Chopin
Prelude, Ballade, Mazourkas et Valses – F. Chopin

The original concert by Chopin was peculiar in its character as it was a solo recital, a none-too-common occurrence at that time. The performance was well received due to the „delicacy of his [Chopin’s] touch, and the consequent beauty of tone.” The Edinburgh Courier noted that „[Chopin’s]  playing  [had]  less effect in a hall of considerable size.” and added that „as a performer of chamber music he [had] no equal.” Although the perception of Chopin by his contemporaries across the English channel may seem a bit disappointing, one cannot disagree that Chopin composed music best sounding in smaller venues. It seems as years passed by. his music now receives appropriate recognition, inter allia, thanks to pianist such as Anna Dębowska whose performance do carry a meaning, and so it did in Holy Trinity Church in Stirling.

On the 25th of April 2021, Anna performed „Le ruban dénoué” by Reynaldo Hahn together with Gajusz Kęska to inaugurate the International Piano Duo Festival „Duettissimo” 2021. Due to the Covid-19 restrictions, the concert was recorded and will be aired on 1 June 2021 on Youtube.

Program:

Reynaldo Hahn (1874-1947) – Le ruban dénoué, 12 valses a 2 pianos (1915)

I Décrets indolents du hasard
II Les Soirs d’Albi
III Souvenir… Avenir…
IV Danse de l’amour et du chagrin
V Le Demi-sommeil embaumé
VI L’Anneau perdu
VII Danse du doute et de l’espérance
VIII La Cage ouverte
IX Soir d’orage
X Les Baisers
XI Il Sorriso
XII Le Seul Amour

Anna Dębowska-Jaroszek/Gajusz Kęska – pianos