 France in the Twentieth, Germany and Italy in the Fifties, Poland in the Sixties, Russia in the Eighties... in the 1990's, the European contemporary music milieu looks north. For decades, we heard Nordic singers and choirs, brass and pop groups, orchestras and chamber ensembles; now it's the composers' time. Year after year we witness the growing presence of Scandinavian-made music. And it's not just a handful of names; pick a country, town, ensemble, school, genre, or generation, and you can always find something interesting. How did the Scandinavians do that? A high level of music making and numerous ensembles of long existence; an uninterrupted (at least in Norway and Sweden) link with local traditions, plus the infusion of an immigrant crowd; a wide-ranging system of support, promotion and information; a strong commitment to music education; and last but not least - a noticeable understanding of intellectual values, which, despite (or because?) high living standards, did not seem to perish in these societies - all that's contributed to the enormous growth of first-quality works and first-rank artists. What is striking about this output is the high level of musical craftsmanship, the openness to absorb a various impulses and then to develop them without any prejudice or limitation. And this is why we decided to present now our long-term idea of PÓŁNOC (Polish for 'North') at the Warsaw Autumn. This festival is made possible through the kind support of the Nordic Council of Ministers and the patronage of our own Ministry of Culture. Their help enables us to invite the best Nordic and Polish artists as well as to commission so many composers, also Polish, to write works which will be premiered at this festival. This year, we play almost entirely Scandinavians (namely, composers from five countries, Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland) and Poles. We add to this, a small but exquisite choice from the international contemporary repertoire. This emphasis is rare at our, usually very mixed festival. But do not be afraid of monotony: even you will be surprised to hear how varied this music can be... 
Rafal Augustyn |