THE POLISH RADIO CHOIR

The Choir was founded in 1948 by Jerzy Gert. The first choirmasters of the choir were Alojzy Kluczniok and Tadeusz Dobrzański. Next, the following choirmasters were: Adam Pałka, Jerzy Kurcz, Maciej Ogarek, Stanisław Krawczyński, Bronisława Wietrzny, and Małgorzata Orawska. From its beginnings till 1994 the Choir was an integral part of the Orchestra and Choir of the Polish Radio and Television. Since 1995 the Choir has worked as an independent group within the structures of the Polish Radio and is directed by Włodzimierz Siedlik. Currently this function is held by Małgorzata Orawska. The repertoire of the Choir embraces a capella music and vocal – instrumental forms with a special emphasis on Polish music. Besides concerts the Choir made numerous recordings for the Polish Radio and Television and foreign broadcast stations and musical firms. The Choir has taken part three times in the premieres of the Polish music pieces by the modern composers (among others Three Poems Henri Michaux by Lutosławski, under the direction of the composer, as well as the masterpieces of Krzysztof Penderecki). The Choir performed in international festivals, Polish and foreign ones (among others: “Wratislavia Cantans”, Warsaw Autumn, Poznań Music Spring, Chopin Festival in Duszniki, Music in Old Kraków, Rossini Opera Festival, Settimana di Monreale, Le Festival de la Musique Contemporaine Centre Pompidou, Oratorio und Cantata Festival Ratzeburg). At the turn of the millennium the Choir, together with the Israeli Kibbutz Orchestra, took part on concert tour performing Stabat Mater by K. Szymanowski, Mass in C minor by W. A. Mozart and Stabat Mater by F. Schubert, conducted by Avi Ostrowski. In November 2001 the Choir participated in the Europalia 2001 Festival in Brussels, where they performed Stabat Mater by K. Szymanowski together with the Polish   National Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Antoni Wit. In February 2002 the group went on tour in Switzerland, where together with the Polish Radio Orchestra conducted by Wojciech Rajski, they performed the cantata Alexander Newski by S. Prokofiew.
As one of very few groups, in its repertoire the Choir has the opera Moses and Aaron by Arnold Schönberg. In 1998 the Choir was invited by Staatstheater Darmstadt to perform this masterpiece together; in 2002 The Choir visited Teatro Massimo in Palermo, in 2003 in the Theatre in Stuttgart and in 2004 in Hamburg. The artistic season 2008/2009 was a commemorative season of the ensemble’s 60th anniversary. Ceremonies have been inaugurated on 15th November by the commemorative concert during the Polish Music Festival in Kraków- during this concert the Choir was distinguished by “Honoris Gratia” –the distinction of granted by President of Kraków.

MAŁGORZATA ORAWSKA

A graduate of the conducting studies at the Music Academy in Kraków. She worked with copious choirs: the Polish Radio Choir in Kraków, the Wrocław Opera Choir, the Opera Choir at the Szczecin Castle, the Male Choir “Cantilena’” in Wrocław. Since 2009 she has been holding a function of the director of the Polish Radio Choir in Kraków. She performed copious archival recordings of the Polish music by K. Szymanowski, R. Maciejewski, K. Serocki, S. Piechowicz, J. Łuciuk, H. M. Górecki, S. Moniuszko, E. Pałłasz, M. Małecki, K. Penderecki and Wacław from Szamotuły. She was granted numerous prizes in the choir contests; as a conductor participated in the concerts and festivals in Germany. She debuted in 2006 in the Wrocław Opera as a music director and a conductor of the spectacle Cosi fan tutte by W. A. Mozart, dir. by M. Znaniecki and is still conducting this spectacle. She prepared the Wrocław Opera Choir for all the mega productions in Hala Stulecia and on Oder, as well as for the spectacle Paradise Lost by K. Penderecki (believed to be the best performance in Wrocław in 2008). Moreover, she was responsible for preparing the Wrocław Opera Choir for all the DVD recordings of the Wrocław Opera, among others: Halka by S. Moniuszko - described as the best recording by the newspaper ”Gramophone” as well as the opera King Roger by K. Szymanowski, dir. M. Treliński (best recording of the television spectacle in 2007). Furthermore, she led the preparations of the Wrocław Opera Choir to performing the stage ballet Harnasie, and the opera King Roger by K. Szymanowski on the Bard Summercape Festival in Annandale on Hudson in New York. Currently, Małgorzata Orawska is cooperating with the Polish Radio Choir in Kraków, where she is an author of the archival recordings with the music of Stanisław Moniuszko, Maciej Małecki, and Tadeusz Dobrzański. She prepared the Polish Radio Choir for the first record of the radio opera King Arthur by Grażyna Bacewicz, as well as for the DVD record of Symfonia Opatrzności (Symphony of Providence) by Paweł Łukaszewski. At the end of 2009, together with the Polish Radio Choir, she accomplished the Polish premiere of the K. Penderecki pieces O Gloriosa Virginum and Sanctus. She initiated the cycle of the concerts called: “The Polish Radio Choir invites”, which enjoys the great appreciation of the audience. She was awarded the Silver and Golden Cross of Merit “Gloria Artis”.