The Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice on 14 September 2017 (Thursday) at 6 pm (Theater Hall in Zagłębie Palace of Culture) under Boon Hua Lien will play the Inaugurating Concert of the 11th M. Spisak International Music Competition. The orchestra will be supported by the soloists: laureate of the M. Spisak Competition Aleksander Kobus – the trumpet and Anna Górecka – the piano, she will perform the pieceof Henryk Mikołaj Górecki – Piano Concerto op. 40.
In the programme there also listed:
- Michał Spisak – Serenade
- Alexander Arutiunian – Trumpet Concerto
- Henryk Mikołaj Górecki – Piano Concerto Op. 40
- Wojciech Kilar – Orawa
- Wojciech Kilar – Mazur
- Wojciech Kilar – Polonaise – Suit from “Pan Tadeusz“
Free tickets for inaugurating concert
Hosted by: Bartek Barczyk
The Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra The Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice fulfils the role of an ambassador of Polish culture on the international artistic scene. The ensemble has collaborated with some of the greatest Polish composers of the second half of the 20th century, Witold Lutosławski, Henryk Mikołaj Górecki, Krzysztof Penderecki, delivering the first performances of their works.
NOSPR was founded in 1935 in Warsaw by Grzegorz Fitelberg, who led it until the outbreak of World War II. In 1945, the orchestra was revived in Katowice by Witold Rowicki. In 1947, the post of the artistic director was taken again by Fitelberg. After his death in 1953, the orchestra was headed in succession by Jan Krenz, Bohdan Wodiczko, Kazimierz Kord, Tadeusz Strugała, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Stanisław Wisłocki, Jacek Kaspszyk, Antoni Wit, Gabriel Chmura and, once again, by Jacek Kaspszyk. In September 2000, Joanna Wnuk-Nazarowa became the institution’s General and Programme Director. In August 2012, Alexander Liebreich became the Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the NOSPR.
Apart from making archival recordings for the Polish Radio, the orchestra has recorded more than 200 CD albums for Decca, EMI, Philips, Naxos and Chandos. The NOSPR has been honoured with numerous awards for its phonographic achievements, including Diapason d’Or and Grand Prix du Disque de la Nouvelle Académie du Disque, the Cannes Classical Award and the Midem Classical Award. Many renowned conductors and soloists have performed with the NOSPR. The Orchestra has performed in nearly all the European countries, in the Americas, as well as in Japan, China, Korea, Australia, New Zealand and in the Persian Gulf countries.
In the recent years, the NOSPR has implemented some spectacular projects, e.g. The Marathon of Górecki’s Works and two editions of Musical Sea Voyage. The NOSPR has been the host of the biennial Polish Modern Music Festival of World Premieres and of the Katowice Kultura Natura Festival.
In the 2015/2016 season, the orchestra celebrated its 80th anniversary.
Boon Hua Lien
Hosted by: Iza Lechowicz
Singaporean-born Boon Hua Lien recently appointed as the Assistant Conductor of the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice and also the Music Director of the award-winning Orchestra Collective, one of Singapore’s finest wind ensembles.
He is a prizewinner at the 12th Aram Khachaturian International Conducting Competition. Lien’s artistic achievements have earned him the prestigious Walter Hagen Conducting Prize, Bruno Walter Conducting Scholarship and was named winner of the Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music Call for Conductor.
The 2016-2017 season is abounded in his debut with the Philharmonic Orchestra, Singapore, State Youth Orchestra of Armenia, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra. He has previously worked with many leading orchestras including the Brandenburger Symphoniker, Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, Festival Strings Lucerne, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Hartford Symphony Orchestra, Kritische Orchester, MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra, Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, Richmond Symphony Orchestra and Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra.
Lien was invited to participate in masterclasses with world-renowned conductors at distinguished festivals, such as Bernard Haitink at the Lucerne Festival, Marin Alsop at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, and Stefan Asbury at the Tanglewood Music Festival. Lien has a strong affinity for new music and has received praise from distinguished composers such as George Benjamin, Jennifer Higdon, Jo Kondo and Kevin Puts. He has collaborated frequently with OSSIA New Music Ensemble. Lien is also a doctoral candidate in orchestral conducting at the Eastman School of Music in New York.
