10.10.2025 | 6:00 PM

Theatre Hall of the Zagłębie Palace of Culture

• Competition laureates (violin, viola, cello)
• Slawomir Chrzanowski – conductor
• The Symphony Orchestra of Zabrze Philharmonic

Photo by materials of the Zabrze Philharmonic

Sławomir Chrzanowski – Conductor. Since 1990, he has been the General and Artistic Director of the Zabrze Philharmonic. He completed his music studies at the Academy of Music in Katowice – in 1986, he graduated in Music Theory, and in 1989, he completed the Symphony Conducting programme under the guidance of Prof. Karol Stryja. From 1985 to 1990, he led the chamber orchestra and the symphony orchestra of the State Secondary Music School in Katowice, with which he participated in international music festivals (such as the Chamber Orchestras Festival in Ahrensburg and “Musica senza frontiere” in Bologna). In 1987, he participated in the International Course for Young Conductors in Weimar (with Prof. Kurt Sanderling), where he conducted the final concert. In 1991, he took part in the International Conducting Competition in Trento. In 1990, as a result of a competition, he assumed the position of General and Artistic Director of the Zabrze Philharmonic, which he still leads today. Together with the orchestra, he has given over 2800 concerts on various stages both in Poland and abroad. He has conducted at many festivals, including “Gaude Mater” in Częstochowa, “Viva il canto” in Cieszyn, “Trnava Music Spring” in Trnava, the “Chopin Festival” in Gaming, Austria, and “Pro Baltica” in Toruń. He has frequently conducted recurring events, such as the “Ludźmierz Vespers” and the “Concert of Three Polish Tenors.” He has conducted over 90 concerts, including major charitable events, with the participation of Poland’s greatest tenor, Wiesław Ochman. He has made several CD recordings as well as archival recordings for Polish Radio and Polish Television. With his orchestra, he has performed in Russia, Germany, Romania, and Japan. From 1991 to 1995, he was the Artistic Director of the Rybnik Philharmonic. He has conducted over 70 orchestras worldwide, including all Polish philharmonic and chamber orchestras (with which he continues to maintain a permanent collaboration), as well as the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice and the Radio Symphony Orchestra in Kraków. He regularly performs with orchestras from the Czech Republic, including the Ostrava Philharmonic and the Moravian Philharmonic in Olomouc, as well as with opera ensembles in Kraków, Bytom, Łódź, and Lviv. He collaborates with musical theatres – in 2006, he prepared the premiere of The Merry Widow by Lehár in Warsaw, and in 2019, Candide by Bernstein in Kraków. During his concerts, he has conducted many world premieres of music pieces (including compositions by Bogusław Schaeffer and Gheorghe Zamphir). He has visited the USA several times, where, in addition to concerts, he also gave open lectures for students on the history of Polish music as well as master classes in conducting (at Northwestern University Chicago and Mary Washington College Fredericksburg). He is the honorary conductor of the MWC Symphony Orchestra in Fredericksburg (USA). In 2002, he performed in the famous concert halls of America – Carnegie Hall in New York with a Polish music concert, and Orchestra Hall in Chicago with a Concert of Three Polish Tenors, inaugurating the new concert season of the Paderewski Symphony Orchestra. He is a judge for national and international music competitions, and since 2016, he has served as the Artistic Director of the International Music Festival “Ave Maria” in Czeladź. He is the recipient of numerous awards and distinctions, including the Golden Laurel of Skills and Competence, the Gold Honorary Badge of Merit for the Silesian Voivodeship, and the “Gloria Artis” award.

Photo by materials of the Zabrze Philharmonic

Zabrze Philharmonic – the Symphony Orchestra of Zabrze Philharmonic was founded in the spring of 1950 as the Miners’ Trade Union Philharmonic Society. Initially, the aim of the newly established symphonic ensemble was to promote and popularise music among the community of employees of Silesian industrial plants. The second focus, particularly nurtured to this day, is the organisation of concerts for children and youth with specially prepared programmes. The first years of the orchestra’s activity mainly involved presentations of lighter genres of music – opera, operetta, entertainment, and popular pieces from so-called “classics.” Over time, the orchestra shifted its focus to a more philharmonic profile. In the 1980s, the ensemble was renamed the State Philharmonic. The orchestra has performed with some of the most outstanding artists from both Poland and abroad, including Wiesław Ochman, Andrzej Hiolski, Zdzisława Donat, Paulos Raptis, Bernard Ładysz, Gary Guthman, Laszlo Baranyay, Iyrkki Myllarinen, Shiro Hatae, Ernest Werner Seiler, and Ciro di Giovanni. The Orchestra of Zabrze Philharmonic has performed numerous concerts in countries such as Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Austria, Germany, and Japan. The orchestra has also participated in international festivals, such as Gaude Mater in Częstochowa, the Chopin Festival in Gaming, Viva il Canto in Cieszyn, and the Star Festival in Międzyzdroje. Additionally, it has frequently participated as the competition orchestra in the Michał Spisak International Music Competition in Dąbrowa Górnicza. The orchestra has recorded several albums and has also registered a number of archival programmes for TVP, featuring some of the most outstanding Polish artists. In the past, it has been honoured with awards such as the Cultural Award of the President of Zabrze, the Golden Laurel of Skills, and the Award of the World Foundation “Health, Mind, Heart” – Leader of the Promotion of Polish Culture (being the second orchestra after the National Philharmonic). The orchestra’s repertoire predominantly features works from the Classical and Romantic periods, as well as contemporary compositions, with a particular focus on composers from the Silesian school. In its regular cycles, the orchestra presents staged performances of operas and operettas. The repertoire includes programmes with popular, film, jazz, and entertainment music. The Symphony Orchestra of Zabrze Philharmonic consists of 60 musicians, and its General and Artistic Director is Sławomir Chrzanowski.