In 2025, the Michał Spisak International Festival will commemorate important dates and places associated with Michał Spisak: the 60th anniversary of his death and the 110th anniversary of his birth as a composer.
The festival is an important event for the region and the musical life, highlighting the role of youth, the exchange of experiences, and the roles of soloists, orchestral musicians, and educators in the development and promotion of musical life both in the country and abroad.
The life and work of the composer serve as the foundation for each edition of the festival. The musical background features a wide repertoire of Polish and international composers from many different periods, ranging from the 17th century to the present. The festival is also a journey through various musical styles: from classical music to improvisations blending classical and jazz elements, as well as the fusion of classical music with folk music. A broad spectrum of performances is presented—from “solo” to “tutti”—ranging from small ensembles to chamber groups and symphonic formations.
_______________________________________________________________________
ZAGŁĘBIE PALACE OF CULTURE
Considered a pearl of socialist realist architecture, the building with an area of more than 10,000 sqm is located in the very center of Dąbrowa Górnicza. The Palace of Zagłębie Culture was established in 1958, and is now one of the most important regional cultural centers. The institution annually organizes and performs more than 400 musical, film, theater, folklore, cabaret and interdisciplinary events of local, regional, national and international scope. Renowned artists from around the world perform on its largest stage. More than 100,000 people visit every year. The rich cultural and educational offer has been created with a wide audience in mind. The repertoire includes events for children and adults – both connoisseurs and music lovers, as well as those seeking pleasant entertainment. The young music concert series, PIWNICA and Recooltywator, invite young people to concerts by debuting artists. There is also the Senior Culture Palace, a multidirectional cultural education project for the elderly. In addition, through the Ząbkowice House of Culture and more than a dozen community centers and neighborhood clubs, the palace reaches many of the city’sneighborhoods and green areas with its offer.
The Palace of Zagłębie Culture is home to the KADR Cinema, the Art Gallery, the Palace Café, and numerous artistic groups such as the PKZ “Gołowianie” Song and Dance Ensemble, the Sojka Band Entertainment Orchestra, the City Brass Band, and the Zorza Choir. The unique and richly decorated building is also eagerly used as a film set by prominent directors, and its interiors have already been appreciated by Agnieszka Holland, Wladyslaw Pasikowski and Maciej Pieprzyca, among others.
We constantly make efforts to obtain funding for our activities in the form of grants, support from sponsors and patrons. Thanks to this cooperation, our offer is gaining in quality and attractiveness. Within the framework of subsidies from programs of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and EU funds, we have managed to obtain, among other things, funds for:
- 5th International Michal Spisak Festival (Artistic Education 2025, PLN 150,000)
- 15th Intercultural Folk Festival “Zagłębie and Neighbors” (Folk and Traditional Culture 2025, PLN 30,000)
- “The Palace has a voice!” (KPO for Culture 2024, PLN 100,000)
- “Palace on the screen” (KPO for culture 2024, PLN 97,000)
- Universal Culture Design (training series and purchase, grant of PLN 400,000)
_________________________________________________________________
DĄBROWA GÓRNICZA
An intriguing and colourful history, interesting landmarks, and unique nature, sports and cultural events, an academic centre, and modern, rapidly developing businesses – this is Dąbrowa Górnicza. Active, green, young, and dynamic. Dąbrowa Górnicza is an important hub of the Upper Silesian and Zaglebie Metropolis (Górnośląsko Zagłębiowska Metropolia), the largest city in the region by area and the tenth largest in Poland. The richness of nature (the Pogoria lakes, forests, desert, nature reserves), a range of cultural, sports, and recreational institutions, as well as historical landmarks, all testify to the city’s appeal in terms of leisure activities and ways to spend free time.
In the centre, there is a range of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, while major manufacturers are located in areas belonging to the Katowice Special Economic Zone. Dąbrowa Górnicza is also home to two private universities.
The social traditions of the city are reflected in the establishment of several non-governmental organisations by its residents, as well as the Dąbrowa Participatory Budget. Currently, one of the city’s most important initiatives is the modernisation of the city centre and the improvement of transport routes.
_______________________________________________________________________
KAROL SZYMANOWSKI ACADEMY OF MUSIC IN KATOWICE
The Academy is considered one of the leading music universities in the country and is the first music university in Upper Silesia (since 1929). The institution trains a qualified cadre of musicians: composers, theorists, instrumentalists, vocalists, and educators. From the very beginning, the faculty has consisted of outstanding artists and educators.
Currently, the Academy trains young musicians within four faculties:
- Faculty of Composition, Conducting, Music Theory, and Music Education
- Faculty of Vocal and Acting Studies
- Faculty of Instrumental Studies
- Faculty of Jazz and Popular Music
The Academy collaborates with a range of orchestras and musical institutions. Decades of activity and the successes of many outstanding artists, creators, soloists, orchestra members, and managers, for whom the Silesian university was Almæ Matris, have helped establish the Silesian region’s reputation as a strong creative and performing centre. The patron of the competition, Michał Spisak, was one of the many distinguished graduates of this Katowice-based university.
_______________________________________________________________________
MUSIC SCHOOL COMPLEX IN SOSNOWIEC
The school was established in 1946 – emerging in the difficult post-war reality, initiated by artists andsocial activists of the Sosnowiec Musical Society. The co-founder of the school was singer Janina Kiepura- Osiecka, and the first director was Lech Bursa.
The school began its activities in the annex of a tenement house on 3 Maja Street, later moving toseveral historic rooms in the Dietl Palace. In 1950, the school came under the supervision of the state education system and transformed into the State Music School in Sosnowiec. Over time, it developed its educational, instrumental, and premises potential. In 1955, the school took over the entire building of the Dietl Palace.
The school received its current premises, at 2 Wawel Street, in 1991, and in 2013, a concert hall was opened for use. The Music School Complex in Sosnowiec consists of: the State Music School of the FirstDegree (offering 4-year and 6-year programmes) and the State Music School of the Second Degree (specialising in instrumental and vocal studies). The school offers education in the fields of piano, violin, viola, cello, double bass, guitar, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone, trumpet, French horn, trombone, accordion, percussion instruments, and singing. In 2008, the Faculty of Vocal Studies was established, continuing the Kiepura tradition of opera singing. Graduates of the second-degree music school, after passing the diploma exam, are awarded the title of professional musician. The school hosts orchestral and vocal ensembles, which allow students to develop teamwork skills. As a result of artistic collaboration with the State Music Schools Complex in Żory, the Inter-School Youth Philharmonic (Młoda Filharmonia Międzyszkolna) was established, performing on stages of schools and institutions across Poland. Graduates of the school continue their education at music universities and achieve high rankings in national and international competitions. The teaching process is carried out by experienced educators who are active as soloists and orchestral musicians in the region. The school has hosted numerous musical celebrities, including Jan Kiepura – the future patron of the school, Andrzej Jasiński, Krystian Zimerman, Halina Czerny-Stefańska, Wiesław Ochman, Mirosław Jacek Błaszczyk, Małgorzata Walewska, and Arnold Rutkowski.
