The 65th Warsaw Autumn, Poland’s largest and one of the world’s most important festivals dedicated to contemporary music, has been taking place since 16 September. The Festival’s finale will take place on Saturday 24 September with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Vimbayi Kaziboni and will be a concert of world premieres of works by Francesco Filidei, Sam Pluta, Alla Zagaykevych and Rafał Ryterski.

The festival is organised by the Polish Composers’ Union, and the programme is developed by a Repertoire Committee appointed by the Union’s Board, independent of the Board in its work.

The organisers emphasise that Warsaw Autumn is a well-deserved festival with a long tradition, a kind of witness to history. It is the only festival of international importance and scale devoted to contemporary music in Poland, and for many years the only event of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe.

The Festival organisers have prepared more than 40 mainstream events, as well as the “Warsaw Autumn Club” and “Little Warsaw Autumn” events.

More than 20 ensembles from all over the world take part in the event, among them: EWCM, Leopoldinum, BIT20, Spółdzielnia Muzyczna, Ensemble for New Music Tallinn, Talea, Schallfeld, Tempo Reale, Kwartludium, proMODERN, Kwadrofonik, Radical Polish Arkestra and Ulysses Percussion Ensemble featuring musicians from Percussions de Strasbourg.

The Festival’s guest conductors and music directors include Rüdiger Bohn, Leonhard Garms, Christian Danowicz, Lillianna Krych, Rémi Schwartz, Arash Yazdani and Hubert Zemler, while soloists will include: Michal Slawecki, Adam Kosmieja, Rafal Zalech, Rafal Luc and Malgorzata Walentynowicz.

The event is held under the honorary patronage of Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Culture and National Heritage Piotr Gliński and Mayor of Warsaw Rafał Trzaskowski.

Adrian Andrzejewski