World-renowned conductors, soloists, choirs and chamber ensembles in a diverse repertoire will perform for the audience at the 60th Bydgoszcz Music Festival. This year’s event will take place from 16 September to 7 October under the motto ‘Contrasts. New hope’.

The festival will be held at the Pomeranian Philharmonic in Bydgoszcz. It has been organised by this institution since 1963 and is one of the oldest events of its kind in Poland.

During the 10 concerts, world-famous conductors, soloists, choirs and chamber ensembles will perform for festival audience, presenting an extremely diverse repertoire.

Music lovers will hear: Krzysztof Penderecki’s Seven Gates of Jerusalem – a monumental composition performed by the Bydgoszcz Symphony Orchestra and the National Philharmonic Choir, the iconic British vocal ensemble The King’s Singers, works by Arvo Pärt interpreted by the Estonian Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir in Tallinn, outstanding vocal-instrumental compositions by Wojciech Kilar, and the greatest hits of Ewa Bem in a symphonic project, as well as the greatest Polish hits of female vocalists with the participation of Capella Bydgostiensis, Kasia Cerekwicka, Małgorzata Ostrowska, Agnieszka Twardowska and Anna Grzelak.

The inaugural Penderecki – Seven Gates of Jerusalem concert will take place on 16 September 2022 at 7pm at the Pomeranian Philharmonic. The title and structure (7 movements) of the work refers to the seven historical gates leading to Jerusalem. The text of the work is composed of Old Testament passages that foreshadow the coming of the Messiah.

The culmination of the Festival will be a concert on 7 October 2022 dedicated to the work of the eminent Polish composer Wojciech Kilar, creator of film and classical music. He has written soundtracks for more than 160 films. He has collaborated with many directors, including Andrzej Wajda, Kazimierz Kutz, Krzysztof Zanussi, Krzysztof Kieslowski and Roman Polanski.

Adrian Andrzejewski